The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-09
ON THE EDGE OF REVOLUTION
France Divided Into Hostile Camps
Over the Dreyfus Case.

ON THE EDGE OF REVOLUTION
France Divided Into Hostile Camps
Over the Dreyfus Case.
Paris. Feb. S.-The result of the Zola
trial is full OF fate for Frace. The vast
majority of the people undoubtedly believe
Dreyfus guilty, but he has influential
friends and newspapers and several prom
inent men like Zola have sworn TO leave
no stone unturned until the question is
! settled one way the other.
The Dreyfus case has now become a
sort of subtle poison, which, insinuated
into the body polite, is producing the
gravest disorders.
The authorities are watchful; one cam
| not walk a dozen blocks in the city with
ont passing bodies of police or infantry
or cavalry moving from point to point
to keep order. But nightly meetings are
held al which the government is denounc-
ed, and, in fact, the republic is passing
through themost serious crisis it has seen
since the days of Boulangism.
The chief reason for the poular bitter
ness against Dreyfus and the apparent be-
lief in his guilt are due partly to a deep
seated feeling that it would be a terrible
disgrace to the army and the nation TO
find that Dreyfus had been Unjustly con-
demned on hearysay evidence after a
hasty courtmartial.
Besides this. there is the old middle
age European hatred against Dreyfus be-
cause he is a Jew. This feeling is so great
in Marseilles that some Jewish storekeep-
ers are hanging on their doors the sign
"Catholic Store for fear of being injur-
ed by the mob
Meantime the socialists are Selling upon
the agitation as means or propaganda
and anarchist Aoutrages have been renew
ed. The socialists however. frankly de-
clare that religion does not enter into the
question with them, and that if they had
the power they would confscate with i'm
Partially the vast estates of the IKE de la
Rochefoucauld, the factory of NJ. Resse-
quier. the mines and foundries of Chagot
& Schneider who are Catholics, or the
vast wealth of the Rothchlds, who are
Jews. They practically admit that they
are taking part in the affair in order to
overthrow, if possible. the present form of
government. ct is the social revolution
which is beginning" they say.
France is simply at this moment d.
vided into two bitterly hostile camps over
the question OF the guilt or innocence of
Dreyfus, while the government hesitates,
refusing TO reopen the case, and also re-
fusing to make public the real reasons
for his condemnation. All who think
Dreyfus guilty at the game time declare
that the government probably has some
other evidence that the bordereau. or
memorandum, on which he was convicted.
The plan of NJ. Zola is to make the
government disclose what this is. The
trial of lola and gerant of the Aurore is
before the civil tribues, because Zola,
not being a soldier, is not amendable to
military discipline, except a state Of seige
were declared and the civil code suspend
ed. 1t is similar to the usual press trials,
except that it has been iniated on the re-
quest of the minister of war
But the penalties include both fine and
Imprisonment, and should Zola be con-
v.cted the state of public opinion is sucn
that the severest penalties of law would be
meted out TO him. The accusation is spe-
cjfcauy based on Zola's open letter to
President Faure published in the Aurore,
and three passages of the letter have been
picked out in the complaint The frs,
reads a. follows:
"A council of war has, by order, dared
to acQuit one Esterhazy, which IS a crush
ing blow TO all truth TO all justice. II is
done now. France has on her cheek the
mark Of this stain. History viii write that
it is under your presidency that such a
~ -
Apart from the rhetoric, it viii be OBJ
served that the sting IS in the words, by
order" Zola practically accusing the Es-
terhazy cOurtmartial Of having given their
verdict in accordance with instructions
By the minister Of war or the cabinet
Perhaps Zola told the truth. but ii was
certainly iniUdicOus 70 array himself
against the whole power of the govern
ment. backed as it is by public opinion
it IS we'll to recall the paragraphs in the
letter in the Aurore. on which his trial
IS based. The second reads as follows:
They Cthe judges in the Esterhazy
court martiaD ''have rendered an unjust
sentence. which viii forever weigh heav-
iIy against orr court martial, and which
will henceforth faint with suspicion al
.heir verdicts. The first council os war
Chat which condemned Dreyfus) was
perhaps ignorant. the second is neeessar-
uy criminal"
The third and last paragraph cited IN
the complaint IS as follows;
81 accuse the second court martial Of
having reached their Illegal verdict by
order. and II committing, IN their turn.
a judicial crime only in order knowingly
70 acquit one who was guilty
Tais IS strong language. whether true
or false, and II may well be imagined
how il has tremendously excited public
opinion II ZoIa was writing for no;a-ie-
- he has certainly accomplished his OBJ
Esyrars Af SuhSfifHft<a