Arizona republican., 1914-02-08
PRESIDE IN
 A CASs0CK?
Election of Abbc Lemire as Fourth Vice. President of French Chamber of Deputies Calls Out This Question.
(By A. W. L'AmcureuX)


 PARIS, Feb. tsp ecial Cable)-I After the election of M. Etienne and NJ. Dron as first and second vice. presidents of the chamber of depu ties, several ballots were required for the election of the third and fourth vice presidents. The final result was very significant The Abbe Lemire, republican deputy for HazebrOuck, of whose differences with his bishop some account has been published, was elected third president with 275 (mostly radicaD votes. and M. Auganeur, one of the most prominent members of the CaillauX socialist-r radical group. was elected fourth president against the Brandist NJ. Andre Le- fevre. There was a great demon stration of sympathy on the an ncuncement of the Abbe Lemire's election, although one or two social ists raised the traditional anti-cler- ical cry "A bas la calOtte.' The question was freely asked. Will he preside over the chamber in his cas- sock" The abbe supplies the an swer himself in a newspaper inter- View.
 After stating with characteristic modesty that at the first ballot he had not considered himself a candi- date and had dissuaded his friends frcm voting for him, he explained why he had determined, at the sec ond ballot, to accept d manifestation nT bN- tho art a 1ar number of deputies with member of the chamber whose parliamentary and electoral rights were being chal- lenged. He did not regard this man Hesitation as directed against the au- thority of the church. but as an af- firmation of the civil rights of member of parliament. The cham Der had shown it's sense of the situ- ation by rising above party consid- orations and distinguishing a deputy who belonged to no group. but who merely insisted upon his electoral rights The house had also desired to protest against the intrusion of religion into politics. He accepted the vice. presidency. and he felt as sured that his cassock would con- tinue to command the same respect iii the presidential chair as it had hitherto commanded on the deputies bench or in the lobbes T ought to add that to the honor of my col leagues, none of them has eyer in my presence indulged in any un- seemly jest with regard to the Cath elic religion or in any remark which ,f,,5c I the chamber, and 1 think that enjoy some of it's sympathies. l am not going to shilk the duty which has been imposed upon me by this days manifestation
 Since the foundation of the third republic. and, in fact, since the French revolution. no such election as that of the abbe's has ever beer recorded The event is demonstra tion against the clerical party il France. and especially in the dioces, of Pillen, at Lille. which, at the ir- stigatiOn of an ultra orthodox ele ment. is trying to close the chamber and politics altogether to ecclesi- asticS.
 The Abbe Lemire is one of the fev surviving clerical deputies in France Since the death of the Abbe Grous seau he is the only priest who ha remained in the French parliament where he has been sitting for twent! Hears. He has always been a popu lar member, and his sincere republi cans convictions have never beer Coubted. He at the same time re mained true to his ecclesiastical dut ies, and there was never the slight est Ieproach against him on thu score of his conduct as an eccelesias tic. But in his own diocese far var ious reasons there has been for lCng time a strong opposition to hi political views fomented by a fev personal antagonists A campaign was started against his reelection and two years ago the fate bishop O Delamairc was led to threaten tn Alee CharoSt, who is opposed t' priests being in politics. decided tc carry out the threat The Abbee wa warned that he would not be allow ed to stand for re- election. An or.
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