Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-15
FRANCES FAMOUS PREMIER
Character Sketch Of Waldeok- Rousseau, His
Trials and TriumphS.
PEACEFULLY DISPOSED, BUT A FIGHTER
Most Remarkable Frenchman since
Gambetta-HoIds His friend by
Never Forgetting or De-
sorting Them.

Pierre Marie waldeck-R Rousseau, prime
minister OF France, whose administration
has just been endorsed by 5000, 900 votes
against 1900 900, is easily the most re-
markable Frenchman since Gambetta, and
has become a world figure Of power and
significance.
Frenchmen, as a rule, do not understand
him, and a good third OF them hate him in
tensely. Possessing pre-eminently the in
stincts that make for good order and dill
gent housekeeping, he has put the house,
hold Of France to rights with a ruthless
ness and t-horoughness almost Napoleonic.
Hence his enemies and hence also his sup
port from the business men and all con-
servative citizens Of France. A dozen
prime ministc5 have had the same OPP
portunlty, as the system Of centralized ad-
ministration exists today just as 1t was left
by the FIRST Napoleon. Yes, the sword OF
Napoleon Is there said an official in ex-
planning 1t to me, but it took a swords
man to use II. Waldeck-Rousseau is a
swordsman. That is the whole story"
For the past dozen years or so General
Boulanger has represented to the world
the typical Frenchman. picturesque. thea
trical and voluble. Waldeck- Rousseau is
none Of these and so he ruled nearly two
years before his countrymen realized how
great and how strong a man he was. In
stead OF another man on a black horse to
lead France to new conquests here was a
quiet gentleman In a black coat, who alb
horred conquests and had a strong pen
chant for discovering talkative army on
GERS. More than this, he does not look
the typical Frenchman, being unusually
tall, even by the English or American
standard, stiff and angular in appearance,
rather difhdent in his manner, stunning no
toriety and attention.
Once Had Artistic Ambitions.
waldeck- Rousseau received his democ-
racy from his father, who was one of the
founders of the short lived second repub-
lie, and his quiet determination from the
people Of Vendee, among whom he was
born at Nantes, December 2, 1916. At one
time he thought Of being an artist and be-
came quite proficient in water color paint
ing, but soon abandoned this except as
a pastime and studied law. After being
admitted to the bar he became secretary
to NJ. Dufret, then described as the first
of French forensic orators. Then came the
Franco russian war. When Gambetta
escaped from Paris in a balloon and called
for his "levee en- masse," Waldeck-Rous-
seau volunteered and received a captains
commission, but never saw service.
Like Renan and many another great
Frenchman, Waldeck- Rousseau began his
real career at Rennes, the ancient capital
of Brittany. He labored inconspicuously
before the court Of appeals until a lucky
chance, which he had the ability to grasp,
made his fortune. A leading merchant, M.
Dreyfus Gonzales, had before all the courts
Of France the same case. concerning mari
time rights, in which the greater part of
hta Iar1o fortrna mas lnpnIvaA IJtd Ia uyyar
at Rennes retired and with some misgiv-
Ing the merchant sent the particulars of
his case to Waldeck- Rousseau. The mer-
chant kept stenographic reports of all his
lawyers speeches in the different courts.
When he examiner the pleas Of his Rennes
advocate he was amazed to find In them the
~clearest and most eloquent exposition OF his
case that had been made during the years
Of litigation. Shortly afterward Waldeck-
Rousseau, having interested himself in local
politics, was chosen to represent Rennes In
the Paris Chamber OF Deputies, and
Dreyfus- Gonzales, to the establishment OF
the Paris bar, entrusted the legal man
agement OF all his affairs to the unknown
Breton deputy. He succeeded no less a
man than NJ. Grevy. who had relinquished
his law practice upon his election to the
presidency. The appointment made some
bNI III lub lcBdl III poiANANuA WIN INV
gave Waldeck-Rousseau an immediate
standing in the chamber.
Gambetta was then president Of the cham
Der and the undisputed leader Of French
republicanlsm. He saw and admired quail
titles In Waldeck- Rousseau which he him
self lacked and with his usual impulsive
ness almost at once admitted the young
deputy TO his friendship and confidence.
When, in 1880, Gambetta formed his grand
ministry he gave Waldeck-R Rousseau the
Department Of the Interior. the most de-
sirable portfolio in the cabinet from the
point Of view OF patronage and political In
huence. But the grand ministry" came
to an end in two months and its failure
closed Gambetta's political career. Only
Waldeck-Rousseau wrung from him a per-
sonal success. The reputation he gained
as an administrator and civil reformer
secured him the portfolio in the Jules
Ferry cabinet Of 1852.
Earned s5O.OOO a Year at Law.
When the Ferry cabinet fell. the longest
In Office except Waldeek- Rousseau's own,
waldeck retired from political life and de-
voted himself TO law. He became leader
OF the Paris bar with a professional income
OF about $4,000 a year. 1t remained for
the political events growing out OF the
Dreyfus trial to bring him back to public life.
At this political period the premiership
OF France was going begging. Cabinet
after cabinet had been overthrown and the
country seemed ripe for revolution. Even
inconsequential persons like Count Bon
Castellane were for the moment exalted
Into prominence by their comical attempt
to upset the government by smashing
President Loubet's hat at a race course