The Washington times., 1905-12-24
Marry Candidates Found
For French Presidency
YFalliereS and Leon Bourgeois Regarded as
LEADERS In the Race, Which Will Be
Decided January Is Next.

PARIS. Ikec 23-On January 16 next
the national assembly. composed of the
members of the senate and the members
of the chan fber of deputies. will meet at
I Versailles, under the craftsmanship OF
NJ. Falliere g. the president of the sen
ate. and will elect a new president of the
republic for a term Of seven years.
1t is known that President Loubet will
not be Wilt tig to take office for another
term. and it is thought unlikely that he
will yield 2 friendly presstre-
His seven years Of Office. glorious and
rich in results though they have been.
have aged Ii LOubet considerably, and
he has told several Of his intimates late
ly that he considers that he has earned
a rest.
Si4 43y-seven Years Old.
1t should not be forgotten. too. that
M Loubet will be sixty-seyen years old
on the last day Of this year-he was
born on December 81, IS3s-and that
seven more, years Of office would take
him well ger the border-line Of three
score years. and ten.
The ques tion OF his successor is an
easy one to answer-nine out of ten
Frenchmen have name ready for you
now-but it is an extremely puzzling one
TO answer correctly.
The one qualification necessary for
the highest office IN France is that he
must be Frencnman. He need be
neither der Tuty nor senator. and al
though he has always been a man OF
known pol sical opinions. he need not
necessarily be a politician at all. NJ
Loubct WIS president of the senate
when. in 1s9S. the national assembly
elected him to be president Of the re-
public; but although he had filled high
office and had been actively engaged in
politics for years, he was comparatively
little know 10 the man IN the street.
verse to Politicians.
As a ma 1ter of fact, this was very
much in hiss favor for the electoral body
which choC ses the president Of the re-
public is town 10 be averse to candi-
dates who have made themselves prom
inent in pa rty politics.
We may. L think divide potential pres
idents into three classes-candidates
dark horses and the unexpected. OF the
last class. II is naturally impossible TO
speak. FIR ON the first two / will en-
deavor wit hin the limits OF my powers
Of reasoned prophecy. to pick out the
probable ID the possible presidents.
NJ FalliC 'es. the president of the SEN
ate may % looked upon as first favor
ite partly by reason Of his office ana
partly beca Use he Is known 10 be sound
known tOCl not 10 be too ambitious
and becaus'. ne Is distincU- decorative
NJ Fallieres' election-and this is a great
point IN his favor-would not be too dis
pleasing TO the reacuonary party. He
is a large lndOwner, and is fond of en-
tertaining members OF the older nobil-
ity OF Fral ice
His Popular Wife.
Mime. Fa'lieres IS also very popular
and the wi T. Of a new president IS not
unnaturally of the first Importance. Al
though Pre- sident Loubet has outIivea
the feeling. Frenchmen have not for
gotten the uproar which his election
caused in 1898. and fears Of ANYTHING
Of the samaJ kind-fears Of a repetition
Of the Autt uil race-course scandal for
instance-w build be sufficient 10 do AWAY
with the chances Of any presidential
candidate iTl this year OF peace. 1895.
Next In favor 10 NJ. Fallieres comes NJ
Leon BourRTols. He has been president
Of the chambe Of deputies. he has been
premier, ard, perhaps most important
point OF al, he was a member of NJ
Loubets cab binet in 1892 and is known
"a have remained a close and intimate.
friend of the present president ever
since.
n BourR eois Is hfU-four years old.