The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-07
FRANCE COLLECTIVIST.
Sensational Speech OH the state Of the
Country by vi. Mellne. n Former Minister.

That which clearly characterizes the present
situation of France is the seizure Of the Cham
Der and Of the Government by the party OF
social revolution and the Collectivist party.
We must admit that the leaders OF the Collec-
twist party are strategiats OF the first order
In the matter of parliamentary maneuvres.
They knew very we'll that II they presented
themselves before the Legislature with their
entire programme, the famous programme OF
Saint anda, and II they commenced their
campaign upon a platform Of appropriation
Of capital and the contiscation Of capital, they
would stand alone and would be obliged to
wait many years before coming into power
with their ideas.
Then how were they TO get into powerp
The Collectivst leaders. who are cultivated
bourgeois thoroughly versed In the history Of
France, easily discovered that In our simple
and extremely impressionable country the
surest way to grasp power was to create the
impression that great peril was hanging over
the country and TO present themselves as the
defenders That is how Napoleon III. capt
ured France and governed the country for
nearly twenty years. He succeeded in making
everybody believe that he had saved society
and that he was the last rampart OF social
"The Collectivist leaders have merely
adopted his policy. They began by proclaim
ing the republic in danger inventing AZ first
the military peril and pointing TO the great
conspiracy Of Generals against the republic
and Offering their socIa!istic adherents as the
savers Of il, on condition OF getting just
little hold on the Government.
with the Government in their hands they
have naturally gained the parliamentary
majority and they intend TO hold IT at all haz-
ards The military peril did not last long,
1t soon vanished In smoke To continue In
power they had to invent something else. and
they could find nothing better than the 'clerl-
ical peril That was genuine stroke OF
genius By bringing It out they were sure to
stir up the most violent passions: and more
over. they knew that in their neighboring
group, the radical party. there were antl-cleri-
Teal passions smouldering for long time and
needing but breath to be transformed into
1The entire policy of the Collectivist party
consists in feeding that fire. because 1t is the
only thing which can keep them In power,
At first they hung into It the congregations
OF men. Now they are about to throw in the
congregations of women. One might be In,
clined to believe that the hecatombs would
the ColiectIvlsts don't look at the thing In
that light. because, they want religious war
to prolong their domination. After dispOs-
ing Of the regular clergy, they are no W march
ing upon the secular clergy, They are making
a campaign for the separation 81 Church and
STATE and the OF tSevp w
r re- I says, We are not far from civil war,
if we, are to judge by the events OF the last
"Now do not hesitate to say that the policy
of the Government is absolutely contrary TO
the sent ment of the immense majority Of the
country, Certainly France is not clerical
she il even Less clerical than most OF the coun-
tries surrounding her. Frenchmen have an
instructive horror OF any encroachment on the
part OF the clergy upon the temporal domain
But II France il not clerical she has. whatever
may be said to the contrary, an immense depth
customs upon which she will allow no hand to
be laid. Moreover. France IS q land OF gen.
erosity. of liberation and Of f9ir play. and.
instinctvey. she IL always on the side OF the
oppressed Consequently. the religious per-
secuton which we are now witnessing Ia
doomed to rremediable iImpotence, It can nn
ligiou9 sentiment and the expsperatlon 81 it:
so that this war upon the clerical peril "a
peril which has no exiStence-will finish by
making 1t a reality.
"Now,'permt me 10 say a word about the
army and the law which has Just been voted
in the Senate reducing the military service to
principle Of the reduction OF the term of SER
vice, because We are rs DESTROYS as anybody
to Tighten the heavy burden that weighs upon
the country. on condition, however, that the
solidity Of tho army may not be compro-
missed, That Ia why we asked to have added
to the law certain measures Of transition
antee us against dsagreenhle surprises. But
there IL something alarming in the announce
ment Of the real leader ofthe present majority.
NJ Jaures, that the new law was only an en-
terlng wedge, that soon everybody would find
It SO utterly insufferable that the service OF
one year would be demanded which would be
the stepping stone to the regime Of militia.
Now, will welcome the militia when all che
other great nations with which we have to
count come down TO that regime. But IL does
not seem to me that they are moving In that
direction. On the contrary, I find them hard
at work improving and strengthening their
armies. | see even great nations which were
not at all military. for example England and
the United States. making immense sacrifices
In order 70 become military powers OF the first
order. When think Of that and when scan
the horizon. on which 30 many dark spots
appear. | say that II would be criminal folly
20 dsarm, even partially. and our representa-
tlves of the East who have learned the hard
lessons Of the past will never consent to take
that responsibility"
Speaking OF the material damage already
done to the country. NJ Incline referred to cap
ital seeking cOncealment. manufacturers be-
coming discouraged, constantly menanccd, ~
they are. by new burdens and narrow regula-
tlons likely at any time 10 be imposed by the
men who declare themselves to be the unre-
lpntlnY enemies Of captnlistA and ON Dloyera