Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-11
ELECTORAL AGITATION In FRANCE

toral regime fpstituted by the constituant
and successfully adopted by all the great
nations OF Europe and America, which
have realized maintained and developed
until today their conquest or hoertN.
Traditionally reaction has always de-
clared against the law of numbers. IL
is the revenge OF NJ. Broghe which Is
being prepared.
And NJ. Clemenceau added that criti-
cisms we'll founded in fact have been ex-
pressed against the inequality OF electoral
circumscriptions in point OF numbers. ana
that the idea was conceived or a better
repartition widening the horizon of the
elector. there was no dih1cuity on that
head. But if the majority principle should
succumh. one day IL would be necessary
truly that one may have discovered a
system capable OF obtaining the adhesion
of all by its simplicity. by its clearness
as in the present regime IF not. the
superior instrument Of pacihcation would
be changed into an engine Of civil war.
Among other points. NJ. Clemenceau said
OF the change OF the situation OF parties
in France:
divided and dislocated the republican
party. BY the secret vote OF the district
In view of which il WAS organized piece
meal. IL has conquered one by one, the
principal fortresses of the enemy. But
that which il lacked in spite OF some
pompous committees WAS discipline ana
the force of general organization. as In
the great liberty loving countries.
NJ. Clemenceau compa red the methods
of the conservative parties. which a long
tradition had rendered
ClemenceauS infallible. based, as they
ro,nr.-;,.. were. upon the powerful
organization OF the Ro-
man Church The revolutionary party
was badly inspired. and its organization
Ineffective. 1t would be a source of weak
ness in the future.
Reference has been made by the adj
versaries Of proportional representation
and by NJ. Clemenceau particularly to
the principles of representation of 1853.
1t is certain that the majority system
triumphed at that epoch. Article ii. sec
ton of the constitution Of 1871 reads:
The representatives and their substi-
tutes will be elected by an absolute
plurality of suffrage"
II should not, however. be concluded
that the first constituents did not
think of the establishment of a national
representation based otherwise than
upon members: on the contrary, they
adopted. in fact, a series of measures
which tended to give to members GER
tain restrictions. They determined to
that end with care the composition OF
an electoral corps. but more than that. in
the attribution of seats to be filled.
they made provision for other factors
outside the number of electors
The election was of two degrees. All
Frenchmen aged twenty-five years
domiciled twice a Year i'm the canton.
inscribed on the registers of the national
guard and paying a direct tax OF the
local value of three days work were
excepting domestics) considered as
active citizens. and constituted the
primary assemblies. These assemblies
fheir har
among those who possessed a revenue
equivalent to the local value of one
hundred and fifty days of work in the
country and two hundred in the cities
This hundred composed the assembly OF
electors charged with the election Of
deputies and their substitutes on the
basis of one substitute for three
deputies.
On the second point, the repartition
of seats, the constituents had to effect
this to follow the idea
Rules OF of counterbalancing the
p.4:x: law of numbers in CIV
ePoi'i'ion. ing a large part to par
ticular and collective interests.
The repartition was made according
to the following rules:
Article = GSection 1. Chapter III. Title
IID-The representatives will be distrib-
uted between the eighty three depart
ments according to three proportions OF
territory, of the population and OF the
direct contribution.
Article 3-Of the 745 representatives.
247 are attached to the territory. Each
department will name three with the ex-
ception Of Paris, which will only name
one.
The two other proportions established
the balance in favor of Paris. which was
represented by twenty-four deputies.
Article 1.-Two hundred and forty-nine
were attributed to the population. The
total mass Of the active population OF the
kingdom is divided In 349 parts. and each
department names as many deputies as
it has parts of population.
Article 5-Two hundred and forty-nine
representatives are attached to the direct
contribution. The total sum of that con-
tribution Of the kingdom is divided into
249 parts. and each department names as
many deputies as it pays parts of con-
tributions.
This was not proportional representa-
ton in the sense that il is understood in
these days, because il did not take into
consideration the many elements which
determine the number of representatives
which were finally elected by an absolute
ma jority. But it should be borne in mind
that that ma jority itself represented only
minority-the one-hundredth of the ac-
tive citizens chosen from the electors
SidSoCo dihoiS lupSt ing HlSnest
taxes. 1t was considered in 1871 that the
fact Of participatin for a large part in
the public charges would render citizens
more careful and mindful of the general
good and the prosperity Of the state.
But this was not all, for the constitu-
ants certainly foresaw the tendency Of
representatives to
IA he
of their role, to be-
agents of their electors, and accordingly
wrote in the constitution. Article Z Of Sac
ton g. the following:
1.-The representatives named In the de-
partments will not be the representatives
of a particular department. but OF the
entire nation. and no mandate can be
given them by the department"
Thus the representation OF 1871 was not
vitality different from the proportional
representation OF the present moment.
The electoral reform was inspired by the
purpose of correcting the abuses engen-
dered by the republican party's forty
years of power, which NJ. C1emenceau
believes is bad, but perhaps not SO bad
as monarchical power"
Oh. CHAILLELONG.