Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
THREATENED FRENCH REVOLUTION.

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TO the people Of Europe the LIST Of May Of
each year II . sort Of dies irae. or day Of
wrath. on which an sorts
= Day OF evils are to happen-and
Of wrath. would happen. doubtless.
but for the extraordinary
precaution Of government to maintain the
peace The LIST Of May OF this year Il par
ticuIarly portentous OF peril in France, not
because OF the strikes In the departments
and the eight hour manifestation" but be-
cause Of the results OF elections on that
day for the renewal OF the chamber. cleo
tions In which there have never been 90
great and vital questions at issue: Separa-
ton OF church and state. pacifism. antf-mii-
ftarism. socialism and the tyranny OF what
/ Is known a the ssyndicats rouses," or red
syndicates. These are some OF the ques-
tons which threaten the peace and even
the form of government in France on and
after the let Of May.
M. Ribot. the most prominent among con-
servative republicans speaking recently at
Roubaax. said:
THAT which adds to our uneastness Is
that to the dispersion of the congregations
succeeded the separation of church and
which were founded under the protection
Of the law of long tolerance and which the
author OF the law of associations promised
to respect A simple formality about In
ventorfes has provoked situation that no
one thought possible. Political parties at
tempted to utilize the situation, which is
not astonishing, and there Is some sincerity
In the agitation. The government was
wrong in thinking It could master 1t by
breaking church doors and ordering regi-
ments to the attack. 1t only exasperated
the public, and we have come within
hairs breadth Of civil war.
I'VE will be within a hairs breadth OF
civil war IL the elections of the LIST of May
should give renewed force to parties which
do not concern themselves over the conse-
Quences of an open struggle between tho
church and state"
1t Is not the fear of an outbreak. there
fore, on the LIST OF May which disQuiets
the government, because the government Is
absolute master Of the situation in Paris.
hut the dread of the consequences of the
elections on that day. The closing OF the
free schools, to which NJ. Ribot has re-
fcrred. inaugurated In the communal
| schools system which has tended to de-
pIeciate religion and patriotism and fncul-
cate spirit of pacifism and anti-militar-
ism. the fruits of which are now being
manifested The issue in the elections OF
the 1st of May is clearly society VS.. an
a,chy. and 1t Ia interesting to reproduce
what the Figaro of April % says on that
head:
X
~
IF the electors wish to protect their lives
| and property against the attacks OF ia
natics, who, under the style
important of direct action practice
Elections. murder. pillage and arson,
the only effective means -
to return to the chamber of deputies
new majority firmly resolved to correct the
mistakes OF the bloc and to support only
governments which do not compromise
with demagogues.
THE coming elections will have decisive
Importance. 1t Is no longer a courteous
struggle between parties divided by mere
shades OF public opinion. The question now
is to decide whether society Is to be saved
or whether 1t Is to perish amid the horrors
of anarchy
NJ Ribot appealed. in his patriotic dis
course, for unity among all parties who
| have the same respect for and conception
Of the interests Of the republic. The situi-
ton In the chamber which has just expired
induced this appeal on the part of the ora
tor at Roubaix. The incoherence of senti-
ments was for a fact remarkable; for ex-
| ample. the project OF pension to laborers
was voted almost unanimously, when in
fact the principle had been condemned by
the chamber.
The chamber which has expired consisted
of SIX groups, thus named: Socialists, radi-
cal socialists. radicals, progressists center
right. which might rally to the republic,
and the extreme right which is inclined to
look backward to the ancient order of
things and does not like the republic-good,
bad or Indifferent.
The man who governed France during
three years, NJ Combes, never proposed but
one question. persecution of the orders.
But when 1t became a question Of civil war
or OF anti-clericalism, four of the six
groups assumed a new attitude. The ex-
treme right went over to the extreme left,
the radical socialists. radicals and the CEN
for ri vi Tod AZ han ffacH
with the socialists and the others with the
progressists, situation somewhat difficult
for the French elector to understand, Inn
possible for the stranger, but which may be
explained on the ground OF the personal In
terests OF the voter.
The real division in the chamber was
between socialists on the one side and pro-
gressists ON the other, the one partisan OF
everything and the author of the syndi-
Gated tyranny of labor; the other liberal
republican. admitting a limited participa-
principle OF commercial liberty and the
liberty Of labor, which one and the other
are heritage OF the French revolution.
Which OF these parties will be given the
majority in the coming elections7 No one,
not even in France, has ventured to pre-
dict the result, and yet the destiny OF the
nation, its grandeur and its existence, lie
In the balance.
Trance has had four revolutions within
four generations, IN 17a9. 1880. 1S48 and
1910. That OF 1853 was
Quartette OF aimed against the privi-
. RsvoIu+fons leges Of the aristocracy
! and clergy which were
perfectly reasonable and necessary In the
middae ages but which were no longer
reasonable when kings had united in their
hands all the feudal powers. There was
shocking inequality in the distribution OF
public Offices and a complete absence OF
control and liberty. The ministers OF Louis
XVI attempted to realize reforms im-
periously demanded by the people or their
partisans. among them many mobiles. The
revolution substituted the equality Of all,
but at what fearful price!
The States General opened at Versailles
the 9th OF May. 1853: on 18th OF June 1t be-
came the National Assembly; the Goth. the
deputies of the third estate subscribed to
the oath. not to separate before giving q
constitution to France: the Nth July the
people took the Bastilie: the 4th August
the feudaa privileges were suppressed by
the assembly. which proclaimed the Declar-
alton Of the Rights OF Man.
The Legislative Assembly succeeded un-
dav xrhfch France declarod