Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-03
THRONE OF FRANCE
It's the Tribune of the Cham
Der Of Deputies.
JAURES THE POWERFUL
INTERESTING PERSONALITY OF
THE SOCIALIST LEADER.
Raised as an Aristocrat, He Long Since
Allied Himself With the
Working People.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
PARIS, November 20, 1904.
France still has a throne--a real con-
struction, of carved granite, onyx and mar
BILE.
The occupant of this throne is more pow
erful than most kings. The president of
the republic must dismiss his cabinet when
he so orders. He can institute or put
stop to public prosecutions. He can ap-
point, shift or retard judges, and he has
been known to shift a case in the jurisdic-
ton of the supreme court. He makes all
laws, can pass retroactive laws and laws
affecting the rights of property. And army
officers are advanced or not in their promo
ton according to principles that he lays
down.
One thing only-instead of sitting on
this throne, he must stand on it. The
throne itself is the tribune Of the chamber
of deputies, and the detail that it's occu-
pant must stand instead of sit beautifully
indicates that his power is not his by right,
but must always be due to his energy and
worth.
The chamber Of deputies is a severely
decorated hall in the form of a half circle
polished granite, carved marble and
bronze. The seats of the representatives
Of the people rise from center to circum-
ference as in a university lecture hall or
clinic. In front of them, on raised plat
form backed against the wall that cuts the
circle, sits the president of the chamber.
His office is to enforce orderly procedure;
and his great prerogative consists in put
ting on his hat. In the midst of the storm
lest debate he has but to rise and put on
his hat-and the sitting Is suspended.
Beneath the desk Of this presiding officer
is the true throne of France-the tribune
xIx~tA bod 1NNy
flight of seven marble steps protected by a
gilt-bronZe railing. 1t is pulpit large
enough to let it's occupant take five steps
back and forth; but from 1t France is ruled
as truly as in the times Of Louis XIV.
Jaures the Powerful.
I have shown that it's occupant must
stand in it, not sit. 1 am also bound to adj
NIT that, to the casual eye, its occupant is
not always the same. Every one Of the
591 deputies who represent the national
suffrage of France has an equal right to
mount it's seven steps and harangue his
brethren as the old Greek and Roman ora
tors harangued the people. But al aliKe
cease-whooping royalists ike Bauory
d'Asson scolding nationalfsts like General
Jacuuey, conciliating moderates like Ribot
and smashing radicals like Doumer-aH
alike close their diminished heads when
there arises from his bencn a pig. puriy,
hairy. lolling, husky lump of man with a
wart on his nose, red-faced, with cruel
blue eyes, a neck like bull and voice
like a clarion. , 49,
Great Tribune, the successor of Pislstra-
tus. Cleon and the demagogues; or Phoclon
and Demosthenes; of BrutuS ana CATO, OF
Mira beau Danton, Royer-Collard, Arago
Tbiers and Gambetta. And when Jean
Jaures rises from his desk, hulks across
the floor mounts the seven steps OF the
tribune and begins speaking to the cnam-
her the most casual observer sees ne is the
master-that this pulpit is his place.
Year after year Jaures' power over the
chamber has become more and more pro-
nounced in this that nothing can be done
without him. He is socialist HIS lmne
date party consists of only 40 out-aho-oue
socialist deputies; but these 40 votes are
absolutely necessary to keep the TaoIcaI-
Socialists in power, while the radicals pure
and simple prefer the rule of the radical
socialists to that of moderate republlcans.
n is their only possible combination. mus
Jarres has $50 socialists and radical-soc1al-
lists who are certain to follow him blindly,
while another $50 shading from radlcal-so-
cialists down may be regularly counleo oLt
TO vote as he directs them. This in itself
makes him the most powerful man IN
France.
Curious Vicissitudes.
Here is a leader of men who has found
his way to power through curious vicissi-
tpaes He was not brought up to be
demaeoyue or idol of the people. By birth
and education he is almost an aristocrat.
| His uncle was that Admiral Jaures who dis
| tinpuished himself in the Crimea and in the
chinese expeditions of the empire, fought
on land as a general against the Germans In
| 1870 helped to organize the present repub-
| lic represented it in the courts OF Madrid
and ST. Petersburg, was life senator and
! died minister of the marine in 1889
| The old admiral would have been horrlhed
| at his nephew's present course. and young
| Jaures himself at the beginning seemed cut
/ out for an aristocratic career In philosophy
and letters.
! His father was rich enough and cultured
| enough to give him polished university
! training He distinguished himself at the
| Ecole Normaie-which ranks highest among
| French institutions of its kind, because 1t
| prepares university professors.
| Young Jaures passed brilliantly through
| this training school for university profess
| sors After the usual term of teaching in
a provincial college he was named to post
| In philosophy in the university faculty of
Toulouse.
Entrance Into Politics.
He was at this moment twenty-five years
old. immensely strong in physique, full of
vitality and magnetism, and possessed of
| the faculty of making friends. In his ma
tive district of the Tarn the whole popula-
| ton was friendly to him. His uncle, still
| living, was life senator and one OF the
l founders Of the republic. II was therefore