St. Paul daily globe., 1892-02-20
CLEMENCEAU MASTER.
The Radical Leader Forced tho
Cabinet TO Resign,

PARIS, Feb. 10. = M. CIemenceau,
leader of the Radicals, was at the bottom
of the present ministerial crisis, as he
has been at the bottom of nearly all
crises for many years. He is quick to
turn others out of Office, but never takes
office himself. In the present case NJ.
De Freycinet had no intention of press
ing the associa tions bill, which was de-
signed merely to frighten the bish-
ops and please the Radicals. The
demand for urgency placed the
premier in difficult position.
If he accepted the motion,
it would be equivalent to direct attack
on the church and would bring down
upon the government the hostility of
the Right. While to refuse urgency
would betray insincerity on the part of
the government.
THIS. situation NJ. De Freycinet tried
to eqtiivocate, wllerenpon NJ. CIemen-
ceau sternly called upon him to drop
his political subtleties and state nIainfv
whether he was for or agai, st separa-
ton of the church and state. Stung to-
the quick, NJ. De Freycinet called for
vote of confidence. He hoped to be
supported by a coalition of the moder-
ates with the Radicals or the Right. He
was baff1led in both, as Clemeaeeau in-
tended he should be, and beaten by the
combination of the Radicals with the
Right. which Clemenceau, the most art
full tactician in the chamber, had
quickly arranged.
In accordance with the programme
decided on, the ministers called on
President Carnot and rendered him
their joint resignation, which was ac-
cepted. President Carnot strongly
urged the ministry to reconsider, but
Col. Freyclnet insisted upon reSigning,
saying he and his colleagues had de-
cided they could not remain in power
after the action taken yesterday by the
chamber.
Several members today. called on NJ.
de Freycinet, who has served as war
minister as we'll as premier, and ap-
pealed to him not to resign. saying that
he would be great loss to the army.
NJ. de Frcycinet, however, remained
obdurate.
The lob6ies of the chambers were
filled today with excited members dis
cuSsing the situation, and when the
final decision of the ministry became
known the opinion was general that
state of political uncertainty had ar
rived, in view of the apparent inability
of any party to form working minis
try. LIE Jour newspaper says that the
OIly COuTS0 Is the QlSSOlu-
tiOn of the chamber.
The bourse today was much excited.
and prices were depressed. Toward
the close, however, there was an i'm
proved tone. due to the belief that the
cabinet would be re-cOnStr ucted. Pres
ident Carnot had a long consultation
with M. Freycinet before concluding
upon acceptance, and the premier told
the president that his action could not
be recalled, and that the course of the
chamber left no choice between dis
honor and resignation.
M. Fallieres, the minister of public
worship, is looked upon with coldness
by his colleagues, as the primary cause
of the crisis by his aggressive attitude
towards the clergy, and the supporters
of the government join in condemning
his policy, as rendering the catastrophe
of yesterday inevitable.
After the defeat of the ministry yes-
terday there was remarkable scene
in the chamber. At first the majority
were as thunderstruck as the mi
nority. They had hardly expected
to overthrow the ministry by such
of the old regime, who had sat in calm
hauteur day after day watching the
onward sweep of the current beyond
their control, suddenly awoke to a sense
of the result. They threw aside dignity
and began embracing, and Some even
kissed each other. Stately mobiles from
remote parts of France, where loyalty
to the church and royal house is born in
the people, forgot their reserve and
danced about like derviShes in their
lubilant delight at the defeat of the
ministry. The minority, on the other
side, answered the shouts with yells
and eXecrationS.