The sun., 1892-12-23

It is OF course. a wholesome resolve Mt
trihu;ed to President CARNoT and express
ed by NJ. LOUBET the resolve to purge the
Republican purity OF rascality. no matter
who may be tho victims Of the process
Unluckily. this good resolution come, late
nnd it is scarcely uttered by the right per-
sons; for their past acts show that tho pres
ent Minister'S would have stopped the dis
closure Of the Panama scandal II they could.
Sine its Virtual defeat but ostensible
through a majority OF six votes
contributed by the Ministers themselves
"n the motion to invest the investigating
committee with judicial powers. the R1Bor
Cabinet has undoubtedly made an exhibi-
tion of risor. which its friends ascribe to
p.ohity and its enemies to desperation.
The truth is. that without semblance Of
determination TO punish official corrnp-
ton. NJ. kIBOr and his coliaugues could
not have held their ground day. arl the
republican form OF government itself
would have b"nn in extreme peril. The
history OF the last hundred years shows
that Il the Flench people should acquire
the conviction that II majority Of the legsu-
tive representatives Of the existing regime
were not honest mcr. but scoundrels. the
eafety OF the regime itself would be due
Solely to accidcnts. such as the absence of
any acceptable substitute.
Now. in !ho division Oh the motion to
give the committee judicial powers. all the
munarchiSts were ranged In tie minority,
ard therefore the vote Of 27l to 2G5 seemed
upon the face of it to indicate that large
majority Of tn. Republican Deputies were
either hribc takNrs themselves or anxious to
shield such persons 10 the utmost Of their
ability. This is what started the outcry
"They are all thieves" and IL was in order
to refute an imputation ruinous tn instltu-
tiOns as well rs individuals that tho present
Ministers felt themselves constrained to
proceed with severity against leading mem-
bers OF their own party. There is SEM
blsnce OF good faith and relentless purpose
IN Tho list Of five Deputies and five Sena-
tors whom they have asked leave OF the
Chambers to prosecute. This list includes
four ex-Minsters. on ex-Governor-Gencral
Of Algeria. an ex-Prefect OF Police. and an
ex-Inspector-General Of Mines.
But, ms some OF these men are accused OF
accepting bribes through the medium OF
subsidies given to newspapers in their con-
troll. how does 1t happen, it will be asked.
CLEMENcEAU. whose journal. La Justice.
is known to have received very large sum
from the Panama Canal Company. and to
NJ. DE FREYc1NET. whose little sheet. La
Islsraphe. which can scarcely muster a
thousand subscribers. obtained 100000
francs We're these men spared because
one Of them is. next to NJ. RIBoT. the pin
cipai member Of the Cabinet, and beraTso
the other is the Minlstry's most powerful
supporter In the Chamber Of Deputies
Had the investigating committee got the
powers 1t asked for. there would have been.
as Its conduct from tho start has shown.
no such suggestive DETERMINATIONS. and
the cloud OF suspicion and contempt now
settling over tho whole Republican party
might have been to large extent dispeled.
Tho unavowed motive OF the RIBoT Cabl-
net In vehemently opposing the bestowal
OF judicial powers on the investigating COM
mittee will gradually be disclosed as the
charge OF corruption is brought home to its
members and supporters. Ostensibly its
opposition was based on the fear that the
commission. once equipped with the means
Of going TO the bottom OF the Panama
scandal. would be practically transformed
into Committee OF Public Safety. and
would supplant the Ministry as an engine
OF government Well. the history OF the
Convention shows that, when constitutional