The French Elections

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 19, 19 July 1906, Page 34

The French Elections

To get a clear idea of the French elections (writes the speciai correspondent of the ' Catholic Times ') it is necessary to know how the elections were managed. Are they to be regarded as an acceptance by the ,neople of the Government's policy ? No ; for they are the consequence of odious slanders circulated against priests and liberal candidates, me priests were accused (1) of collecting money to make' wa~, (2) of having .fomented and paid for the recent strikes in the north ! They have, it is said, £2,000,000,000 in a heap somewhere (in the moon, probably). Then the Go\ eminent had discovered • the conylot (!) and the Ministerial newspapers wrote about it " indignantly every day : Country people believed the story. Knowing their credulity, M. Clemcnceau invented the famous ' plot.' Being successful, he simply said, with a lauteh : 1 There is no complot.' Many see clearly now that they have been dccci.cd, biit it is too late. Again the Liberal candidates were accused of intending to restore the seven years' service in the army, to suppress the schools, to overturn the Republic, and especially to provoke war. At St. Brieuc was posted the following bill : ' Electors, if you \ote for Mr. Armez (a Radical), it is peace ; if you vote for Mr. Meusnier (a Liberal;, it is war. To avoid war a great many voted for Mr. Armei. It has been the same all over France. It was thought that to vote for a Liberal meant voting for war. Besides, frightful pressure was put on the electors. In many places threatening 1 blocards ' compelled them to vote for the Radical. Moreover, the ballot-boxes were shamefully manipulated by the authorities, and many Radicals have won, who were not in fact elected. In short, the success of the ' Bloc ' at the French elections cannot be considered a popular expression of approval of the Government's antireligious policy, but as a proof of the people's devotion to Peace. The Government's triumph is the consequence of the most vile calumnies and strong Governmental pressure.