The record-union., 1898-04-19
FRANCE IN .ALGIERS.

FRANCE IN ALGIERS.
Our own excitement is SO engrossing
that we have lost sight of the fact
there have been outrages. riots and
all but Instruction in Algiers of late.
The violence has been directed mainly
against Jews But the difficulties grew
really out of electoral rather than ra-
cial causes. There are four social
tive Jews, French colonists born in the
country. and the immigrant alien popu-
lation.. mainly Spaniards and Italians.
All Of these classes are at swords
and aliens have no vote. but by de-
cree of 1871 the Jews have all the
| privileges of French nationality, and
though they are in the minority their
vote is the balance of power and turns
the scale one way or the other, hence
they have politically a predominating
influence jim the colony. To prevent
such scenes as have recently disgraced
the French control, it is now proposed
to erect an autonomous form Of gov
eminent something after the lines fol-
lowed by Great Britain in dealing with
her colonial possessions.
The representation of the colony in
the French Parliament, it is proposed,
should be dropped, certainly wise
proposition. 1t is a constant source of
irritation, is unpleasant for the colony
and for the representatives of France
proper There are but three delegates
and they are incapable Of doing any
good for the colony, but their efforts
to accomplish something serve as
stumbling blocks in the way of French
political activity. The Tunis colony
has no representation in Parliament
and it gets along much better, its
needs having more prompt attention
because the responsibility is directly
| imposed upon members not of the col
ony With a colonial assembly sthe
autocratic overseeing by the Colonial
office in Paris would cease, the French
| Parliament would be relieved of a lot
of annoying detail, and the people
would be more at peace with each
other because they would elect their
own legislators and he more immedi-
ately responsible to themselves.
! The value of all this to us, so far
away. is found in the interest all
thoughtful people take in watching the
growth of colonial power, and contem-
plating the methods great nations adopt
to hold their foreign possessions fast
to them; and because all these move
ments are in the democratic direction,
and indicate the growth Of the spirit
of liberty and the expanding belief
| among men that they are capable of
/ government.
It must be confessed, if the reports
are true, that the way the Spaniards
are casting their pesetas into the ma
tional treasury quickens respect for
their national spirit and patriotic SEN
timents. They may not, certainly do
not, take note that the world is march
ing on straight away from Spain,
which fingers in memories of past glo-
ries and refuses to see that she has in
her the seeds of national decay and
social retrogression. But they have
keen sensibility about national honor
and the might of Spain; love for their
peninsular land simply because it is
| theirs and not because of pride in it's
institutions, since it has very little to
be proud Of compared with the adj
vances made by other peoples along
the lines of Intellectual, scientific, hu-
name and other directions of knowledge
and benefcence. But for all this, the
impetuosity with which they pluck
their jewels from their ears to cast
into the common purse for national de-
Tense is worthy of admiration, mis-
guided though the action may be- The
example Of the Spanish in this respect
does them honor. A people so hide
bound and intolerant deserve for their
patriotic virtue a better fate than is
surely in store for that nation. 1t is
not manifesting any Improvement in
its course, nor has it done so since
the century opened; that it is behind
the times physically, intellectually, in
dustrially and productivity is the
common verdict. That it fingers in the
atmosphere of systems obsolete and
unadvancing every student of history
knows.
The London correspondent of the New
York Times" which, by the way, is
very far from being unpatriotic in this
juncture. though it is EQUALLY as far