New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-19
PRESIDENT Lon BET.

France has done well She was Thursday
confronted with appalling ahruptnesS. with one
of the most serious crises any nation can he
called upon to meet Yesterday less than two
DAYS later she overcame IL with calmnesS OF
nerves and n sOundneSS Of Judgment that would
have been admirable i'm the most phlegmatic
instead Of the most mCrcurial nation. There
were prophets Of evil in plenty. i'm the republic
and out of IT, To-day they are without honor
I'm their own or I'm any land. Revolution has
not so much as shown its head. Not one pre-
tender has cut the slightest figure. The army
has stood loyal and tranquil With unhesi-
Eating promptncss and with unfailng order the
National Assembly has carried out the consritu-
tional programme. And while the body of the
late President still awaits the rites Of Sepulture
the higher duties TO the living republic are full
filled in the choice of his successor. No gov
ernmental system could have worked better
No government. and no nation could have acted
better The French Republic aud the French
people have given 10 themselves the noblest
possible vindication They may to-day. amid
their tears for Felix Faure. exultantly excam
"We are people yet
France has done we'll in the manner of her
choice. and she has done no less we'll in its per
sonality. II would. indeed. not have been easy
for her 10 choose amisS. Two candidates and
no more were voted for. Either Of them would
have served her well. \ third was prominently
mentioned. and he. too, would have made
good President Behind those three-Loubet.
Melne and Dupuy-were not a few others any
one of whom might have been elected with alb
solute confidence that the highest welfare Of
France would thus have been promoted. One
has 10 recall only the names of NJ Rihot. NJ.
Brisson VI. Hanotaux. NJ. Deschanel and VI.
Bourgeois 70 20 no further afield 10 be re
minded Of the wealth of craftsmanship with
which France Is endowed In choosing VI. Lou
bet among these. as first among equals, the
National Assembly has shown that such wealth
is not embarrassing 10 the republic. and that
political leaders Of commanding rank are al
least in France-capable of subordinating their
ambitions To the general good. II was emf
nently desirable that a choice should he made
at once: If possible on the first ballot. was
indeed the case And since there was practi-
cally no bad choice to make II was quite true
that the first choice that could he made was the
best one that could be- made.
Two current comments upon NJ. LOuhei
may he cited. without approval Of either. The
Bonapartst belligerent NJ Cassagnac. calls
him ian extinct volcano" Yet there Is some
times far more strength in rep0se than in swag-
gerng We do not recall that the rioters OF
Carmaux reckOned W. Loubet, as Prime Min
ister devoid Of the energy Of which VI. Cas-
sagnac says he has not a spark left ON
the other hand. a friendly commentator VI.
Blowtz says that, like happy nations. NJ. Lou
bet has no history. or scarcely any With that
estimate of him we cannot quite agree. VI.
I.oubet, has been in public life since 1876. He
has been Deputy and a Senator, twice Presl-
dent of the Senate, the holder of several Minis
terIal portfolios. and for eleven months Prime
Minister. In the lastnamed office he had 10
deal with the great Carmaux strike and the out
break of anarchsm with which II was accom-
panied. and to order the, investigation Of the
Panama scandala Surely he has had history