The sun., 1893-10-11
THE NEW FRENCH CHAMBER.
ITS ELECTION MARKS AN EPoCH IN
THE REPUBLICS HISToRY.

| Created - SociaIism's Importnnt Place.
place on the Goth OF August and the Sd OF Sep
tember for the complete renewal OF tho Cham
ber OF Deputies will mark an epoch in the his-
tory OF the third French republic.
The campaign commenced In the midst OF
considerable Indifference. Inasmuch as no
special question was directly at stake, the
public exhibited but little interest in the con-
test The candidates themse solves entered into
the race with only slight ardor. Tho general
opinion was that the future Chamber would
differ but little from the old one. both in it's
composition and In the grouping OF parties.
The results OF the vote have completely upset
these expectations. They have brought about
an unexpected Transformation OF the Parlia-
ment through the Introduction OF two hundred
new members. that is to say, more than third
OF the total number. On the one hand the
popular vote has broken up ana virtually
destroyed the parliamentary right, with it's
variety OF coterles more or less monarchical:
and on the other. 1t has dislodEed the extreme
Radical left. which. in addition to the chief
that was its very soul. NJ Cl6menceau has left
upon the field OF battle tho greater number Of
its principal members. The consequence OF
this two-sded event is to create a powerful
majority Of moderate Republicans. unham-
pered by the two extremes which em barrassed
all the debates. and able to devote itself to the
work OF legislation without being obliged to
deal with adversaries reduced to impotence.
At the same time socialism. which was only
represented on the parliamentary scene by q
few isolated individuaities. now takes an off,
cial position, and wins at jump an important
place The number OF candidates that 1t suc-
ceeded in electing Is nearly fifty. and among
them there are several prominent leaders.
nrk ~ u,hi iob at,o
Chamber that has just been renewed there
are $50 Republicans of indubitable and mod
crate political faith. The Conservative. or.
rather, anti-republican opposition. Is reduced
to about 90 votes instead OF 1SO which 1t had
in the former Parliament. The Socialists will
number about so. as have said above. The
rest that is to say 120 Deputies. will be classed
later on. after having foated for some time
among the remnants Of radicalism, which has
only nominal existence. and the Socialists
who are not yet organized A coalition that
would unite In collective vote those catego-
ries ofopponents 30 divided Is hardly to be ex-
pected: but even II such q thing should hap
pen 1t could never amount to anything more
than minority. The solid union Of the mod
crate republican clements. vainly sought for
30 many years. Is therefore an accom- plished
fact. The majority OF the Government 10
formed. or. at least. 1t Is ready to be formed.
It was evidently an instructive desire to
reach this result that guided the votes OF the
mass Of the electors.
The choices made by universal suffrage
indicate that the people have become de-
termlned to put an end to the old parties Of
every denomination that only brought to tho
Chamber feverish debates. sectional quarrels.
and stormy sessions that hindered all tranquil
legislation and all gular work. The last ses-
sions presented In this respect such pitiable
spectacle. and rendered 80 manifest the in
voter ate sterility ofthe reign ofthe old political
coterles. that the popular upheaval which has
Just swept them all away is ensy to UNDER
stand. 1t Is the lassitude Of disappointed
hopes that caused the simultaneous repudia-
alton Of the candidates OF all shades. whose
names and programme meant the per-
petuatlon OF worthless agitations. Among
the vanquished Of these two electoral
days we find side by side the cell
ebrities Of radlcalism. such as Messrs. Cle-
menceau. Floquet, Lafargue. and Manjan. and
the great conservative champions. like
Messrs. Paul de CassaGnac and De Nun.
An aRttator OF another stamp. NJ. Edouard
Drumont who has made himself the preacher
Of war to the death against the Jews. and
who fancied that he had won some popularity.
has also failed, almost ridiculously. In his at
tempt at an anti-Semitic candidacy. In o
word the speechmakers have been put aside
without distinction to give place to newcomers
from whom the people expect fewer fine words
and more practical measures. No doubt the
electors will meet with moro than ono disap-
pointment in the selections which they have
made: but the intention which dictated their
preferences is none the less clearly indicated.
Few elections accomplished In time OF politi-
cal calm have given in such precise manner
the Interpretation Of the national thought
The future Is now in the hands Of the Gov
ernment as it never has been since the install
lation OF the Republican regime. Up to the
present time 1t was able to justify the uncer-
tainty and the contradictions OF its acts. to-
gether with the incoherencies OF its policy. by
alleging that 1t was hampered and arrested at
every step BY the parliamentary shoals through
which 1t had to manGuvre. 1t had as an ex-
cuse for its terGiyersations the necessity OF
handling precarious maIorltes in a mixed
Parliament The Ministers. attacked on the
very next day after their installation, con-
stantly on the eve OF overthrow. and daily
obliged to defend their portfolios. had
neither the time nor the necessary liberty
to follow with perseverance, political or
plan. Their instability ex-
planned the nulllty OF the results which the
greater portion OF them exhibited during their
short tenure OF office. and their neglect oftea
inevitable. OF the interests OF the country
During the past fifteen years oIo might say
with reason that the Deputies seemed to make
1t their special business to be the adversaries
or the pests OF the members OF the Govern-
ment Henceforth the latter will only have to
blame themselves II they do not find in tho
Chamber the collaboration and the support
which they will need. For this they will have
only to place themselves in communion OF
ideas with tho Chamber, and to make them-
selves its leaders with clear programme.
One essential condition, nevertheless. is that
this programme must be something else than
tho commonplace ministerial declarations of
which We have had SO many varieties during
the past years. Platonic assurances of good
intentions enveloped In nebulous phrases
might suffice when they had to neutrallze orto
set asleep the oppositions for a few weeks and
to give to provisory maiorities the semblanoe
OF satisfaction. They will have no place in the
Chamber that Is about to enter upon it's func-
tions next month. 1t does not suffice for the