The sun., 1908-08-03
Is a Crisis at Hand in France3

The collisions OF the last week between
the French Government and the labor
unionists bear an .ominous likeness to
those that preceded the calamitous Days
Of June, 1s4s, when the revolt Of discon-
tented workmen compelled the newly
proclaimed republic to order its agent.
General CAvAIGNAo, to make q ruthless
use Of its military resources.
In the violent demonstration Of labor
unionists at Vigneaux the other day,
which seems to have been provoked by
professional labor agitators, barricades
were reared and had to be stormed by
troops, whose volleys, delivered by way Of
reprisal, caused the loss Of several lives.
The suppression Of the disturbance at
Vigneaux was promptly followed IN
Paris by the arrest Of several leadets
Of the General Federation of Labor,
which replied by issuing call for gi-
gantic strike, to take place to-day, In
which all affiliated trades unions were
urged to participate. The trade union-
lists OF Toulon voted simultaneously to
support the Partisan Laboritee, q sign
that the labor troubles Of tho capital
may possibly spread to the provinces.
Meanwhile a great majority OF Paris
newspapers condemn the Laborites for
the Vigneaux riots and for the stibee-
quent demonstrations, and demand i'm
mediate and vigorous measures Of re-
precision, but Socialist journals reply In
a vindictive and defiant spirit, and one
of them, HERvE's organ, does not hesi-
tate to declare that the hour has como
for revolutionary conflict between
labor and capital.
We have no doubt as to the issue Of
an armed contest between the, labor
unionists Of Paris and the French Gov
ernment, 40 long rs this is headed by
M. CLRMENCEAU and has such man %
General PIcQuART in the War Office.
1t is no longer possible to erect In Paris
such formidable barricades as were con-
structed sixty years ago. and we may
therefore assume that the quelling Of
a proletarian rebellion would be effected
much more quickly and 1t is to be hoped
with far less bloodshed. No one, how
ever, who wishes well to the present
French republic can fail to depiore the
harsh necessity Of employing rifles and
cannon for the maintenance OF peace
and order in Paris, because, as expert
ence has shown, the eventual political
results may be grave. II In not to be
forgotten that not only General CAvAr-
GNAc but the Second French Republic
itself sacrificed popularity in the Days
OF June. 1s4s, and that consequently, a.
VICTOR HUGO has shown in his -Histoire
dun Crime" the Paris workingmen
viewed with apathy LOUIS NAPoLEoy's
establishment of a Dictatorship by the
coup d'etat of December 2, 1851.
Naturally French reactionists and their
newspaper mouthpieces recognize In the
existing predicament Of the Clemenceau
Cabinet their opportunity. OF course,
the Ministers are in dilemma. II they
put down the rebellious workmen with
stern and sanguinary measures they
will lose, not only in Paris but possibly
all over France, the votes Of the urban
proletariat; while on the other hand II
they evince weakness and hesitation they
will forfeit irreparably the confidence Of
the friends Of tranquility and order. No
one who knows CLRMRNcEAU, however,
can doubt that he will face the former
alternative.