The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-04-26
Tomorrow Will be a Memorable Day
in our Sister Republic.
The Waldeck-Roussta Administration
viii Probably be lndorsed at
the Polls.
a GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST TAKEN.

Paris, April 26-Tomorrow the gen.
eral elections will be held and the
country will pass Judgment on the
Waldeck Rousseau administration.
The decision Of the French electorate
IL of course problematical, but it may
be safely said that the signs point to
a brilliant victory for the waldeck-
Rousseau ministry. The average
French voter is by no means 30 well
informed as the average American
or Englishman regarding issues Of ma.
tional politics. But with all his dis
qualifications he has q keen scent for
what promotes the glory and wealth Of
France, and the idea that there has
been o safe strong premier directing
affairs for the past three years has
lodged itself firmly in his mind.
Since the time Of Gambetta,
France has had NO statesman whose
personality has 70 typiAed the re-
publican ideal - the present premier.
His ministry has lasted the longest
cf any during the past thirty years.
He gave up . most lucrative practice
at the palace Of justice when Presi-
dent togbet appealed to bis patriot
ism, In June, 1893, at q time France
was 90 distracted BY the Dreyfus
agitation that the triumph Of the reao-
sionaries, or . military electorship
seemed possible. N. waldeck. Rous-
sean then succeeded in forming cab
met, which appealed to men from all
parts Of the republican horizon to join
hands In the political principle Of
which he was the most indefatigible
and the most tactful advocate. The
measure Of his success is perhaps best
denoted BY the fact that tomorrow
France 10 asked 10 vote, not for or
against the monarchy, the empire or
the republic, but for or against N.
Waldeok- Rousseau.
Broad and weighty considerations
commend the present government to
the electors. In its foreign and do
mestic policies 1t has been prudent aud
productive. Most cabinets Of the
third republic. il they have scored 1t
home, have failed abroad. Not 90 the
Waldeck- Rousseau administration. In
bringing about the visit Of the czar
and czarina to Bethany, which NJ.
Loubet is about to return; In effecting
the impeachment with Italy that
resulted in the Franco Italian CONNER
cial treaty and the agreement by which
France secured q free hand in Nor
COCO in exchange for her promise not
to thwart ItAly's plans as to Tripoli;
in the Mitylene incident; and fin
ally in the extension Of the Franco
Russian alliance to Asia-an event or
stupendous Importance these four
achievements the government has
displayed the highest order Of states
manship applied to foreign relations.
In domestic affairs the difficulties
of the waldeck- Rousseau cabinet have
always been serious and at times APP
parently insuperable. The cyclonic
fury of the Dreyfus controversy has
left traces which two generations will
scarcely remove. Had man less re-
sourceful, less courageous, less capable
of impressing parliament, the army
and populace with his patriotism and
his honesty been charged with respon-
sibility, the horrors Of civil strife, the
commune and revolution might again
have fallen upon France. That crisis
was passed safely, and out Of the rev.
Citations it involved came the salutary
reform which placed the army in pro-
per subordination to the civil power.
With the adoption of the law Of as.
sociations, checkingsthe aggressions Of
the religious orders and combining
them to their proper sphere, decis-
i've step was taken forward from the
point of view of economic develop.
ment and the guarantee Of republi.
can institutions. The enemies of the
premier predicted that widespread
agitation would follow an attempt to
enforce the measure, but its provi.
sions have been carried out in the spir-
It in which they were conceived,
without passion and without weak