New-York tribune., 1895-10-30
THE FRENCH CRISIS.

The fall of the Ribot Ministry may have been
unexpected 1t Is not in the least surprising.
An accurate and comprehensive explanation or
it may be given in single phrase, to wit: Re-
sponsibility without authority That has been
the secret Of many 4 Ministerial crisis IN the
French Republic, and Will probably be OF many
more unless q change shall be effected IN the
governmental system. NJ. Ribot was what we
call-not quite correctly-the Premier. That Is
TO say, he was President Of the Council. With
that Office he coupled the Ministry OF FINANCE
and he discharged the duties OF both In man
ner commanding the confidence OF France ana
the admiration Of the world. There Is no ques-
ton Of his integrity Of his ability, or or ms NJ
ness to remain at the head OF the French CAD
met He was, however. technically nothing Dut
"primus inter pares." He had no authority over
his fellow Ministers. He could not dictate their
policy He had not even chosen them according
to his own desires. They were forced upon MN
as his colleagues by the exigencies OF party poll
tics. and were left free to do as they pleased
regardless OF his WILL and yet he was regarded
as responsible for them and their doinGs. and,
nv the unwritten law of official etiquette, as soon
as the Chamber Of Deputies expressed lack OF
confidence In any one Of them, the President
Of the Council and all the rest were compelled
to resign.
The fault lies with the system, not with NJ.
Ribot: and NJ Ribots successor, whoever he
NAV be. will probably sooner or later foil vic
tim 10 the same system What is most hopeful
in the whole situation. however, is the fact that
no such crisis seems n the least 10 mper re-
publlcan institutions. The Republic has lasted
TWENTY-FIVE years, and has had-if we have
counted then correcty-no less than thirty-two
Ministries. There Is no percepube tendency
toward a Iengthenirg of tn, Ministerial tenure
Yet there cai be no question that the Republic
is steadily growing in strength and stability.
Twenty, or even ten, years ago every Minis
teral crisis set men 20 specializing on the proba
bilites of revolution and a monJrchical
restoration. Now there is no thought of such
catastrophe. change Of Ministry means mere
ly The going out Of one set OF Republicans and
the coming in Of another set OF equally stead
fast Republicans. Neither Ministerial crisis,
nor Presidential crisis. neither the resignation
of q Ribot nor the murder of a Carnot nor yet
the desertion Of a Casimir-P Perier. puts popular
government in peril for a single day
II Is thought the new Ministry will be more
Radical In tone than the one which has just
fallen, and that NJ. Bourgeois will be its nom
inal head NJ. Bourgeois was talked Of at the
last crisis before this, namely, In January 1890.
The Dupuy Ministry fell, as that of NJ. Kibot
has fallen, over the question Of the Southern
Railway scandals. NJ. Brisson the President
Of the Chamber, advised the President of The
Republic to ask NJ. Bourgeois to form new
one Instead OF doing so, NJ. CasimirPerier re-
signed his office His successor in the Prcsi-
dency Of the Republic, NJ. Faure. followed NJ.
| Brsson's advice and invited NJ. Bourgeois TO