The Ottawa free trader., 1888-01-07
COUNTING THE VOTES.

sense, song and sentiment, "allong-lng
and marshong-ingn are so mixed in the
performances of that week that an Amer
lean reader is puzzled To decide when the
actors We're really in earnest, when they
were "bluify' and when merely posing
for effect. Everything in Paris is done III
such theatrical manner-every man acts
so much as if the eyes of the world were
on him-that when the crisis ends with
out bloodshed, we incline to the conclusion
that it was all well managed play.
Two hard facts, however, are evil
dent The mass of tie people were
determined that Jules Ferry should
not be elected president, and both
people and legislative assembly were
determined that Jules Grevy should
resign or be kicked out. Yet, so tickle is
French opinion, or so uncertain was the
situation, that at the last minute group
of journalists and politicians who had ex-
hausted the terms of abuse on Nj. Grevy,
actually asked him not to resign, being
moved to this action by a fear that Nj.
Ferry would he elected in his stead. Nj.
Grevy was so far deceived by this that on
the evening oC Dec. he announced to the
council at the Elysee palace, assembled to
carry his resignation to the chamber OF
deputies, that "the situation seemed to him
so FAR modified that he had at present no
communication to make On test vote
this performance was condemned in both
bodies, with only eight dissenting votes,
which caused NJ. Grevy to change his
mind again and very suddenly. Then,
while the convention consisting OF both
deputies and serators) proceeded TO elect,
the whole population of Paris gave itself
up to the widest demonstrations, even
| lining the road TO Versailles and threaten
| ing to blow up the track and destroy the
trains if NJ Ferry was chosen,
1t is claimed that when the convention
assembled NJ. Ferry had n majority, and
that the demonstrations caused changes;
at any rate. on the second ballot NJ. Sadi-
| Carnot received GIG votes to PIG for all
others, and then "all the world toute lie
monde) went wild" again. The votes oc-
cupied much time. AS the names were
slowly called each senator and deputy
walked forward to the space in front OF
the stand and dropped his vote into an
urn, by which, as guard, stood tall hus-
sar. Two secretaries made the count.
All this time the outside crowd pressed as
near the building as the guard would
allow, and in Paris the mob massed in the
| Place de In Concorde and amused itself
| for hours by such "hOrse play" as SHOW
| ing carriages against the wall, ducking
a few persons in the fountain basin
and pelting the police. When the vot-
ing was done and the result announced
all order was suspended for some time,
and a search for Sadi-CarnOt began. He
| had retired when his name was first men
| toned, and was now secluded in n small
alcove of the statue gallery, his face very
pale and his frame greatly agitated. His
father, 50 years old, ran with the activity
of a youth up to the gallery and hugging
his son as if he were an infant, exclaimed:
"Oh, what II joy this is to me, my dear
childn the tears streaming down his face.
| Then the new president was taken to the
official carriage and escorted back to Paris
in fine style; the mob marched to his
house, cheered him and dispersed, and the
"crisis' was over with nobody killed and
nobody wounded,