Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-24
The Chamber of Deputies.

tCOppfglt 1889 bB James Gordon Bennen.l
PARIS, May 23.-[New York Herald
Cable-Special to THE BEE. THE debate on
the budget is progressing in the chamber
without arousing much interest. 1t Is very
evident that those who take part in the dis
cussion are less preoccupied over the i'm
portance OF celebrating a satisfactory budget
bill for 1890 than they are anxious to prepare
an electoral platform for themselves. With
out u view to the general elections, next Oc
tober, the debate consists Of little else than
an exchange of recriminations, accusations,
and justiicatons between the various polit-
ical factions. 1t is rather prelude to an
electoral campaign than q financial discus
sion, ard it is useless to expect much light,
or a strict observance of truth, in n debate of
such character Each party speech is made
with view to the embarrassment it will
cause the others leaders.
The right naturally exaggerate the bad
state of the public finances, and denounce
the want of economy that has occasioned it.
They make some crushing charges against
the republicans, who, so they assert, have
badly managed the public money. The ora
tors on the left retort that the right ought to
abstain from such violent denominations,
in view of the fact that the extravaganza of
which they complain was commenced with
their consent. All this means that every
body is to blame 1t is hardly worth while
for the deputies to accuse each other so
violently, only to arrive finally at such a
conclusion.
or the republicans, it must be admitted
that their speakers are showing prodiges of
ingenuity in proving that the faults COM
mitted are not as serious as has
been asserted, The more optimistic
among them go so far as TO insist
that the financial condition of France was
never better than at present, and that a
more even balance has never before been
maintained between the public receipts and
expenditures. Such was in substance, the
theme Of NM. Burdeau, Rouvier, and
Camille Pellitau.
The art of juggling with figures, and of
eliminating those which are inconvenient,
evidently plays an important part in such a
demonstration, and it is necessary 10 leave
in the shades the expedients TO which French
fnanciers have, for many years, been resort
ing in order to conceal the increase in public
expenditures. These expedients are well
known to all who have any familiarity with
the subject. They consist in replacing
extraordinary budget expenditui es,
which can not be met by the
resources of an ordinary revenue,
and making good any deficiency by loans
The republicans admit that in financial mat
ters they are following dangerous line OF
conduct. Camille Pelitau was one of the
first to cay that the continuance OF the pres
ent system would inevitably lead to rum.
At the present time, however, the electoral
question takes precedence of all others, and
that is why the left are doing their best to
paint the situation in the most attractive
colors, aud for the same reason the mem
bers Of the right are indulging in an ex-
aggeratlon of pessimism. II would be better
TO indulge in less discussion and less recrim-
ination over the past, and TO think more OF
the future.