Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-01-26
THE FRENCH SITUATION.
ttsburgh Chronicle Telegraph.

Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph.
Three points may be held up in view
as illustrating the state of affairs in
France. The President of the Republic
stands unstained amid all the scandal
Gus actions committed by hundreds of
prominent men, in relation to the Pan
anna canal. The wretched business of
floating a loan by means of lottery,
after the legitimate sources of raising
money had become exhausted, was car
ried out by wholesale bribery. Presi-
dent Carnot refused to support the
lottery bill in 1886.
The second point is the curious ad-
mission of the younger Lesseps as to
the sending of large sums of money to
America, and that the assistance rem
dered on this side of the water would
have warranted the expenditure of still
larger sums. 1t is not yet known how
much of the 100000 francs sent to
New York stayed there. and how much
of the money went to the ever hungry
horde of Central American politicians.
The United States had no other interest
than friendly one in the Panama canal;
the sole adverse considerations being the
rival projects of Nicaragua and Tehu
antepec, originating among our own
citizens, and the possible application of
the Monroe doctrine
The third interesting point in the
10 thzf boz
placed on the retired list, as the law
directs. Jealousy among military men
is a proverbially active agency, and il
may well be, that the preference shown
to the General may cause serious heart
burnings among those who looked for
promotion in the event of Gen. Saussier's
retiring. President Carnot found it the
right thing to do, not to part, in the
present state of agitation and possibly
conspiracy, with the services of the tried
and capable soldier. 1t is to be hoped
that this judgment will not contribute
to still further increase the forces of
those who are iEimical to the established
order of things.
THE T0RREY BANKRUPTCY BILL.
Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph
There is still hope that the present
Congress may at least do something.
The Farmers Alliance, hitherto supposed
to be inimical, or at least Indifferent, to
the passage of the Bankruptcy Act, has
come out strongly in favor Over 200
members of the House has signed re-
qusst to Speaker Crisp, that he set day
for the consideration of the Torrey bill
The present state of law, or custom as
regards bankruptcies, is plainly dis
grace. The right of discharge Is enjoyed
by honest debtors living under every
civilized flag except our own, and al
though our Constitution made provision
over hundred years ago for the enjoy
ment of that right by our citizens, it has
been withheld from them for nearly
fourteen years because of the inaction
of Congress.
In every country but ours the debtor
is protected by law against the selfish,
and sometimes inhuman, avarice of an
individual creditor, as is also the credi
tor against the dishonest debtor, or the
reckless avarice of other creditors. The
Torrey bill has received the endorsement
of scores of commercial bodies, and of
hundreds of lawyers and law makers
There is really no valid objection to it,
since there can not be, except such as
may come from dishonest persons. Mr.
Crisp ought to see all this and name a
daY for the consideration of the bill