New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-18

sumes to be an instrument Of social and moral
| progress.
| The Bourgeois Ministry may not survive the
| first debate on foreign questions. One Of its
leaders has taken strong ground against the
| Madagascar treaty. and another is credited with
| favoring the continuance of the English in
! Egypt 1t would be strange. indeed. If a Min
! istry with schoolmaster in the Foreign Office
/ and with opponents of the colonial expansion
| policy. were to escape defeat on diplomatic ques
! tons In Chamber where its supporters in
the minority II II succeeds in holding its ground
! by accepting responsibility for the Madagascar
settlement. it Will then have 10 force through
a hostile Chamber series Of unpopular fnan-
cial measures. and will probably perish in the
attempt. 1t seems destined to have a short ca
reer. and to be followed speedily by another
Ministry. with NJ Ribot or NJ. Hanotaux as
| Premier but short-llved as II may be. it has
rendered already an important public service
Radicalism has been reduced to definite terms.
That is most salutary and wholesome result
THE BOGEY OF RADICALISM
A conjurinR word is "Radicalism' in every
country, but especially is 1t one Of ominous i'm
port in France At the sound of the word Wis
! ions Of the horrors Of 1898 or 1871 arise; tum-
Drills with condemned victims are rolling
the sun; palaces are stormed and barbados
! are defended: and the most beautiful capital in
Europe is at the mercy Of few hundred fanat-
les habitual criminals AMI drunken patriots,
with bands Of infatuated followers eager to
/ shoot hostages to murder priests and to set fire
to the houses Of the rich So long Radicalism
/ is Pigment of the imagination it is a red DOGGY
which does not suffer timorous Frenchman
10 sleep after curfew; but let it once be in pos
session of the strongholds Of political power
and in a position to declare its purposes, and It
/ will no longer seem a terrible ogre.
What is it that Radical premier like NJ
Bourgeois really wants, if he may be judged by
his programme? A higher standard Of political
morality: prompt and thorough investigation
of legislative scandals purer judicial processes;
orderly examination Of national budgets pro-
/ gressive succession duties and income taxes;
reduction Of the tariff on hygienc drinks: reor-
ganization of the military and naval services
with p view to retrenchment Of expenditures;
4 separation Of Church and State: freedom Of
/ association for trades-union purposes arbitra-
/ ton in labor conflicts; workmens insurance and
/ old-age pensions.
This is not a revolutionary programme Eng
land has carried out every one Of these propos-
ais with the execution Of Church disestabllsh-
/ meNt ana WOrKmen ( insurance anu 'll-dH' pen
sons: and Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. Baliour
favored the aforementioned reform In their cam
paign speeches before the recent elections IN
! America every one Of these measures has feen
adopted with the exception Of free trade in by
/ gienic drinks workmen's insurance and pen
/ sons and income taxation. which has peen pro-
! nounced unconstitutional. The French Radical
would not he considered revolutionary in
/ tricuer in either England or the United states
/ Y his political programme were intelligen.ly
/ scrutinized. Indeed he has not been very
! dangerous person in France and Is less form l.
! able now that his aims have been definitely an
nounced by the Bourgeois Ministry. ;han he
was when h. was a mysterious ogre brooding
over the destruction Of all political institutions.
THE RADICALS IN OFFICE.
NJ. Bourgeois lacks the practical sagacity n
NJ Ribot and his Ministers not trained
body Of public servants like the members Of the
last Government. 1t would he premature and
extremely hazardous to assume that the new
Cabinet will have either a long tenure Of office
or any marked success in conducting the admin
lstra,ion The business affairs of the State are
probably in more efficient hands when the Mod
crates are in power; but the country is not
menaced with ruin simply because the Radicals
are in office Their programme will clear the
air and dispel many Illusions Because they are
frank and definite in their manifesto their sue
cessors will have to be less hypOcritical and am
biguous In their turn: and much Of the haze
now envelopng French public life may dsap-
pear in consequence of the entrance OF a genu-
| inc Radical Ministry into Office
/ The French have Of the best legislative
machines now in practical operation in Europe.
/ Through a system Of select committees extraor-
binary facility in legislation has been acquired.
Tho processes are direct and simple. there is
little obstruction. and the gross amount Of work
! which can be accomplished during an annual
/ session exceeds the calculations Of parliamenta-
rians in other countries. It is neither an Eng
| Hsh nor an American system. but II Is in accord
with the traditions II the first Republic and
| with the characteristic genius Of the French
people. An omnpotent Parliament however.
! can only exercise such authority is vested in
# hy the electorate and when premier comes
forward with definite programme. compre-
hensive in scope. h. appeals to the power behind
the throne.
This is what NJ. Bourgeois has done. His Min
isters may be inexperienced clerks but his man.
ifesto Of Radical principles may impress favor
ably a Parliament which has all the machinery
requisite for rapid legislation yet has not been
very industrious In recent years. owing 10 the
neglect or inability Of premiers and ministries ~
take UP progressive measures Of political re-
form. His manifesto is challenge TO his oppO-
nents 10 produce an equally definite legislative
programme or else allow him to carry out his
reforms and to appeal TO the Nation for sup
port. IN. F.
ST COLOMBA'S GOLDEN JTBILEF