The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-01

ANAAg 1 - ~ WIFI
mands the confidence Of the Court Of st.
Petersburg has many chances Of stability,
and no Ministry which Russia treats with
coldness can count upon q long tenure of
power. Not v the discovery, indeed,
that the Gear has no intention Of entering
upon an offensive war for the purpose Of
assisting France to get back her lost
provinces would Justify Frenchmen In re-
%nouncing an alliance which effectually
shields them against a second German In.
vasion. 1t now looks as IL all that France,
during the coming year, can gain from her
understanding with the Gear is a free
hand as against England In West and
Central Africa, and the assurance that
her interests in the far East will be
cared for. The approach Of the Paris
Exposition Of 1900, at which French man
ufacturers believe they can demonstrate
the superiority Of their wares, and from
which the Paris tradesmen and the owners
or lessees Of real estate hope to reap q great
deal Of money, will also have o tranquilllS-
ing effect upon French politics. The French
Socialists and Red Republicans, who, for
the moment, act together In the Chamber
of Deputies, are. while still strong in
the manufacturing centres, less hopeful OF
speedy triumph in the country at large
thar they were when NJ. BOURGEOIS was in
Office. They have been discouraged BY the
popular acquiescence In the Senate's practi.
col assertion of a right to turn out q
Ministry by q vote Of want Of conf.
dence. It was, In truth. q fa%r-reaching
change In the current view of the
French Constitution, which was effected
when NJ. BOURGEOIS felt constrained to
resign in Difference to the Senate's opposi.
ton. Up to that event II was taken for
granted that, In France, the Ministry was
responsible only to the popular branch Of
the national legislature, as is the case In
the United Kingdom and In Italy. Times
have changed since the avowed purpose Of
a strong party In the Chamber Of Deputies
was such a revision Of the Constitution Of
1875 as should eliminate the Senate. On
the other hand, 1t cannot be said that the
opposite political movement, which aims
to assimIlate the Presidency Of the French
republic to the American model, ls likely to
maxi any progress In the twelvemonth now
begun. In a country like the United States,
where power is split up by the Federal
system, where the authority in the hands
of the national Executive Is comparatively
small, and, above all, where the belief In
popular government, the attachment to In.
dividual liberty, and the principles of the
English common law are ~ingrained In the
race, there is no danger in intrustinR the
Administration to a President who Is indie
pendent of the legislature. To do this in
France would not be safe, because, owing to
the GENERALIZATION of the Government and
the immense power vested in the Ex-
e~cutive, such a President would be
almost a dictator, even during his legal
term of Office and the temptation to pro-
long his authority beyond it's legal term,
from public no less than from selfish mo-
tives, would be tremendous. Nor in view
Of the tendency of the mercantile classes,
and even of the peasants, to crave a strong
ruler, would it be difficult for him to do so,
as LOUIS NAPOLEON proved long ago. The
French President should not, therefore, be
made independent. and the only feasible
alternative lie to surround him, as he is now
surrounded. with Ministers who are respon-
sible to Parliament.
In Germany, the new year seems likely
to witness events of unusual Importance in
the field of both foreign and internal poll.
tics. The changes recently made in the
Prussian Ministry. and also in the corps Of
subordinates attached to the Imperial
Chancellor-it will be remembered that
the Chancellor has no colleagues but only
subordinates-bear witness to q complete
reaction on the part Of Kaiser WILLIAM II.
from the tendencies to State socialism,
which marked the beginning Of his reign.
His present attitude has led to a reso-
luton on the part of the Socialists,
which will nave a sensible effect at the
next general election for tho Reichstag.
Hitherto, the Socialists have refused, for
the most part, to c~oalesce with any other
political party in any electoral district,
and have put forward nominees of their own
both for the Reichstag and for the Prus-
sian Chamber of Deputies. Now they have
decided that, In every constituency, where
they have no hope of gaining a victory for
themselves, they will support the candi.
date of the party which they consider least
Objectionable. This decision must SEN
sibly increase the number Of Richterists
In the next Reichstag, as we'll as In
the popular branch OF the Prussian
legislature. 1t remains to be seen
whether the present Reichstag will make
the increased appropriation for the navy
which the Emperor desires, and' also how
1t will deal with the bill fixing the size of
the standing army, which will be intro
duced this year. 1t will be recalled that
the Constitution of the German Empire
provides that, although the budget must
be annually voted by the Reichstag, the
principal revenue laws are permanent, and
cannot be changed without the consent of
the Bundesrath, while the most important
of all appropriations, that for the army, Is
virtually determined by the law prescribing
the number of the troops, and this has been
hitherto voted for a number Of years at O
time. Thus, in 1871, 1t was voted for three
years; in 1874, 1880, and 1887. for seven
years, and hence called q s%eptennate; and,
In 1893, for five years. 1t will, therefore.
have to be voted this year, and the ability