The morning call., 1895-01-18
PRESIDENT F1URE.


abroad.
PRESIDENT FAURE.
4 Man Who Has Been little KnotUn Ostt-
side of France.
Francois Felix Faure, the new President
of the French republic, was born in Paris
on the 31st of January in the year 1S41,
and is consequently 81 years of age. De
tails of his early youth are not available.
The sources of his education, from which
might be gathered some indication of the
influences surrounding his earlier years,
are not attainable. The first that is known
of him is as the protector or proprietor of
some of the great lines of steamships which
have made Havre the chief port of France
and the center of the republics most i'm
portant foreign trade. Faure was a mem
Der of the Chamber of Commerce of Havre
and at one time its president During the
war of 1901 Faure was major in the
Gardes Mobile, and is said to have per-
formed great patriotic service, and subse-
quently, during the reign of the Com
munists in Paris, he appeared on the
scene with troops and was effective in
maintaining order. On the 31st of May,
1871, he was nominated to receive the cross
of the Legion of Honor, and on the 21st of
August, 1881, was Republican candidate
from the Third District of Havre for the
National Assembly, The election resulted
in his favor, Faure receiving 1916 votes
against 1915 votes cast for his monarchical
opponent. On the 18th of November, 1881,
he took his seat with the Republican
Union. Gambetta was then in power and
Faure was appointed Under Secretary of
State for the Colonies, filling the office
until the 26th of January, 1882, when Gam
beta retired. The Gambetta Ministry was
succeeded by that of Jules Ferry and on
the 25th of September Faure was nomi-
mated for the same office he had held under
Gambetta, Under Secretary of State for the
Colonies, and continued to hold it until the
fall of the Ferry regime on the 31st of
March, 1885.
During the sessions of the National
Legislature of 1SS1-S5 Faure took promi-
nent position in all legislation which had
particular reference to the interests of the
colonies. He voted for the re-establish-
ment of the divorce law, and was active in
the conversion of the reptes from a five to
four and half per cent security. At this
time the same question upon which the
Dupuy Ministry was wrecked arose, viz,
the rights of the railroad companies con-
cessions, whether perpetual or limited,
and Faure was against the corpora
tons. A significant vote of the new Presi-
dent was one against the adjustment of
the embassy TO the Vatican. Faure also
voted against the revision of the constitu-
ton and against the election of Senators
by universal suffrage. He was strong ad-
vocate of the new French system of pro-
lection and participated in the tri-
umphs which the adoption of the
new economic system gave to France. He
also voted for the election of Deputies by
ACCOMPLISHMENT. In the legislative cleo
ton of October, 1885, Faure was elected as
| Republican Deputy from the department of
! Seine Inferieure, receiving 81, $50 votes out
OF total of 1856 On the 18th of June,
! 1886, Faure voted against the expulsion of
| the Orleans princes, and on the Both of
March he again voted against the revision
of the constitution.
President Faure's habits are known to
be rather retiring. Toward the interests
of his adopted home, Havre, he is most
enthusiastically devoted. He is somewhat
of litterateur in a certain way,
! fond of study, and has written and
published many documents on the
commercial importance of Havre which
/ have proved his absorbing interest in all
questions relating to the subject, and are
of extreme value as relating to the devel-
| opment of that great port.
Under the Dupuy Ministry, Faure was
appointed Minister of Marine, position
corresponding to our Secretary of the Navy.
1t is said that he displayed conspicuous
ability in the short time that he continued
in office; his department was not subjected
| to much criticism, but when occasion arose
the future President is said to have dis
played much fnesse, and at times consid-
cradle eloquence. The subjects upon which
he has spoken, which were at all times
those connected with the marine, were
treated with perfect familiarity, and his
speeches were generally convincing.
The French colony of San Francisco
were more than startled by the selection
of Faure as the successor of Casimir-Perier,
President of France. He was generally
regarded as "dark horse" an unknown
who had sprung into prominence on the
emergency of the hour. His record is
promising as a moderate, but there are
Frenchmen who regard his election as a
calamity, and who characterize him as the
tool of ADLER and sinister minds.