The sun., 1893-07-09
The Disturbances in Paris.

The Disturbances in Paris.
To comprehend the significance Of the
rioting in Paris which has now gone on for
n week. one must disregard the ostensiblo
cause. and look for the true one in the re-
lations Of the existing Government to tho
Socialist workmen of the capital.
The disturbances began with n quarrel
between the students Of the Latin Quarter
and the police. who. in the interest Of public
decency, had interfered with students
ball. In tho collision which grew out of
| this affair some Of tho students were
roughly handled and an onlookcr was killed.
As the policemen were thought to
have been needlessly brutal in their
method OF supprcssng the disorder. pub
lie opinion was, for time on tho
| side Of the students. who mado a for
NAL demand on the DUPUY Ministry for
the dismissal of NJ. LoZE. tho Project OF
Police. AS soon. however, as the students
themselves perceived that what had begun
as n movement against an unpopular
Official was being transformed by outsiders
into general demonstration against the
existing Government. they declined to be
made the catspaws of revolutionists. and
gave notice through their association that
thcy would take no further part in breaches
Of the peace. Accordingly. they have had
nothing to do with tho rioting Of the last
four days. which, so far as 1t Is ascribable
to anything but the desire OF the criminal
classes to profit by confusion, must be 1T
tributed to the evaporation Of the organ
lied workmen at the Withholding OF tho
subvention voted by the Municipal Council
to the Labor Exchange.
This Labor Exchange was founded by
the Paris Municipal Council in which the
Socialists have for some time been pre-
ponderant. The alleged purpose of the In
stitution was to unite the various trades
unions and to provide an intelligence Office
for laborers out OF work. That 1t might
effectively carry out this purpose large
sum Of money has been voted to it annually
by the Municipal Council Thus equipped
with financial resources. this Exchange
practically became the centre Of an organ
lied soclalistlc commune, ready. in con-
junction with tho sympathetic Municipal
Council, to assume complete control of the
capital. should favorable opportunity pre-
sent itself. That the Exchange. supported
as 1t was by the Municipal Council, looked
upon itself as really above the law. is clear.
from the fact that almost all OF the trades
unions represented In it have steadily and
deflantly refused to obey the act, passed in
1884. requiring them to register tho names
and addresses OF their members
There Is no doubt that. had NJ. CoSsTANs
remained Minister OF the Interior. the
Labor Exchange and lis constituent asso-
Citations would long siuce have been brought
to account for their violation OF tho law
Even the DUPUY Cabinet. which has been
regarded as weak one, was forced to tako
some notice Of the lawbreakers by dis
closure Of the abuses practised in the nppIi-
cation Of tho money voted by the Municipal
Council. A judicial inquiry was ordered.
and the Exchange was informed that
II, within one month"; 1t did not obey tho
Registration law OF 1884. steps would be
taken to coerce it. To this warning some
OF the trades unions returned an Insulting
reply. and 1t was generally disregarded.
Consequently. when the month expired. on
July l. tho Prefcct OF the Seine was ordorod
by the Government to stop the payment
of the subvention voted by the Municipal
Council to the Exchange.
1t was this act, md tho apparent deter |
mination OF tho Government to break up
law were obeyed. which caused many of the
Socialist workmen to take advantage OF the |
quarrel between the students and tho police,
to start a serious demonstration against tho |
preponderant party in the Chamber of Dep |
uties and their representatives in executive
Office. No sooner, however. did tho move
ment acquire a distinctly political and |
sociallstic character than NJ. DUPuy exhib- |
tied unexpected energy. and met the issue |
squarely by closing the Labor Exchange |
and threatening to dissolve the Municipal |
Council. There is not the slightest doubt |
that, IL President CARSor and his Minister |
have the courage to issue the necessary di-
rections. there is ample military force In
Paris for the enforcement OF the laws and
the maintenance OF public order.
The two most formidable instructions
that Paris has ever witnessed. tho revolt
OF the Sections In October. 1895. and tho
great Socialist uprising in the "days OF
June" 184s were efIectually dealt with by
republican regime. because the civilians
In power had nerve enough TO glye carte
blanche to Gen. BoNAPARTE In the one case
and to Gen. CAvAIGNAc In the other. The
DuPUY Ministry have at their disposal a
soldier of the same resolute type in Gen.
SAUssIER. the commander of the garrison OF
Paris, which now consists OF sixty thou
sand OF tho most trustworthy and highly
disciplined men In the French regular army.
Moreover. 1t should not be forgotten. that
q riot In Paris no longer possesses the
means OF revolution that existed forty years
ago. When the authorities removed the
stone pavemonts and substituted mac