The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-20
THE E CRISIS.

The present crisis in France is inter-
esting. but TO an impartial observer 1t
does not seem to be nearly as serious
or threatening as that brought on by
the resignation of President Casimir-
Perier, a little more than a year ago.
He was elected President in June, 1894.
n from the time of his installation In
Office was subject to the personal at
tacks OF the socialistic press and the
Socialist members of the Assembly.
Finally, In a fit of anger and c~owardice,
he peremptorily resigned. in January.
1895. For q little while the republic vas
without a President, and the occasion
seemed favorable for a revolution. but
the government came out of the ordeal
stronger than ever. Pursuant to a call
issued by the President of the Senate,
the national assembly met. n in two
ballots elected a new President.
The present crisis does not involve the
President, NJ. Faure, but is primarily
between the Cabinet and the Legisla-
ture, including a deadlock between the
Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
The trouble had it's origin in a legisla-
tive investigation of charges of dishon-
esty against certain members in connec-
ton with railroad construction. The in
vestigation was followed by a prosecu-
ton, which resulted in the acquittal Of
some of the accused. This raised such
a popular clamor that the lower branch
Of the Legislature voted to try the ac-
cused a second time. Upon his the
Ribot Cabinet resigned, on the ground
that a second trial, after an acquittal.
would be unconstitutional. A new Min
istry was formed under NJ. Bourgeois.
which entered vigorously on the work of
retrying the acquitted persons. Then
the Senate passed a vote of censure on
the Cabinet, thus placing itself in oppo-
sition to the Chamber Ordinarily, under
the French Constitution, a Ministry that
had been censured by the Senate would
resign, but M. Bourgeois, who is a radi-
cal Of radicals. refuses to resign or per-
nit other members of the Cabinet to
do so. The real trouble is between the
Cabinet and the Senate. The Paris cor
respondent of the London Times says:
The Cabinet clearly wishes to bring about
q conflict. Why? From its standpoint
there are many reasons. In the first place,
it considers the Senate an assembly of re-
sistance, not to say reaction. The Senate
will never vote either an income tax or
separation of church and state, or any of
those measures which have been put for
ward as sops to the revolutionary party.
The programme of the present Cabinet,
which, after all, is really based on social
istic principles. will be demolished by the
Senate.
The correspondent shows why the Con-
stitution cannot be revised. why the
Senate cannot be dissolved, and adds:
while neither revision nor dissolution
is possible, the Senate cannot draw back
without discredit. Consequently, a
change of Ministry is the only way to
allay the conflict" 1t will probably end
in that way. though. as this would be a
victory for the Senate, it would probably
cause another outbreak of ~socialistic
clamor and might nah it difficult to
form another Cabinet. The President
seems to have assumed a noncommittal
attitude. and is not heard of in the con-
fict.