The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-29
French Parliamentary Practice.

The parliamentary practice Of the
French chamber Of deputies seems con-
fusing, but that is only because the
few simple rules that are it's funda,
mentals are not understood in the
United States. The speaker in the
French legislative body acts as the
referee. When all the members are as
sembled he rings the gong and calls
time. Then one deputy rushes into the
ring, called the tribune, and, after the
approved American pugilistic practice,
tells some other deputy what he thinks
Of him. The member attacked may
either fight or resign whatever position
he happens to hold. If he resigns, the
preliminary bout is a draw, This pro-
ceeding is purely a matter Of routine
and corresponds to the reading Of the
minutes in American deliberative bod.
les.
After this formality is out of the way,
the chamber of deputies gets down to
its important business. A member Of
the cabinet moves the regular order If
this is carried, the bouts for the day
are with siX-ounce gloves. If 1t is lost,
London prize ring rules prevail with
bare fists. Debaters are debarred from
speaking to the point under considera-
ton, and If they fall into unparliamen.
tary language, that is, If they indulge
in anything but vituperation, aimed at
the government or the Radicals, they
are promptly knocked down and count
ed out. Closure is applied by seizing
the speaker who holds the floor about
the neck and choking him severely.
After debate is thus shut off tha
referee calls for the ayes and noes
Only black eyes and broken noses count.
If the eyes are in a majority, the cham
Der adjourns for six weeks If the
noes prevail, the cabinet resigns. In
case of tie vote there is a revolution
1t will be seen that the matter is ex.
ceedingly simple when once it is exv
planned. The practice is much more ef-
fective than the cumbersome American
methods. Only one additional bit of
information is necessary to enable the
reader to follow intelligentIy the most
bloody session of the French house of
representatives. Attacks on the govern.
ment are always privileged and take
precedence of other business.
They (the voters) can, by electing Mr. Lind
put a drag upon the wheel of progress and
check the rapid advance toward good times
and-p prosperity throughout this common
Wealth.-Minneapolis Journal.
What nonsense! Does the Journal
think it can keep on stuffing the voters
Of the great and growing state Of Min
ne.sota with that kind of trash for the
next twenty years? The people are
going to elect Mr.. Lind because he will
throw out of the capitol Mr.. Kenyon
and a lot more of the same ilk who
are so seriously mismanaging their Of
fees that they have become a stencil
in the public nostrils. The people of
the North Star state know what they
want, and among these are elevators
managed in the interests Of the grain
growers, and all the state offices so
conducted that taxpayers and depos-
itors in banks will not be robbed by
those who are sworn to protect their
interests Nothing would SO accelerate
''the rapid advance toward good times
and prosperity throughout this COM
monwealth" as the election of John
Lind, and nobody knows this better
than the Minneapolis Journal, which
has had it's nose to the wheat-ring
grindstone so long that it has come to
/ eniOy IT,