The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-25
The Ominous State OF Things In
Franco

The special cable despatch from Paris
which we printed yesterday may well
have startled those who have omitted
to note the many and grave signs Of
rebellion and anarchy in the northeastern
section Of France. The failure Of the
Government to cope with the striking
miners in that region has clouded the
reputation of NJ. CLEMENCEAU, who was
selected for the post Of Minister Of the
Interior in the belief that he would re-
press with energy the resistance offered
TO the enforcement OF the law for the
separation Of Church and State, and
would enable the Sarrien Cabinet to retain
a large majority in the new Chamber Of
Deputies which is about to be elected.
The general election is less than a fort
night distant-it begins on May 6-yet
the supporters of the Government are
viewing their prospects with misgiving
and asking themselves in trepidation
whether the long dreaded reactionary
coup d'etat might not now be attempted.
There would be much ground for alarm
if such solidarity Of sentiment and pur-
pose between Monarchists and Socialists
as BoULANoER brought about were
attainable under existing conditions.
Fortunately for the Republican regime,
no such cooperation is now in sight.
In spite Of the disaffection of some Off
GERS, the army as a whole seems loyal
to the present Government, which was
not the case eighteen or even eight
years ago So long as the soldiers
evince the steadiness which they have
exhibited under great ~provocation at
Denain and elsewhere in the Department
of the Pas-de-Calais, the u%pholders Of
the existing order would have nothing
to fear from a Socialist uprising; pro-
vided, of course. the Government should
be willing to use with firmness and vigor
the force at its disposal.
The element of doubt in the actual
situation is, as our correspondent points
| out, the failure Of M. CLEMENCEAU to
answer the expectations of his friends.
He took Office for the purpose of gaining
a great victory at the coming election
and thus enhancing his personal pres
| tige, but he has made the mistake Of
s~ubordinating to that end the funda-
mental duty Of preserving tranquility
and order. His practical suspension of
| the execution of the Separation law was
doubtless meant by him to be only tenn
porary, for nobody disputes his fidelity
to the anti Clerical programme. He
| should have %foreseen, however, that he
could not similarly temporize with the
commotion caused in northeastern
France by the narrowing catastrophe
in the coal mines of Courrieres. The mo-
ment that the great strike of the miners
in that section took the form of organ
lied instruction against the civil au-
thority he should have promptly used
for pacihcation the ample means at his
disposal. Many thousands OF soldiers
have been sent to the scene of disturb
ance, but they have been strictly forbid
| den by the Minister of the Interior to
! fire upon strikers, even in self-defence.
The result Of this policy of non-resistance
has been that many Of the troops have
been wounded, and some killed. Old
men who recall how hard it proved for
| General CAvAIGNAC to put down the in
surrection of the Days Of June, lS4S, are
asking themselves whether M. CLEMEN-
| CEAU really imagines that he can avert
by conciliatory measures the general up
| rising OF Socialist workmen which it iB