Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-17
THE ELECTIONS IN FRANCE.

L ne only lesson OF a Salutary nature 10
be deduced from the elections in France
of April 90 and the final
No Disorder elections of May 10 is
:. u.4 found in the fact that
"sAn6. there was no violence or
disorder. but that the elections. usually
fun of excitement. passed without Incl
dent. Was this due to the execrable
weather. or to the chilling influence or
recent political Incidents sufficiently re-
pressive for a fact to destroy enthusiasm
and interest in matters political?
The elections. according TO Paris dis
patches. have resulted in favor OF the So
-"socialistes unifies." The social
lists appear to have gained twenty seats
in the second tour du scruin." and VIII
thus be composed of ninety-seven mem
bers in the next chamber in place OF the
seventy-seven which they had in the old
chamber. The radicals and radical social
lists selected twenty-four new members.
which brings their number to 2os. The
progressists. it appears. have been worse
defeated than the others. and this seems
to be likewise true of the parties of that
name elsewhere than in France.
The Temps examines the programs or
elections. and concludes that OF the oU2
deputies there are 3OS who favor the
three-year law, 30 deputies are parheans
Of a tax on incomes, 352 favor proper
tonal representation.
In the radical ranks, as indeed In al
parties. there was flood Of programs
as well as a food Of candidates
The Briandists, which include the most
eminent men OF the republican party.
have lost ground. They do not appear to
have prepared their campaign carefully
and for some reason have been negligent
and careless of results. 1t is perhaps
premature to express an opinion. but II
will prove a calamity If 1t should be due
to apathy and disgust over situation
which is to say the least discouraging.
that parliamentarism and its shortcom-
ings are at fault. 1t is manifest that
the divisions in parliament and the null
tiplicity Of parties render parliament a
most unsatisfactory institution.
We recall that when the ardor OF the
republican leaders seemed cooled-follow-
ing the elections Of 1910-we had occasion
to cite what NJ. Maurice Charnay had
written in an article in the Nouvelle
Revue under the head OF Universal
Suffrage and Parliamentarism." namely
1T cannot be established satisfactorily
that the people are happier or that their
labor is better protected or that riches
are less odious In France than prior to
1S4S." The author we recall cited victor
Considerant as speaking cynicaIly to the
members Of the provisional government
Of February "a, 1873, and as saying:
"Frenchmen, the revolution has swept
away your political past. sovereigns'
you are about to name 800 citizens to rep
resent you. Your sovereignty will be ex-
ercised only during the time It takes to
drop a piece Of paper in a box"
Have the grave incidents OF the last
months in France reminded the Brfandists
and others Of the cynical critic that was
Maurice Charnay?
France, there is no doubt Of it. has been
seriously troubled over the sad spectacle
presented by the chamber during Its last
commissions. Not only of the scandals.
but what are we to think OF the incoher-
ence and disorder in the chamber when
it abandoned power and gave the country
over to dumb fnaction without having
voted the budget or providing in any
way for the deficit Of 800. 900 francs?
Besides these were bequeathed the "af-
faire Rochelle" the Intervention Of Monis
and acknowledgements
The Affair which even friendly
p..L.... commission has declared
nooAe'te. "a deplorable abuse Of in
f1uence." But IL this affaire Rochelle ID
unfortunate Of itself. it Is also unfortu-
nate as a symptom and reveals malady
which threatens to destroy the whole
social and political body. Then there IL
the tragedy Caillaux- Calmette. Who may
deny that these Incidents moro than the
weather have combined to destroy inter
est in the recent elections?
A word as to the Inconsistencies OF the
parties which are soon to take their
places in the new chamber. The radical
unified party declared In its program al
the congress at Pau that 1t favored two
years military service and a tax on In
comes controlled by a declaration.
This party has held the power since
1--WE months in conjunction with the
unified socialist group. which carries at
the head Of its program opposition to
the maintenance Of the three years mill
tary service.
Now the most serious exterior circum-
stances have shown NJ. Doumergue the
necessity of maintaining the loyal execu-
ton of the three years law notwith-
standing the denunciation of the congress
of Pau.
That we may clearly comprehend the
electoral situation which may acquire
Importance on the meeting of the new
chamber. a review of the three mani
festoes which were addressed by the
different groups Is instructive. These
manifestoes were from the federation of
the left parties. the republican party adj
The federation of the left is led by NJ.
BRAND. The point of difference is not
very clear, indeed one is puzzled to find
any marked difference in the three notes
and they are in opposition only, as 1t has
been said, by that which they have not
dared to express
The manifesto of the left declares that
those who are not decided to defend the
schools are not republicans. but the laity
is liberty. Now this seemed to us wholly
incomprehensible La Revue Hebdoma-
daire furnishes the explanation:
You will not find this declaration Of
the federation Of the left very clear;
listen to the voice from the Rue valois,
1t Is necessary to annul the privilege ac-
corded the free Schools
The republican party in its manifesto
is more precise and clear. NJ. Charles
and freedom Of instruction. In fifteen
years, says NJ. Benoist. the radicals and
radical socialists of France had brought
France to a very sad situation the grav-
est, indeed, since 1870. Everywhere there
was disorder colossal expenses. resources
no budget, living from day to day, and
what a life! There was confusion of
power-a sort q diffused anarchy and
slow decomposition.
The republican party was the party be-
hind which was founded the republic.
tanned MS long as il was in power a
France strong and respected. 1t had an
army 1t had indowed it. 1t had allied
it to the greatest states. 1t had q his
tory, tradition. d method. 1t had princi-
pies, a plan. program. 1t knows what
it wishes and it says so.
1t wishes first France projected against
all aggression. at the price of the neces-
sary sacrifces-that is to say. as long as
circumstances permit the military serv-