The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-14
THE CHANGE OF MINISTRY IN
FRANCE.

The sudden change of Ministry I'm France
is typical Of that Kaleidoscope government
and m%ercurial people. The Ministry which
has Just gone out dates from the beginning
OF the administration Of President Loubet,
who was elected in February last to succeed
President Faure. who died suddenly of apo
plexy. Since the establishment of the re-
public in 1870 France has had six Presidents,
M. Loubet being the seventh. but many more
ministries, the one that has just resigned
being the shortest lived. The present change
can scarcely be called a crisis, because the
events that led to It came about in a regu-
lar way and were not attended by any revo-
lutionary features. 1t is a singular fact
that In the present j~uncture In France the
aristocrats are the revolutionists, while the
common people, the Radicals and the So
cialists and what used to constitute the
Paris represent the conservative
element that is supporting the government.
1t is the masses against the classes. with
the former in a great majority. If the
change of Ministry had come a month ago. or
even two weeks ago, the royalists might
possibly have seized the opportunity to
make a formidable demonstration, but they
made their demonstration last Sunday a
week and failed. The failure was followed
by a reaction which strengthened the re-
public and the administration. added greatly
to President Loubet's personal popularity
and left the plotters against the govern
ment harmless for future operations. This
reaction seems to have contributed Indirect
ly to the defeat of the Dupuy Ministry, for
M. Dupuy was so confident of his position
and so anxious to demonstrate the strength
of the government that on Sunday last he
overdid the business of military display and
police interference. After the events of the
Sunday before it was well enough to be
prepared for emergencies, but it was not
wise to make the preparation too conspic-
uous, and the conduct Of the police seems to
have been quite needlessly aggressive and
offensive. This seems to have supplied the
motive or turning point Of the adverse vote
which caused the Ministry to resign. The
vote was not against the government, nor
the President. but against the premier. NJ.
Dupuy, who had made himself unpopular
by his wavering course in the Dreyfus mat
ter and his persistent efforts to carry water
on both shoulders. AS a correspondent puts
it, "he was not Dreyfusite enough for the
Dreyfusards and was too Dreyfusite for the
anti-revisionists." The head of the new
Ministry will not be likely to fall into the
same error, and as the tide is now running
in favor Of Dreyfus. or perhaps 1t should
be said in favor of justice to Dreyfus. the
change of Ministry will probably in
ure to his advantage. 1t Is
likely to result also in further strength
ening President Loubet before the people.
He has never declared his position on the
Dreyfus question. but is generally believed
to lave been in favor Of reopenIng the case.
At the time of his election the enemies OF
Dreyfus were very bitter. regarding it as
foreshadowing revision. The resignation Of
the Dupuy Ministry leaves President Loubet
with a clean slate and a chance to make a
thorough job of the Dreyfus case. If he
does this. probing 1t TIC the bottom and
bringing to justice the prominent persons
who are believed to have been in the plot
IL will create another great excitement In
France. but it will clear the atmosphere
and make President Loubet more popular
49,, ax,or