The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-27

All thoee-and in France they are not few
who have grudge against the Republic
the antl-Dreyfusards, anti-Semites. the
Bonapartists, the Legitimists. and many Of
the leading generals who banker after the
! old regime, have acknowledged DERoU'
LEDE to DO for the moment the champion
OF their cause. Over the multitude his
romantic career, the fire of his personal
| ity and eloquence and the fact that he
| does stand for something tangible, have
an influence which might at any time be
turned into dangerous channels
DEBoULEDE himself disclaims any Idea OF
| overthrowing the Republic and protests
| with apparent honesty against the use
| made of his name and opinions by the
Monarchists. In this no is probably sim
| cere. There 10 no evidence to connect him
with the Duke OF ORLEANS, with Prince
LOUIS or with Prince VICTOR and little
enough reason for supposing he Is working
for any one but PAUL DERoULEDE The
Monarchists have fallen In behind him be-
cause as matters now are there is no one
else around whom they can make even q
show Of rallying. A man who proclaims
more loudly and ably than any one else
discomfort which is felt by all must always
attract great many followers with whose
private aims he is out Of sympathy; and
this seemingly Is what has happened to
DERoULEDE. Heis anti-Dreyfusard enough
to please even Gen. MERCER an anti-Se-
mitlc to the point OF satisfying even NJ. MAX
REGIS; but the probabilities Of the case are
all against the notion Of his being in the
service OF one Of the Pretenders.
What DERoULEpB wants and what one
Frenchman out Of every three would agree
to. Is not the establishment OF a dynasty,
but OF plebisctary Republic. He would
have the President elected not by the Cham
bers, but as is practically the case with us,
by direct vote of the people; and there is
good deal to be said In favor Of the
change. There is at present no governing
body or parsonage In France for whom
Frenchmen have anything but a most
meagre respect. The Deputies do not
command it because, as NJ. DEsMoULINs
showed recently, they do not represent
France, or at least not the desirable ele-
ments in France. The Ministries do not
command 1t because they never live long
enough to impress themselves on the
people; the President does not command 1t,
because he is little more than the chairman
OF committee. 1t Is open to very little
doubt that were the President to be- chosen
directly by the people, his influence and
dignity would be immensely increased.
No army officer, even in France would dare
to fiout the representative OF the peoples
will, and all classes would feel it their inter-
est to protect the elected chief magistrate
from insult.
No doubt there Is a personal side to NJ.
DERoULEDE's agitation. With the Presiden-
tial Office thrown open to popular VOTE there
would be wide enough scope even for his
ambition. Nor would the step from the
Presidency to Dictatorship be too long for
q man Of DERoULEDE's confidence. That,
OF course, is the great argument against
taking the choice Of the President away
from the Chambers. LOUIS NAPOLEON re-
ceived the popular election to the Presi-
dency, but it was net long before he called
himself Emperor.
For the way in which PAUL d ERoULEDE
has exploited the Dreyfus case to damage
the Republic and clear the path for his own
projects there can be nothing but condemna-
ton. 1t has been done with consummate
astuteness, but justice and legality are not
to be prostituted thus. Apart from this,
there is much in his agitation against the
present method Of electing the President
that commands attention and may before
long become one of the great questions Of
France.