Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-12-22

| gotiations with the Gear. With all the
Republican groups, moreover, the argu-
ment had some weight that the advo-
Gates of monarchy were using the Pam
anna scandal to discredit the republic,
and to pave the way for q change oi
government.
Thus far the pledge given by the
new Ministry has been fulfilled. A
large number of documents relating to
the Canal Company have been turned
over by the judicial authorities to the
Investigating committee for the pur-
pose of throwing light upon their ln-
quiries, but with the understanding
that the papers shall not be published
during the tendency of judicial pro-
however, will not be thoroughly tested
until the committee bring in report
discriminating members of the Cham
Der. Then they will have to deal with
the belief, now become universally
current in France, that many millions
of dollars subscribed by investors in
Panama Canal securities were used to
bribe the legislature and the press.
The political Importance of furnishing
with promptness and severity any leg
lslators to whom the guilt of bribe TAX
ing can be brought home will be ap-
preciated, when we recall that the SUBJ
scribers to Panama shares and bonds
included many hundreds of thousands
of peasants who had entire confidence
in the creator OF the Suez Canal. and
willingly embarked their savings in
any enterprise launched under his
name.
Undoubtedly far larger fraction of
the money obtained from peasant IN,
vestors has been wasted than stolen,
but that is not the impression which
they will get from the disclosures
made. Traditionally suspicious Of Par
isians and disposed by prejudice to ex-
aggeration, the could be easily persuad-
ed that they and M. de Lesseps were
the joint victims of Partisan rascality,
and that the canal would have been
completed but for the incessant black
mailing to which the company was sub
jected at the hands of Deputies and
journalists. If this conviction be once
planted in their heads, we shall witness
next year something like a revolution
at the ballot box. We do not mean
that either the Bonapartists or the
of the Bourbons can obtain
a majority of the next Chamber, for
neither party has a popular leader, and
all monarchists are crippled by the
Pope's declaration in favor of repub-
lie. It is more likely that the peasant
electors would return q majority of
Republicans deliberately
selected from among men so rich as to
be above temptation. Experience has |
shown that the annual stipend paid to
members OF the Chamber of Deputies !
fifteen hundred dollars) does not suf-
ice to enable them TO live comfortably /
n Paris, and that consequently men too
,ften succumb to the attractive offers
made to them by dishonest fnanciers.
The truth is that the judicial prosec-
ltion of the Panama directors and con-
ractors has been to a large extent lost
light of, although the list OF incrimin-
ted persons included such distinguish
ID names as those of NJ. Ferdinand de
.esseps and NJ Eifel. Since the men,
,rable speech in which upward Of a
hundred Deputies and Senators were
ccused CT having sold their votes, itis
he legislature itself which is on trial
a the eyes of the French people. I'm
ess the majority in each legislative
'ody can purge itself of the accusation
o the most drastic way by ruthlessly
racking and Furnishing It's guilty MEM
ers, it will have to resign itself to q
Ong exclusion from power. That ma
ority is now, and has been since 1877,
ssentiallv Radical; indeed, it has been
rowing more and more Radical since
be year go. It is, therefore, Radical |
sm. hitherto preponderant. which will |