New-York tribune., 1906-05-08
THE FRENCH ELECTIONS.

France is, indeed doing we'll. Her manage
ment of the strikes and threats of insurrectiOn
OF week ago was admirable. Her sequel or
complement thereto in Sundays general elections
was highly gratifying and was almost surpris-
ing in it's completeness to even her most optimis-
tic friends. In the circumstances the republic
would have done reasonably we'll if it had sim
ply held its own. But it has done much better
than that. 1t has made large numerical gains
and bids fair to organize the new Chamber Of
Deputies with a majority 20 or % per cent
larger than it had in the old. The general cleo
tons of 1902 resulted in Republican majority
OF 49, This years elections will probably make
that majority at least 100
The circumstances of the elections, to which
we have referred, make this result seem all the
more gratifying and decisive. For there has
been an exceptionally comprehensive and trucu-
lent arraying of forces against the government
both against the existing Ministry, per sc, and
against the republic itself There were the re-
mains of the military, anti-Dreyfus, anti Semitic
conspiracy; the Nationalist" cabal of NJ
Deroulede, the ROyaliSts the Imperialists, those
Roman Catholics who resented the breaking up
OF the congregations and the abrOgatiOn of the
Concordat, the Socialists, the labor agitatOrs and
the various Republicans who are dsaffected
toward the present government. 1t was n
motley aggregatiOn-wN cannot call it an Or
ganizatiOn-but it apparently contained many
elements of strength Among it's leaders were
some men of great influence, such as NJ. Doumer
the President of the Chamber and one of the
foremost candidates for the Presidency Of the
republic last winter That In the face of such
an opposition the government won so marked
victory was, as we have said. little short of
surprising.
1t is a result radiant with high promise for
the welfare of France. We must date the be-
ginning of il away back TO June 1899 when
Waldeck-ROusseau formed his epOch-making
Cabinet of Republican Defence" Then was
established the principle that believers in the
republic should stand together to maintain the
republic, whether against mOnarchist or an
archist, labor union or church or army cabal.
Thus arose the Bloc and Anti-Bloc ana they
have been maintained to this day, and their lines
OF delimitatiOn and the line Of demarcation be-
tween them have year by year become more def
mite. We have remarked upon the heterogeneous
composition of the AHtiBtOc ranging from the
Divine Right of old Legitimacy to communism
and sheer anarchy. There is doubtless a consid-
cradle diversity of sentiments in the Bloc also
though its various factions are not nearly so
divergent as those Of the ARti-Bloc. But what is
supremely auspiciOus is the fact that willie CO.
operation in common hatred does not and never
can unite the factions of the Anti-BEOc into one
harmonious party, cooperation in devotion to
una maintenance Of the republic is thus uniting
lhe component factions OF the Bloc and will
continue so TO do.
Ihere thus seems hopeful prospect of real
lzlng the ideal which first definitely arose under
the administration Of Waldeck -I,ousseau-
namely the formation of a compact. coherent
majority party in the French electorate. which
Should return similar representation TO the
chamber Of Deputies which should IN turn as
sure suiplilty oI the Cabinet ParadoxieaIly
enough. that triple process beuan With ,,,hot