The San Francisco call., 1896-02-18
GRAVE CRISIS At HAND.
Downfall of President Faure
Predicted at the French
Capital.
Many Are Ready to Declare That the
Republic Is on the Verge of
Revolution.

NEW YORK, N. Y, Feb. 1s.-A special
cable from Paris to the Sun says: There
are many prominent men in Paris to-day,
Senators, Deputies and journalists, who
do not hesitate to declare their belief that
France is on the eve of another revolution
This gloomy talk has been increasing
for months past. The crisis is certainly
serious, but do not share the respondent
opinions of the situation which are held in
some quarters.
Important changes are probably i'm
pending, including not only the fall of the
present Cabinet, but, perhaps, a serious
deadlock in the Government and possibly
the dissolution of the Chamber and the
downfall of President Faure.
1t is cowardly ana almost absurd to say,
as some do, that republ lean institutions
will be unable to bear the strain which
may be put upon them.
1t is some indication of the state of pub
lie feeling that an evening newspaper de-
clared yesterday with great emphasis and
gravity that a plot Tor the overthrow OF
the republic had been perfected within a
month at Brussels by Prince Victor Napo-
leon and the Duke of Orleans. This seems
to be taken soberly instead of as joke by
most people.
The facts which are the nominal cause
of this crisis are well known. The Senate
passed votes which virtually mean mo
confidence" in the present ministry.
The Chamber has voted the other way,
and the Bourgeois Ministry has decided to
remain in office. Not only that, but the
Cabinet has exploited the action of the
Chamber as a virtual vote of censure
against the Senate.
In fact the Cabinet, backed, as it be-
lieves it is by the Cham Der, is defying the
Senate. This raises constitutional Ques-
ton which is both grave and unprece-
dented.
The Cabinet is jointly responsible to
both houses, and the action which the
Ministers are taking is practically coup
d'etat.
The Senate, like every political author
ity in France, is jealous of It's prerogatives.
Nobody imagines that it will do less than
enforce its authority unless driven from
the Luxembourg by mob.
1t is the Chamber of Deputies which is
more likely to Iecede from It's position.
The lower house has nominally maiority
OF Moderates, in spite of its tolerance of
Radical Cabinet.
The reason why it refrains from turning
out Premier Bourgeois and his associates
is that every body breads the Cabinet
crisis which would follow. 1t is the
Radical and Socialist minority in the
Chamber which creates most of the
turmoil in French politics. and causes fre-
quent Cabinet changes, until il has come
to pass that no Moderate leaders are left
who are able and willing to carry on the
movement.
1t was for this reason. and no other, that
President Faure with the consent of his
own Moderate followers, tried the expert
ment of giving the Radicals chance to
govern. They have done better, on the
whole, than was expected of them; or,
rather, they have done less mischief.
The Southern Railway scandal, which is
the nominal cause of the Senate's opposi-
ton, is merely the instrument which has
been resorted to for putting an end to
their career.
Such are overt facts. At present the
situation is one of delicacy and danger,
but does not warrant yet the respondent
views tax en- by many politicians.