The Washington herald., 1915-05-16

I the crown Of France for piece of bunt
| ing. Could a sensational playwright asl
| for a better curtain fall on the drama q
! the dynasty which Hugh Capet founded
| on the island in the Seine nine centuries
! before?
In their bitter and unexpected disap
| pointElent two hopes remained to thu
, monarrhists. The purblind Chamhor'
| was - and aiinc and probably would
not live long. If the question of a form
of government could DO postponed until
his death. the Count of Paris who was 4
veteran and an historian of tho American
civil war. th"n would he the legitimate
preI"nder to both the Bourbon and Or
lnauiSt crowns. second ray OF hope
was radiatcd for tho Ronapartists by the
youthful promise Of tho prime" imnerial
But tho latter was slain by tho TuluS in
Africa in lAI9. and tn" Bourbon heir lag
Ged superfluous until lNS5
Ey that time the republic had become
! fact and n habit. And tn" tri-color
had saved France another experience
| with bourbon king
Republic by Ono Majority.
After the Assembly had been lodging
the main question throughout an exist
en"c of four years, ii reluctantly drafted
the first organic laws for the government
of the country. These merely provided
, for Il president and for two Legislative
| bodies. Il senat" and chamber of depu-
ties. with cabinet answerablc TO the
, legislature as in England. The Republic
cans attempted to have tn" Assembly
Squarcly declare for a republic. hut tn.
monarchist ma jOrity outvoted them. The
word was dropped even from the Presi-
dents title until an amendment in favor
of retaining it was carried by a vote of
So TO 81
France. therefore. is a republic by only
one majority. And to this day there is
no other authority for the republic in
the funda mental laws than that allusion
10 il in the presidential title.
At tho first election of deputies. how
ever. the Republicans swept the coun-
Try. as they have continued ever since to
do at each quadrennal election of a
chamber. Year by year the monarC hal
parties sank lower and lower in elac-
torial favor. and now the monarchists
no longer proclaim their allegiance to
pretendcrs. hut have disappeared into
the ranks of the Nationalist or joined
other conservative groups. No party
dares to avow at the polls its hostility
TO the Republic.
The royal pretenders only pretend to
pretend Although they are still eXclud-
ed from France. the Republic could af-
ford to let them come back and expose
their helpleSsness. The people continue
/" stream through the door % the Hotel
deS lnvalidCS and lean on the circular
baiustrade above the majestic tomb Of
Napoleon. But if man standing at the
very portal Of that shrine Of glory
should cheer for the Empire he would
'iiN tdSl y SUSPICION on MS Sdrits
How France Is Governed.
Tn" enthusiastic idealists of the Latin
world used to think that with pen and
ink and paper they could create a re-
public. But the Third Republic is not
a republic on paper. 1t really has no
constitution at all and is living on its
bylaws. Although the measures estab-
nshinE the ,wo chambers. the ministry
and the presidency. are Jailed organic
laws" they are only like any other
statutes. and they could be- repealed in
thirty minutes and an absolute monarchy
substituted.
'ELe senators of France are chosen for
term of nino years by electoral col
lc.es in the several provinces. just as
senator's of tho United states formerly
were chosen by State Legislatures. while
the deputies are elected for four years
directly by the people on basis OF man
hood suffrage The ministry, which is
composed of the heads Of the various
executive departments. have seats in the
Legislative body and almost always are
members of the Senate or the Chamber
of Deputies. Like the members or the
committee of the two houses. CHARGED
with the responsibility Of conducting the
Government. The moment any measure
of theirs is defeated or any act is CEN
sured. they mustS resign their portfolios
and make way for new ministry.
They fall of a French ministry is an
amazingly common experience. There
have been one or two more than II cab
nets in u years. This instability. how
ever. is largely due TO the fact that no
political party has yet succeeded In gain
ing the confidence of an absolute majority
OF the French people and of their repre-
Sc ntatives in the Chamber ID deputies.
While the very life of the u. public was
at stake in the elections. the Republi-
cans stood together on that basic qres-
ton, but naturally divi6ed IN subordi-
nate questions of legislation. Thus the
chamber still Is split up into shifting
groups rather than compact parties