The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-03
SOCIALISM IN FRANCE
It Is the Power That Over
throws the Ministries.
TIE COMMON PEOPLE QUIET.
N~vYrk Tfbune.

New York Tribune
Paris. Jan 3s.--For thirteen days
France has been left without = govern
ment Less Saan thirty hours was
needed to replace the president OF the
Republic. but the president ID not the
chief OF the executive power In this
pzxitameni-yidden country. That Of
ice. both IN name and IN reality. -
exercised by the prime minister tpresf-
dent OF the council Of uatnisfers,. VINO
Is indeed chosen by the president OF the
republic. but - directly responsible to
the majority OF the chamber Of de-
puties.
puy ministry cut OF ONCE. The next
night President Casimir- Perisr. with
the temper OF his family. resigned his
own Office. and II. Dupuy. OF course, had
TO hoid over In an ad-interim admins
trafion- So far the deputies had been
coquetttng with the Radical Socialists
against the moderate Republicans.
Somewhat frightened at the effect OF
their n1aneuyers. they promptly elected
another moderate. n. Felix Fa1re. pres
ident OF the republic. Now the lat
ters first business was 10 find q new
ministry On booking over the votes
which had elected him he could easily
discover that the majority OF Republic
an members Of parliament had been
actually given TO the Radical Socialist
candidate. II. Bdsson. He had himself
secured the absolute majority OF the
electors only by . coalition OF the roy
alsst right with the moderate Repub-
Leans. "A common man would have
thought It proper TO follow this lead
BY naming Moderate as prime minis
ter. The new president showed that
he was no ordinary politician by cali
ing at once on the extreme Radical.
Leon Bourgeois, whose last public act
had been 10 vote against III. casimir-
Brisson himself might have chosen.
Why did President Felix Faure. elect
ed by Moderate votes. wish first to en-
trust the government OF the country to
the Radical Socialists? Probably be-
cause he sees as does every one else.
that the only majority possible in the
present chamber OF deputies Is a pure
ly Republican one, and this cannot be
constituted without the help Of the
Radicals. Now the Radicals will not
go many steps without the Socialists.
Why did M. Bourgeois. after seven
days labor. have 10 abandon the at
tempt to form a Radical Socialist adj
ministration? Because he could not
find ten men among all his wing Of the
Republican party, nor even among the
Opportunists themselves who were will
ing to face the imperative demands OF
the already overdue budget OF 1895 at
the same time with the equally impera-
tive demands OF Socialist theory. Ca
vaignao the grandson OF the republican
general OF 1S4s and OF the first empire,
was for the entering wedge OF pro-
gressive income tax. Peytral, who Is
more Of an Opportunlst than Radical.
would hear only OF proportional in
come tax. Poincare who has been fid-
ding with budgets and finances In half
the administrations OF the last FIVE
years. would have nothing to do with
any income tax at all. though when
last in Office he put forward the pro-
gressive tax ON inheritances. In other
words Socialism in the French parlia-
ment has succeeded In overtur1ing the
moderate Republican government which
centered In the personality OF President
Casimar-Perier. 1t has failed in en-
deayoring 10 substitute for IT a Radi-
cal Socialist administration.
President Felix Faure, who, like Car
not. is not a personality, has now COM
promIsed--for time-on an old-fash-
Toned concentration ministry OF OPP
portunssts shading into Radicals. He
hopes doubtless. that Ii will last long
enough To vote the budget through
parliament.
The necessity OF Fastening the finan-
cisl appropriations of this years budget
is thus the only thing that has kept
France from political revolution on
two occasions since the few year.
First. NJ. Casimir-perier might have
dissolved the parliinene which tiouted
him and tied his hands; with the bud
get unroted he did not Care. but chose
rather TO resign. with presidential
message that was a direct indictment
OF the present parliamentary constItu-
ton OF the French republic. Second.
NJ. Felix Faure, following In the foot
steps OF Carslot, was willing to hand
over the republic to the radical Social
lists: and the budget has again stood
in the way.
But the FIRST triumph OF the Socialists
has already been secured. The general
elections OF 1898 sent a solid group %
nearly fifty Socialists to the chamber of
deputies. Their alliance with the ex-
IRENE Radicals has increased the wing
bound to work along Socialist lines 20
Isiso out OF SCI Deputies in all No one
party is more numerous; and the recen,
disturbances show that no coalition OF
parties can be relied on against them.
Socialists yssire and sirnnle havA not yer