The San Francisco call., 1899-02-19

gives the impression of remote Latin
origin and looks to be solid, practical
man, who sees the facts Of life just as
they are. AS President of the Senate
he has had official and other expert
ence that will be useful to him as
President of the republic, but he is es-
sentially a plain, middle-class man,
whose mind was sharpened by his prac-
tice at the bar in the provincial town
of Montelimar, in the south of France.
He is there most popular and every
one at Montelimar counts himself a
personal friend of Loubet, who, as
Mayor, County Councillor, Deputy and
Senator, always acted as the servant
of the public. Obliging to his neighbors
he was as accessible as General Grant
or Lincoln was and not less unpretend-
ing. His thicll-set figure, massive and
somewhat Roman though homely head,
indicate a steady, sturdy character
who can nail his colors to the mast, but
only fight when there is good occasion.
He belonged, under the empire, to the
Republican party, then calling itself
Liberal. In 1870 he threw himself into
the national defense current and stood
by Gambetta. He was elected County
Councillor in 1871, then Mayor, and in
1876 was sent to the Chamber of Depu-
ties, where he sat between MN. Henry
and Martin, the historian. Accepting
Thiers' leadership but favoring the
scheme to declare Grevy his political
heir and to reconcile Gambetta with
both, he seemed to bide his time and
was in no hurry to push forward.
M. Loubet, for having formerly, when
Premier, sent jointly with the Foreign
Secretary, NJ. Rfbot, Admiral Cervais to
CronStadt is persona grata to Russia
For three years, as Speaker in the SEN
ate, he lived in the Palace of the Petit
Luxembourg in much the same style as
the President lives in Washington. He
returned to Paris from Versailles this
afternoon by train. He is the first
President who has done So He or
dered an open carriage and pair to
await him at the station instead of a
carriage and four. He was we'll re-
ceived by tremendous crowds. He ar
rived by daylight and had an escort of
cuirassiers. The entire absence of
haughtinesS in his demeanor was favor
ably remarked. NJ: Loubet paid Visit
to Nine. Faure on his way home.
M. Loubet is the right man in the
right place. The Importance of to-day's
Presidential election for the welfare of
the French republic and the prestige of
France cannot be overestimated. The
issue taken was whether the law should
be paramount or an irresponsible
ieague-the League of the French
Fatherland in the hands of clerical,
monarchical and military agitators.
Never was a more monstrous con-
spiracy engineered to pervert whole
nations sense of justice in order to per
petuate the greatest miscarriage Of law
of the century and shield few felons
from the consequences of crime. The
more sensible part of France feels after
M. Loubet's election that great weight
has been taken off their conscience and
hopes that a new leaf will be turned
over the worst page of modern French
history.
M CIemenceau wrote yesterday that
1t was necessary that the new Presi-
dent should be a man not connected
with the Dreyfus affair. He would
therefore support M. Loubet. Fairness,
this. but the Nationalists do not want
fairness. They want Dreyfus, guilty
or innocent, to remain perpetually at
Devils Island. 1t was enough that NJ.
Clemenceau supported M. Loubet.
The Nationalists declared that the
latter should not be President or they
would make Paris too hot for honest
people to live in. But suppose Loubet
were elected by a large majority,
would they set their will above Con-
gress? Yes, they were quite frank. 1t
was to be expected that De Beaurepaire,
that madman and story teller, would
rake up some falsehood against Loubet.