Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-28
THE PANAMA SCANDAL.
The Excitement Of France Over the Charges
Of Corruption.

The Excitement OF France Over the Charges
Of Corruption.
Paris Correspondents Of the New York Times.
Since the fight Of Boulanger there mas been
no such general excitement and disorders in
parliamentary circles. So generally is the
hutter, indeed. that the notion of upsetting the
ministry, which a week ago was all arranged,
seems to have been quite forgotten.
The focus of the hurly-burly is, Of course,
the parliamentary committee Of inquiry into
| the Panama scandal, which curiously' recalls
our own credit mobilier uproar twenty years
ago. The charges are, no doubt, much more
sweeping in scope and embrace no less than
$50 deputies. At the same time they are vastly
wagner in character. SO that the committee
will have genuine excuse if 1t fails to find
anybody guilty at all. because nobody is
specifically accused. Public feeling is running
| 80 high, however, that there will be the gravest
danger OF mourning the suspicion of an at
tempt to burk the matter or whitewash the
chamber generally.
Scapegoats of some sort must be found, and
| 1t will require the sublimation Of delicate in
genuity to probe the Panama affair in any direc-
ton without disclosing q whole flock Of them.
The first step has already been taken in order
ing the exhumation of the remains of Baron
Re1nach and the sealing up OF all his papers.
Everybody is prepared to learn as the result of
the autopsy that he committed suicide. I'm
happily every one also expects to hear that there
| has been q mysterious disappearance Of doc
uments from his strong boxes, and Ricard. the
minister Of justice, will be fiercey attacked for
not having secured them the moment the
strangely sudden death was announced.
This tragic episode will render 1t all the more
difficult for the committee to evade doing what
Delahaye, the accuser demands it shall do
that is, make a rigorous and exhaustive search
OF the bank records and trace the disposition
- I'LL. I'LL
voted to corrupting parliament and the press.
That somebody will get hurt in this process
seems morally certain, but how widely and dis
astrously the revelations will hit must remain
for the moment a matter of conjecture. 1t is
clear enough, though, that even if Delahaye's
charges are made more or less good the result
will not bring his patron, the Comte do Paris.
one inch nearer power. The effect will be in
| stead to strengthen the hands Of advanced men
generally and bring at least into temporary
control those radical elements which stand near
est to the border line of social democracy.
Perhaps the current frenzy for investigation
may also do something toward purifying the
Partisan press. have spoken in these dis
patches for years about the ruthless way in
which even conventionally respectable papers
OF Paris blackmailed Panama and Monte Carlo
and every other enterprise which stood in need
OF buying off public attacks. Both Isthmus
and Riviera allegations now to be subjected
to scrutiny, and the result must be a national
awakening to the rottenness of modern Boule-
ward journalism.
Delahaye is said to have given to the COM
mittee in sealed packet the name of the for
eign paper which he alleges bought up by
the Panama ring for $4,000 There will be
the liveliest curiosity to learn what this name
may be. Meanwhile it is tacitly agreed by all
that whatever be the result judicial proceedings
against the directors are to begin on the 10th of
January. Old DE Lesseps is to be allowed to go
TO the grave without even knowing about them.
II he is convicted he will be Immediately par
doned by the resident He is greatly broken
In health and mind, spends most of his time in
bath chair doing in the sun or before the
fire, and has been kept in total ignorance OF the
whole commntinn