Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-06
POLITICS In FRANCE.
Something About the French Methods
Of Conducting Elections.
HOW PARTIES ARE ORGANIZED.
A Clear Account of the Important Struggle
Just Ended.
PROBABLE RESULT OF TIE CONTEST
looRRrsroNpExcE OF THE D1srArcH.I

October 6, about the Date when this letter
will appear in your columns, will be the
second and final day.
From February s, 1871, date of the first
elections after the close of the Franco
German war, to the autumn of 1885, when
the last Chamber of Deputies was elected,
the Republican side OF the House had been
slowly increasing in numbers at the expense
of the anti-Republican side. And what
was true of the Chamber was true of the
Senate With an anti-Republican ma
jority in 1875, the year when the French
Senate was created, each new election
strengthened the Republican ranks, until
to-day the anti Republicans fill only few
rows of benches on the right in the LuIem-
burg Assembly amphitheater.
But in October, 1885, at the moment when
the Senate had decidedly passed over to the
Republic, the elections for the Chamber
showed for the first time since the establish
ment of the Third Republic, check to the
progress of the dominant party; the Anti
Republican minority had been nearly
doubled, and reached the formidable num-
Der of almost 200, about one-third of the
whole body, which consisted OF 5S4 Depu-
ties
This triumph of the Right in the elections
Of 1856 was the chief cause OF the creation of
Boulangism and gave rise to most of the
dangers which have beset the Republic DUR
ing the last two years, dangers which will
not, probably, be dissipated, as the friends
of Republican France hope, by the present
elections. The Right in the last Chamber
was SO strong, that if 100 Republicans
sided with it, the enemies of the Govern
ment had q majority. And, on more than
one occasion during the past four years. Re
pubIicans did side with the Right, Republi-
can ministries were overturned, stability of
Government destroyed, the country became
disguised, Boulanger appeared the savior
of France, and to-day Parliamentary Re-
publicanism is in such bad odor that the
very lie OF the Third Republic is threat
ened.
THE SCRUTIN DE LISTE.
The Chamber OF 1885, whose rule has been
so disastrous to the present Government of
France, was elected by what is known as
scrutiR de liste; that is, each Department
voted in q body for the whole number of
Deputies allotted to that Department Just
as in Presidential election in America a
whole State votes for a list ofelectors. Prior
to 1885, Deputies were voted for by districts
as with us. 1t was Gambetta who induced
the Republicans to adopt scrutin de liste.
He believed that it would advance the in
terestS oil the Republic. He did not live to
see its evil results; for it was due, in large
part, to scrutin de liste that the Right
gained so much ground in 1885, and that
Bouianger, by the votes of half-dozen De-
p2rtments, was brought into prominence |
during the past year. |
1t was only natural, therefore, that the |
last Chamber, before it died this summer,
should have passed q law, which was con-
Cured in by the Senate, returning to the !
district system and abandoning scrutin de |
liSte. This vote was chiefly directed against |
Boulanger, who otherwise would have stood !
a good chance Of election in a large number
OF departments, and would have carried out
his plebiscit idea, the faTorite political |
dodge of bold politician who seeks su- /
preme power in France majority of the |
people would have pronounced in his favor |
and the runaway General could have ex-
claimed: VoI populi, vo1 del.
In its fear of General Boulanger the |
Chamber did not stop here, but introduced |
a reform n the French electoral system,
which, if 1 am not mistaken was unknown |
in this country before. Heretofore a can
didate might stand for election in as many
districts as he pleased. For instance, at |
the general elections of February, 1871, the
first after the war, Gambetta was chosen in
nine different colleges, and Theirs in Sc. |
But the last Chamber decided that, as in
America, candidate may stand in but one
district. This clipped still further the
wings Of Boulanger and his friends. 1t |
killed a plebiscitum even in the districts.
PARTY ORGANIZATION.
And this law, this permitting candidate
to present himself before the vsters of but
one district, is the most curious feature of |
the present campaign, and assure to produce
some very odd and unexpected resultss
Under the old system, prominent public
men would often stand simultaneously in
two or more districts when there was any
doubt of their defeat in their favorite dis
trict. In this way party was sure not to
be deprived of the service of a valuable
leader. This was the great advantage of
the system. But, in the present contests sew
eral prominent candidates are, if 1 am not
greatly mistaken, pretty certain to 'get
left. The way in which some of these
desperate politicians have been running
about all over France in the search of a
"sure thing" is one of the amusing aspects
of the campaign. And this brings me to
the Interesting question Of party orgaaiza-
tion in France.
As vet the machine" cannot be said to
have become acclimatized in France. Ma
tlonal or general committees do exist in two
or three instances, but they possess very
limited and poorly defined powers Speak
Ing generally, every candidate manages his
own affairs. Nominating congresses-con-
ventions as we should say-do meet in some
cases in certain departments. but. as q rule.
they have to do with the choice of Senators,
who are chosen by second degree" suffrage.
much as it was intended our Presidential
electors should choose a President The
only well organized electoral bodies in
France are the local committees. Almost
every deputy or would-be deputy has his
committee, which is often brought together
by him, but which sometimes organizes
itself, and then invites candidate to Ap-
pear under Its auspices. At times these | ,
committees get to be very powerful and
arbitrary close corporations, and often hold
in their hands the fate of the aspiring poll
tician. One of the reasons WHY Gambetta |
favored scrutin de liste was that he hoped in
this way to break the back of this electoral
committee oligarchy. So we may saw that
primaries, caucuses, conventions and
national and State committees are Quite nm
known in France. There Is no machine 4"
no "slate, " ne 'boss" in this happy land.
NOT A POLITICAL PARADISE.
Ny Mugwump readers will be tempted to
exclaim: "What political paradise France
must bel" Net at all. Some order must
everywhere be brought out of party chaos.
In France this desideratum is obtained by
the Central Government; but of course only
in 50 far as "the powers that be" are con-
rerned.
The Minister of the Interior, NJ. Constans
Rt present, is the great boss in French poll
hes. He is armed, ameng other things,
with secret service fund, which he uses to
advance party ends Certain candidafes are |