Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-08
A GOVERNMENT WANTED.
Story of the Crisis in France-A Chamber
Divided Against Itself.

PARIS, December IA few days ago
every one asked, ''Have we a budget"
Later the question was, Have we Gov
ernment?" To-day France has neither a
government nor budget, and people are
beginning to ask, "Is any government
with the present Chamber pOSSible?" For
six weeks NJ. De Freycinet has been
struggling with Chamber that presents
the spectacle, unprecedented in the annals
of parliamentary government, of not ac-
cepting financial policy either from the
Ministry or from its own Budget Commit
tee. The fdgety and capricious Deputies
of the Extreme Right and Extreme Left,
the ultra loyaliSts and wild radicals Joined
hands and upset the Ministry, just as
spoiled children sometimes smash their
toys.
They insisted on the total suppression,
before January l, of all the sub-perfects in
France-a measure that the Ministry
promises not only to consider, but to exc
cute as far rs is actually practicable. Sin
gularly enough, there is not Deputy in
in the Chamber but now admits that to
carry out such step at three weeks notice
would throw out of gear the whole admin
istrative machinery Of France. Yet this is
what was vetoed on Friday. NJ. de Frey
cinct at once grasped the situation and
made use of q splendid opportunity. He
resigned, and thus put both the reaction
aries and radicals in the wrong. He
brought them face to face with an impoS-
sble situatiOn-a situation that they them
selves had created-and what is more inn
portant still, his mastery coup has brought
the Chambers face to face with IN impa-
tient nation.
Now, roughly speaking, the present
chamber consists of go moderate Republi-
cans, 200 reactiOnaries and $50 radicals.
A combination of any two of these can
easily beat the third. Thus moderate
Republican GOvernment-and the French
people will not for moment tolerate any
othcr-muSt, by parliamentary technical
itics or by balancing feats worthy of a
tight rope dancer, get the support Of 100
radicals or TeactiOnaries TO be able to carry
on the ordinary affairs of the country. The
reaCtiOnaries were elected at moment
when France was boiling over with indig-
nation at NJ. Jules Ferry and his TOnQuin
fiaSCOs, and many of them thus obtained
their seats out of sheer luck Now the
situation is changed, and, should there he
Il dissolution of the Chamber and new
general election, France would to-day poll
the largest Republican vote ever yet cast.
NJ. de Freycinet knows this better than
any one. He declines 10 govern by the
devices of the tight-rope dancers. lie has
gauged the situation with political in
stinct worthy of a Richelieu, and to-day
he is the strongest man in France. Dur
ing the past forty eight hours Deputies of
all stripes, from Clemcnceau to Raoul
Duval-the very men who upset the Min
istry-have asked and almost implOrcd Nj.
de Freycinet to return to Ollic;. He per-
Sistently refuses. He is master of the sit
uatiOn, and whether he eventually con-
sents to he Prime Minister or not he
stands before the nation at the present
moment as tie man best fitted to succeed
NJ. Grevy rs the President of the French
RcDublic.