Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-07-04
/, PERIER IS PRESIDENT.
Elected Chief Executive of France
by the Senators and
DEPUTIES,


palace of Versailles that has been the
scene Of so many historic events, one of
the most recent of which was the proc
lamation January Is, 1871, of the vic
torious King William of Prussia as EN-
peror of Germany. The hall was filled
with spectators an hour before the SEES
sion began, and among the assemblage
were many members of the diplomatic
corps. III. Challamel-Lacour presided, by
virtue OF his position as president of the
Senate. At Ito he called the Assembly
to order, and after a sympathetic refer
ence to the late President Carnot read
the articles of the constitution relative to
a President, and declared the national
Assembly opened No time was lost in
proceeding to a ballot. The voting was
more close than had been anticipated.
The Assembly consists of about SS4 MEM
bers, of whom the senators number 300.
The first ballot gave NJ. Casmir-P erier
451 votes out of SOB cast.
Like NJ. Carnot, of illustrious revolu-
tionary ancestry, NJ. Casimir7Peri has
family traditions of honor and fame to
sustain AS did Carnot, he traces his
pedigree to a regicide, and it is matter
of no small significance and consequence
| that the leading statesmen of France
| should trace descent from men who sent
king to the scaffold. M. Casimir-
| Perier is not as unpretending as was NJ
| Carnot in his private life. genuine
Republican, he is not without an attach
| ment to the ceremonies and courtly
| powers which are rather associated with
monarchy than equality; but once adj
mitted to his presence, the respectable
visitor is sure of a cordial welcome. NJ
| Casimir-Perier was approached, about
| two years ago, by emissaries of the eX-
| lied pretender to the throne of France,
with promises of the most lavish rewards,
| if he would espouse the cause of mon
| archy. 1t was intimated that M. Casimir-
| Perier would be created duke and
chancellor of France, and the emissary
| who brought the offer showed authority
| to pledge the word of royalty itself in
| support of the proposition. NJ. Casimir-
| Perier repulsed the bearer of the message
with emphasis, telling him that he re-
| garded it as more honorable to be a citi-
zen of France than to be duke under a
| king. He also told the emissary that the
| Count of Paris might as we'll give up all
| hope of the restoration of the monarchy,
| for the third republic would continue to
| live. This reply from a man so distin-
| guished and at the same time so moderate
| for time put Quietus on the schemes
| of the eXiled Bourbons. The latter had
| counted on NJ. Casimir-Perier's jealousy
| of Carnot as likely TO lead him to betray
| the republic, but they were mistaken.
! Casimir-Perier, it was understood. was
not an admirer of NJ Carnot, although he
as steel TO the principles which Carnot
represented.
The extreme Socialists also sounded NJ.
| Casimir-Perier not long after he had re-
pulsed the monarchists 1t was when the
Panama scandal burst upon the country
that the men who tread upon the thin
edge of anarchy, within crossing the bor-
der, prepared for revolution, should the
opportunity offer They formed Il d-
recting body with the dreaded name of
committee of public safety. composed of
chiefs of the various factions of the So
| ciaGst party, and organized eighty sec
! tions in the eighty districts of Paris, so
| that they might all be prepared, on a
| given signal, to march together against
! the Elysee and the. chambers. Part of
| their plan was to arrest President Carnot
and occupy the Elysee, and they also pro-
| posed to make an appeal to the army,
with the object of establishing a social
| republic.
The Socialists saw the need of a leader
whose reputation for moderation would
prevent Il general uprising against their
cause should they undertake to put their
schemes in operation, and Geneste, Allie
name, Pernjean and others turned toward
Casimir-Perier as the man. He was eau
tiously offered the presidency of the pro-
| posed social republic without being made
fully acquainted with the means by which
it was proposed to create the republic.
CaSimir-Perier simply warned the dele
cation against disturbing the peace of
France, and told them that he would be
among the first and most earnest to sup
port severe measures for the suppression
of any disorder. At the same time he
Informed his visitors that he felt it &
duty to make President Carnot ac-
quainted with their proposals. This put
an end for that occasion to any thought
of revolution on the part of the Socialists
and also confirmed President Carnors
high estimate of Casimir- Periers loyalty
and patriotism.
1t was because of President CARROTS
conviction of Casimir-P erier's impregna-
bic devotion to the republic founded up
on the incidents stated, that he selected
him for premier. 1t was reported that
before accepting the premiership. NJ.
| Casimir-Perier engaged that he would
not be candidate for the presidency.
| This was undoubtedly false. 1t is
true, Oh the other hand, that Casimir-
Perier's acceptance of an Office which
brought him into such important and con-
| fidential relations with Carnot was re-
| garded with some justice as a quasi
| pledge that he would not antagonize
| Carnots ambition to be reelected. Sew
| eral members of the chamber, however
who are very near to Casimir-Perier, as
| serted that he was not to be considered
| as in any way hampered by the place
which he occupied so far as the presi
| dency was concerned.
L lie Heu1DeIS OI the LolC uelQ meet
ing before the National Assembly met
| and decided to support M. Brisson. The
caucus of senators of the Right resolved
| to vote for Gen. Fevrier. A scene oc-
Cured in the Galerie des Tonbeaux ow-
| ing to the fact of NJ Challamel-L acour
forbidding the journalists obtaining an
entrance to that part of the palace. The
journalists protested vehemently, but
| they were compelled to retire The gal
| lerles around the theater in which the
election took place presented a brilliant
scene. They were thronged with ladies
in fashionable toilets, their faces seeming
much interested during the proceedings.
Just before the balloting opened, So
! cialist deputy shouted, L demand the alb
clifton of the presidency" Another dep
| uty cried, Down with dictators." There
were other cries from various parts of
the hall which were lost in the general
hubbub of the election. NJ Casimir-
Perier was not present during the pro-
ceedings. Much confusion prevailed
| throughout the session.
IOWA DELEGATES PROTEST.