New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-20
ELECTIONS IN FRANCE.
SIMILARITY AND CONTRAST TO THE AMLhl
CAN SYSTEM.
LACK OF PARTY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or i"''
MINISTRY GENERAL HONEsTY-RIGlp Ell

MINISTRY GENERAL HONESTY-RiGlp fii'
TON LAws-sENTIMENT ABOUT VoTlN''
During the last few weeks France has p.. pen
going through exciting campaign lof wv -,
ton Of new Chamber OF Deputies ana to-. -,
Tho whole country is engaged In voting IL - ~
moment therefore. to glance at some oil '"' ,",
features OF the French electoral system -.
furthermore has many points OF comparlso" w
our own. In the first place universal su''"7 ..s
vails in the two countries. and the history u
Introduction and working in France rc9e
,hot Of the enfranchlsement Of the oou'ne,"
,ooroos after our Civil War. During the jug
Monarchy that is. from 1880 to lSic' - N
France had to pay taxes amounting 10 wv ,',al
."rhe legal country" as GuiZot styled ,i'' - 80
close CORPORATION, made up or ohlE SUN ~
or three million citizens But on February -'
,e,e universal suffrage UNEXPECTEDLY pi'-
claimed in the streets of Paris. Ny friend "e"h,o'
Mace an eyewitness. has thus described VIC ,
..It was like a river which suddenly preah9 'i
ITO dikes mprudenty weakened by the ripa,'"
do,Iers The spectacle which France preseh'e" ~
the world that day that of a country ueiusen
airing the night by an overflow Of political rights
,,biIe nobodv was prepared for the disaster
Tho French working classes thus maze c'''~ '
were an ignorant body, and many OF thenh "i'
such Probably not more than hali OIL ''''' 49,
read and write. The year mad no, e"'e' 80
ooo ooo ballots declared Napoleon Bonaparte TO pe
prince President. III WAS ilOt d / iN''
Renublic. but an Emperor. whom universal SUI
ro had chosen" excaims Senator Mace FOR
eighteen wears France weighed down ulIN -
a tyranny with the terrible catastrophe VI
os a finale and the nation was ohi' ',.or
covoring from this blow when Genera po ,
was nearly foisted upon the country l"e e,ns
of democracy in France contains many u''
ABSENCE or PARTY MACHINERY.
u.,a, fire, str,kos an American when examining
10 no almost
sence Of any machine" at least OF our own
,-haro does exist however. a powerful ro'ei'
Central of which a word will be salu iu''
and which bears some resemblance " ~ .no
organ ization This state of THINGS VIM" " -
, rorrorkah,e because the French have rare
/ genius for organization. Is que 10 Se'V' - =,
Tho form Of government has been chanseu 81 VI
,, ,ho last century that political organ
-, h,.o No, had time 70 develop; ana lac'lo''s
have been so numerous since 1870 tha' mn
rather than united action was the ''' -.
come OF the situation. For several Se''
botta was "A powerful boss buI " wa ~ 49,,
,rl,,ble personality and not party machihery ,'i
,,a, bin, ~ nlay the role NJ Daniel WILSON
80 - s,r, ~ French Tweed for while MS le'e.
No. bis relationship to President fro'y' !"
c,enoencoau has to be counted WITH 1t - nv
cause the Radicals may be well orsa"N'' ~ ~,
Inn, because their leader Is an 'N'' -
hold and able dcbatcr; and II Consuhs - '
] H.
and saved the Republic" The present teh"en'S
-. ENC. T. 70 weaken still further even the I'M
,., ,oltIcal organization which exists
We used 10 hear a great deal about deputy >
..,,, .. When certain Benevillc dramshop
keeper died. a year or two ago "i' ,ha
| honorod with obituary notice III me- ,ha
| prts ,ancrs because he had always p''h '"'
| chairman of Gambctta's committee 40" anu
then mn obscure member OF the Extreme LEI,
/ s ,,or,en,arv notoriety because his committee
| ,,,,rd. that he resign from the Chamber. 'o'i'e
~, his votes have displeased his Keepers do '
| contemptuousy dubs the committee ~"
| rather domincoring bodies no longer exert '''' w
| ,,nu.n,. They are today niue else IMAM
| - fr,.rls who act "a sponsors TO the puDhc lo'
! 80 -, ,,.,, when DEPUTIES were chosen by
| ,,,I ,lc.., fscrutin de listel that Is wheh an
| go. IDENTITIES allotted 10 a Department "e'e N"''
fo~ by all the electors Of the Department. ~,
/ ,h.s. committees were OF more importance '''
| hoy aided materially In bringing about heceSs'''
| cord among asyirsnts for nomination. III '"'n
| mailing COMPROMISING candidates anu !" "" "
| - 1r,,lp, ND strong ticket. At that time II
s customary to hold primaries in each Town
| s,tn where were chosen delegates To sort oi ''
| ycntion which met at the capital OF 'he pep'
| mont and nominated ticket. In fact TINS Heu'o'
| " -, g., wholly abandoned. But In France the
| ,.,,lc prcfcr 10 designate the candida'es' az w"
! "a clec, or defeat them; and this cannot Dc uo'e
| 80, ,ho convention system Here Is how II Is
! done
r.rder tho election law OF ls49 the candidate
.ho had the highest number OF votes was az
with us declared elected except IN inc wy ,''
| case Of his not securing one-e'sh'n Oh Wv ~
! 49,, -, IN. registered voters. II was not neces-
s,rv then az 1t IS now, TO obtain at e"S' nan
lus one Of all the votes cast In order to succeed
, a., urs, hollot Nor were there second baIiots
| 81, 40 pov,-that is "A second election daY IA iort-
,,obt after the first I'm order TO decide VINO a'o"s
m. rival candidates. none OF whom h"i op'""
| an absolute majority" as it Is caIiea III ram
| should be the choice OF the electors on "''' So
| o,d occasion a simple majority OF the votes cas-
so,,les the contest. Thus the citizens themselves
| ,,,rg directly often assume the duties OF the
dedicated convention and declare who snail De 'he
| candidates for the hnal and decisive po'Iiis lo'
! n il an unwrltten law that the other cah"'u".eS
! - each marty now retire In favor OF Inc one WIN
| o,,rod The highest number OF votes at the hrSt
| hauo, This party discipline Is acquesced III the
NOR. readily because 1t is the whole body Oh
| .i,i,.ns that has designated the candidates anu
| uot handful OF scheming politicians III C"h'c"-
! ton assembled , III,
! Under the 1919 law. which Ike that concerning
! "a, manner Of clectng the President at that time
seems to have been suggested by American P'e|-
cdent each party dared put but one ticket IN
| the u.ld for II IL had 1t raE the risk uoush
| the majority OF the voters In the district WAS oN
! ts side of letting in some OF us opponents IL
This feature OF the old law has Deem ic'"ih'u
~ Alfred Naquet. Deputy ana very CLOSE
| observer believes that the necessity OF UNION
would have given new life to the convention
SYSTEM and would have gradually developed III
| france a party organization analogous to that
which exists In the United States
| The Abandonment OF scrutin de iste Tor scruth
,ninominal-our district systematic tended 10
checked the development of the nominating cohVeh-
| tIon. The candidate wl~ used To have to canvass
| a whole Department now cophne MS attention
to a small district, and Is thus more independent
Of party managers. Then the drawing up oil a
ticket for "A whole Department was dliicuit ana
delicate undertaking. II required much consul
,ntion among the leaders. many concessions on
the part of the woud-bc candidates. and numerous
appeals to the committees. all OF which fostered
|