The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-22
THE CRISIS IN FRANCE.

o Is Danger that the excitement at
~.aiig the exposure of the Panama canal
'uie and the effort TO bring the guilty
ssee. may produce a revolution in
e, so deeniv tainted by the scandal
= niemoers of the recent ministry and of
eInench legislature. The enemies of a
ps'iiean form of government are still
.any and strong in France, and should
: VI those bursts of popular fury sweep
0s1 france that have taken place in the
past without much warning, a change of
~so'efnment might be attempted If not
accomplished.
me extent of this swindIe is
Inc government, the press, and larEe
nulnoefs OF leading French men appear to
V involved. By the sale OF its stock and
oonus the Panama Canal Company Sc
cured nearly $3.50. 00O, 600 in cash, and in
CURED obligations amounting to more than
ss@o,So.o0. All of the money is gone the
MnAfupt company's assets are worthless.
y % now known and was known to the
hpan before it went into bankruptcy
nat It's managers had used enormous sums
teI corrupt purposes. OF the total amount
coiiected for the use of the Panama COM
pany, nearly 500. ooo. 900 in cash, only a
little more than one-third was used hon
estiy In the construction of the canal.
Inc entire press of Paris and the country
win q single exception was corrupted.
me corrupt managers Of the Panama
company nearly succeeded in ~eiecting a
majority OF the chamber of deputies that
snonid favor their project of obtaining aid
nom the government.
The subscribers to the Panama shares
ana bonds included hundred of thousands
q peasants who had confidence in De Les
SIPS as the creator of the Suez canal.
Failure to promptly and severely punish
member of the legislature proved guilty
o. bride taking would cause immense
popular excitement throughout France.
These peasants, knowing that a large part
q their money had been stolen, would
believe that all of their savings invested
Ia the Panama canal had been embezzled
instead of being wasted As millions have
been upon q ruinous enterprise. Under
these circumstances i. would not be sur
prising if the friends of monarchy used
the Panama scandal to discredit the re-
public and start . movement for a change
a government.
In the present crisis the republic is
greatly strengthened by the pope's recent
declaration in favor of that form of gov
ernment in France. One thing is certain,
the peasant electors will effect a revolution
a the ballot box next election in
the constitution of the chamber of
deputies. None but conservative men,
tation, will get the peasant vote.
foor men cannot afford to become men,
hers of the French chamber and live in
Faris IN 1850 a year. Upwards of 100
deputies and senators have been charged
With having sold their votes, and the ex-
posture of the wholesale bribery connected
With the Panama canal discredits the
Radicals with Clemenceau at their head.
Nothing can save the Radical party but
their consent to the msrciless punishment
Of all members OF their party who are
proved to have accepted brides.
OF course the Bouiangists who forced the
exposure on the loor of the chamber are
delighted at their opportunity to bring
home corruption to many men. Xix Gle
ncnceau, who helped to bring B%oulanger
to his downfall. The state of public NOR
sis in France is about what might be ex-
pected of q nation that has suffered Monte
Carlo to indulge in lega!ized gambling,
and sanctioned by its Legislature the pro-
iect of the Panama lottery. The c~iviiiza-
ton of Paris under Napolen III. was Ut
t.rly honeycombed with official municipal
corruption. Gambling and duelling are
rermitted withou, restraint. and nobody
Who has read zola's powerful novels de-
,cribing the municipal corruption and
ejaculation that took place when Napoleon
III. was rebuilding Paris need be sur
nrised TO learn that q French legislature
has been corrupted.