The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-11-09
DEMOCRACY IN FRANCE.
Great Majority in Favor of the Gov.
ernment's Policies.

Great Majority in Favor Of the Gov.
ernnent's Policies.
Asseciated Press Cable to The Evenins
Timea.
Paris. Nov. 9.-Parliament has re-
assembled. The chamber of deputies
was crowded when the cabinet min
listers entered at the beginning, and all
eyes were en- Premier Clemenceau and
the minister of war. General Picquart.
but there was no demonstration of an
extraordinary nature. The premier,
when he read the ministerial dec!ara-
ton of policy, was followed attentively
and evoked several rounds of applause,
especially when he announced that the
law separating church and state, as ap-
piled, would insure full exercise of
liberty OF conscience. A motion ap-
proving the governments program was
carried by 1876 to So.
AS the change in the cabinet was due
solely to the i'll health of ex-Premier
Sarrien, the declaration of policy an
nounced that with the support Of the
country at the last elections the gov
eminent only intended to pursue act
lively the work of reform, and that its
foreign policy would remain unchang-
ed. The premier said:
Founded upon peace with dignity,
We can say with pride that during the
thirty-five years of the republic there
has not been one minute when We
could be accused Of threatening the
peace of Europe. At the same time,
since the peace of the world is based
on force of arms, we cannot disarm, for
to do so would destroy the guarantee
OF our independence. Until the arrival
OF that happy but uncertain day when
the regime OF force will be changed,
our first duty Is not to weaken our de-
fensive powers, of which our interna-
tional understandings form an import
ant element in cultivating good rela-
tons with other powers. We must
maintain the alliances contracted in
the interests of peace as we'll as the
friendships whose value has already
been proved. and We must not forget
at difficult periods that moral author
ity and upright policy openly prac-
ticed can become determining factors
In European opinion, without which no
government in future can fail to
reckon.
In interior affairs, the premier con-
tinued, the policy of the ministry
would be no less clear, the object be-
ing the definite installation of DEM
ocratic government.
The declaration of policy then out
lined the concrete propositions, the ap-
plication of the law separating church
and state, the realization of workmen's
pensions, the extension of the law gov
erning labor unions, the reform OF the
mining laws. the introduction of a
democratic spirit in the army by the
reduction OF the term OF service to two
years. the suppression of courts mar
tial, relief Of the vine growers and a
progressive income tax 1t concluded
with an expression of the governments
firm determination to transform into
acts the just demands of the democ-
racy.
The debate in the chamber which
followed the declaration OF policy was
confined exclusively to the matter of
the separation of church and state.
There was a perfect volley OF inter-
pellations with the object of learning
the intention Of the government in the
matter of the application OF the separa-
ton law. No further votes were taken.