New-York tribune., 1908-07-12
GOING SLOW" IN FRANCE.

It is not in the least surprising that, our
Paris correspondent reports in to-day's special
cable dispatches, the French parliament mani
tests an inclination to proceed with caution III
dealing with number Of projects which are
now in hand and which the government desires
to have adopted. In the cases of three of the
foremost there is, indeed, good cause for hest
tation and for most deliberate circumspecti0n,
and II NAV be that the Chamber will eventually
perceive that public opinion would not support
it in the unqualified execution Of the pending
programme The question of capital punishment
is one concerning which opinion strangely f1uct-
yates to extraordinary extremes At times all
France seems opposed to the judicial taking OF
life. and again, after some particularly atroclous
murder it demands the death penalty with sub
stantial Unanimity. Less than century ago
Lord Peterborough declared that If the law were
repealed which condemned to- death any person
convicted of stealing anything above the value
of FIVE shillings the people Of England would
not be able to sleep in safety in their beds.
Nobody goes so far that now, but there is
enough uncertainty to give the legislators cause
for proceeding with deliberation.
State acquisition of railroads is another mat
ter on which the parliament is much in doubt.
The Western Railway system was taken over
the other day by very narrow majority,
but it is doubtful if in the present tenn
per of the Chamber, or of the country, the
process could he extended The governments
management of its own dockyards and other
great public works has not at all times been al
together impeccabe. 1T has not even been free
from disturbances through strikes. The ques-
ton whether government employees may fttingly
combine in labor unions and organize strikes
against the government itself is a serious one
which has given the government cause for grave
consideration in the last year or two. But If
the railroads are taken over the government
will become the employer of q vast army of men
who are already organized into unions and who
are already in the habit of striking. 1t would
be embarrassing either to have them strike
against the government or to inform them that
since they had become government employees
they must abandon their unions at least for
swear the right of striking. 1t is not surpris
ing. then that many men are asking whether
the government In its conduct of the dockyards
ard other works has given assurance Of its
ability successfully to administer the much
larger and more complex business OF the rail-
roads of France
The income tax proposal also gives the Dep
uties pause. There was much enthusiasm for
it at first when Radicals and Socialists imagined
that 1t would be tax upon the rich alone and
that the WUrkingmen would be exempt. But
now they realize that such would not, and, in
deed could not be the case. The law would
omen the way for direct inquisition into the pc
cuniary affairs of the laboring man as well as
of the capitalist, and If it did not directly it
would certainly indirectly increase the burdens
of the former. Frenchmen perceive what was
realized in England some time ago, that taxes
are not always paid by those upon whom they
are nomnal1y levied. If the land owners taxes
are increased he increases .cOrrespondingy the
rentals of his tenants. If the shopkeepers taxes
are increased he correspondingly Increases the
prices of his goods to his customers So long
as all members of society thus linked to-
gether in business relationships, that which af
fects one is likely to affect all Moreover, In
structure consisting of a number Of different
strata If an additional burden can be put upon
a lower stratum without affecting the upper, it
is quite certain that none be laid upon the
upper without increasing the pressure upon the
lower.
France has been making some daring expert
ments In recent years, and with her marvellous
administrative aptitude has carried them off
with a fine showing of success. But the throt-
tie valve cannot be kept wide open all the time,
and Mr. ClemeDceau is presumably choosing the
part of wisdom In asserting to q slowing down
Mt this time. even though he does incur from
MIR Pelletnu the prodgous rebuke Of being "the
colossal anub Of paramcntariansm." 1t is be-
yond doubt TINT nobody ever suspected the for
mer Socialist Minister of Marine of being a
snobi