The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-29

weapons he stood most in need. is
/ truly touching. One day he completes for
! a scholarship offered by the city of Lyons.
/ He gains it, and from victory TO victory
I he goes on until he reaches the Normal
school. He obtains a professorship Of
( philosophy in the provinces, is noticed by
[ Paul Bert becomes his chief de cabinet,
stands for parliament in the same city Of
I Lyons which he knew as a child, enters
/ the chamber as deputy, and there, by the
dignity Of his character by his integrity,
| by his varied and multiple capacities, by
his faculty Of assimilation, and by his
affability, shortly steps into the very
front rank.
1T was VI. Burdeau who accompanied
NJ. Jules Simon TO Berlin as delegate TO
the labor congress assembled by the Ger
man Emperor. When NJ. Cavaignac
quilted the post of minister Of marine / Z
was NJ. Burdeau who succeeded him. he
himself relates the following charming
auecdOte. On the day he entered upon his
duties at the ministry an usher showed
him the way to his cabinet In a corner
of the room he noticed a splendid piece Of
Louis XIV. furniture, a gilded rosewood
bureau. What is that bureau asked
NJ Burdeau. 1t was the bureau of the
great Colbert replied the usher Then,
after moments silence, he added: The
last great minister we have had here
The lesson was severe, but NJ. Burdeau
accepted it with a laugh, and some
weeks later on he conducted the
Dahomey affair with n rapidity
and resolution worthy of his great prede-
cessor. As minister of finance. only few
months ago. he succeeded in carrying 10
successful issue the onerous task of con
verting capital Of milards Of francs,
securing TO France without any sort Of
trouble or perturbation an annual
4
public opinion regarded him as destined to
be the prime minister Of NJ Casimir-
Perier's first cabinet If he did not be
come so il is because his fall would have
been looked upon as a check for NJ. Cast
mir-Perier himself, while a Dupuy cabi-
net had no such significance and left
intact the personality Of the president.
To-day, as the result Of Yesterdays
vote, NJ Burdeau, who was born i'll Sep
TENDER, 1851, is president Of the chamber.
and it was to the sound of repeated ap-
plause this afternoon that he delivered
the customary inaugural speech. This
speech, which is neither commonplace
nor brilliantly striking is the utterance
Of modest man, who takes himself at
less than his real worth. 1t is impossible
to share the hopes of M. Burdeau that
the chamber will be fruitful of all good
parliamentary works, nor can one
share his illusions when he appeals
to a house in which compact
band of noisy socialists have raised OBJ
truction 10 the rank of principle to
work in harmony and unity. This is a
cousummatiOn devOutly to be wished, but
as yet far distant But in any case it is
possible, and even a duty, for all those
who admire great qualities of industry,
as well as honor and integrity, to applaud
the brilliant role which has fallen to the
lot of NJ Burdeau. His elevation is ground
of hope for all who work in obscuritv. 1t
is an encouragement for all those who,
without other weapons than their own
energy and their own Intelligence, are
striving to obtain a position in the world. -"