Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-03


Party in England, spain sr ano
Breaks. party in France until
now has been extremely partisan. even
pitiless. for its adversaries. The new
recently convened is a different
chamber from the old and is animated
by new and generous ideas.
Pacification appears To be the order of
the day everywhere. A few days ago
dispatch from Budapest brought mes
sage of peace in the reported speech of
the Emperor Francis Joseph, who from
the throne in the newly elected parlia-
ment foreshadowed democratic reform
of the electoral system even il an in
crease Of expenditures for the military
forces was suggested. The emperor said:
1.-THE ever increasing love of peace of
the European states fills us with conf
dence in the stability Of the blessings of
peace
Also there comes a note of peace from
Italy from the deputy socialist Enrico
Ferri. who excuses his interview with the
King of Italy on the ground that so
cialiStS should not fear to serve an en-
lightened monarchy. for there is nothing
Incompatible between royalty and social
ISM
But there is nothing new in these sud-
den and unexpected changes I'm parties
for before Ferri in Italy We have seen
face TO the rear such men as Miller and
Tsan are even saures 1ow BRAND az
regime of strife and vain recrimination.
Representation proportionnelle,' ia
miliarly known as the "R. p" pro-na-
tional representation or electoral reform,
is the remedy proposed to save the re-
publican party in France.
Proportional representation signifies the
division of seats Of deputies i'm the cham
Der in such proportions
political that nlinorities may be
c,y given a voice i'm govern
S~' ment upon nearly the
same footing as the majorities. The
partisans of this composition. which has
been termed a political salad" have
formed a bureau which promises to es-
tablish a formidable party in which the
unified republicans are elbow to elbow
with clericals. moderates and extreme
radicals. All are united, 1t is said, i'm
the hope of establishing an electoral re-
gime from which each one hopes great
profit for the ideas he represents. A cor
respondent, writing of this new remedy,
which in the minds of some Will be
cure-all for political maladies which APP
pear to be threatening the life of the re-
certain American nostrums which are
warranted to fatten or reduce flesh, for
headache, cold in the head, for wounds,
and for corns.
NJ. BRAND before the elections was OPP
posed to the proportional principle. Since
the elections, however, he admits that
the idea of a representation of minorities
has been approved by the people. and he
lends adhesion now. but he would not go
too far. NJ. BRAND would maintain the
of tIo ioar nYif
example, the president of the council
proposes something like the following:
In an electoral district Of 10000 voters,
and having the right to elect ten depu-
ties to the chamber, he assumes that list
A obtains $4,000 suffrages, list B 5000
and list c $4,000. List A, having the
absolute majority. should obtain four
seats in the proportional repartition; lists
B and c might be given each one deputy
The four remaining seats should then be
given to list A because it obtained the
absolute majority. List A will thus have
eight deputies of the ten, the minorities
being represented by two deputies.
This conception of NJ. BRAND is mani
testify not proportional representation.
and what action will be
Rr;ond'e taken in that regard is not
known, but if adopted, it is
Flan. reported, it is not the pro-
portional representation Of which the pro-
moters dreamed.
The promoters of the movement. how
ever, are not dreamers, but real poll
ticians of very diverse views. but until
now accredited with most pronounced
ideas in their several positions in the
chamber. NJ Charles BenoiSt, for ex-
ample, was elected president of the bu-
reau by reclamation. and among the vice
presidents are NM. Aynard-Buisson,
Chanot, Deschanel. Groussau. Jaures,
Mauger, Messimy. Reinach and valiant
NJ BenOist, it should be said, Is from
the Calvados department. but was elected
deputy from Paris, when at the same time
he was political editor of the Revue des
Deux Mondes and professor of the school
of political sciences.
Proportional representation has been
practiced in Belgium for several years,
and no one has yet proposed to suppress
it. NJ. Benoist visited Brussels recently III
order to study its working, and he has
published the result of his observations
and reflections. He found the liberals, who
have recently been defeated. inclined to
criticise the electoral system which con-
tributed to their defeat, but M. Benolst
concludes differently.
From this distance 1t is difficult to know
the real relation of parties with reference
to the new party We have seen the
OF the nOStlllty OF the eS-
IRENE right in the action of NJ. Bandry
d. Asson, who, finding that Able Lemire
had seated himself among the r. p, be-
came beside himself with rage and, rush.
ing toward the deputy, upbraided him bit
terly for his detection from the right.
4
NJ Brands ministerial declaration to
the chamber June Q constitutes public
document of more thar
Electoral Ordinary interest The
president of the coun-
independence. Gil commenced by in
sisting upon independence in elections,
which had proved the force of the repub-
lic Republicans should not abuse their
victory, but assure equal liberty to ALL
The country aspired to new political,
fiscal economical and social reforms. The
chambers should avoid bidding for votes,
electoral bidding induced fatally disor-
ganization of parliamentary work. 1t
was necessary that the elective system
should be changed SO that the general
interest should outweigh the local. but
always maintaining the preponderance Of
the majority.
M. BRAND insisted upon the utility of
the partial renewal of the chamber. He
recalled the social reforms already ac-
notably the pensions to labor
ers. He pointed out the necessity of ac-
,x,1 l,4 -srht