The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-06
A Radical Policy Pushed.

"A QlSpaCCn from Nantes, FRANCE reports
the sentence by court martial of a French
officer to imprisonment for refusing to
assist in the work Of closing the unau
thorized schools of the religious orders.
which DR.. Combes, the premier, under
took as his first and most important func
ton after succeeding Waldeck-Rousseau.
/ 1t is evident that DR.. Combes, who is a
radical Of the radicals, has not abated his
vigor a particle in the enforcement of the
law enacted by his predecessors influence.
Army officers are given to understand that
court martial awaits them, If they do not
close the schools for which the sanction of
the government has not been obtained.
The law of associations stands first on the
radical program and Combes, an ardent
supporter Of the policies of Waldeck-
Rousseau, notably the minimizing Of the
| clerical influence in education, intends
| that it shall not be dead letter.
| It was reported that it was Conbes' in
| tention to resign the premiership. as he
| had completed the enforcement Of the law
of associations, interpreting it in the 'ex-
IRENE radical sense, but he has not re-
signed, and probably will not until he
sweeps away every vestige of clerical
I privilege in education which the national
schools do not enjoy. The reason WAL
deck-Rosseau revived the anti-clerical
policy of Gambetta was that there has
been among French republicans, Of the
conservative as we'll as the radical group,
a conviction that the religious associa-
tions which are organized with great skill
and own large estates, have frequently
used their influence against the republic.
They have 1,ersistently sympathized with
the royalist and imperialist groups against
the republic, back in the critical period Of
the seventies, and since, notably during
the Dreyfus excitement The new law
has brought the associations and their
schools under the control Of the govern
ment and If they wish to con-
tinue their existence in France they
must apply for the official sane
| ton Of the government, and If they
[do not comply with the law, the gov
eminent can take their realty and sell it,
giving the proceeds to the orders who own
| the property.
Combes has, no doubt, enforced the law
with a. literalness not intended by Wal
| deck-Rosseau.
The policy is gratifying enough to the
radical republicans and socialists; exag-
gerated accounts Of distress entailed by
it's enforcement have been published by
the clericals, and the anti-republican
groups generally hope to make capital out
Of the affair.
The enforcement will be used by the re
dictionary groups for the purpose of po-
litical agitation, as they used the act de-
priving the Orleans princes of their com
mands in the army. The conservative re-
publicans view with anxiety the attempt
to make capital out of the law of associa'
lions by the anti-republicans. Many o.
them. as Jules Simon did, regard wal
against clericalism as a war against Coo
and religion. The political history o.
France shows, however, that, while the
French radicals are accustomed TO pust
measures Of an extreme character, which
while devoted to the restriction of spe
. cific class really affect the law of persona
individual liberty, with haste and passion
| they are repeatedly checked Dy the crop
ping out Of communism and socialism
which stimulate the activities Of clerica
1 and mQnarchical reactionaries. These lat
ter bring conservative republicans to-
8 gether in force again, and the republic Il
'saved.'
The present radical ministry, with tn
i old radical tendency, as the French call it
. oI,o oh in.
y to an extreme--will transgress the bount
e of prudence and will one day encounter al
g adverse vote in the chamber. The Frenc1
e republic is not now as likely as it was. il
= 1875 to fall victim to the reactionar,
y parties. .>,tf =