The first elections in France come off on Sunday, though
from the great number of candidates—an average of six per district—there will be an immense proportion of second ballots. The Moderates will vote simply for the Republic and M. Waldeck-Rousseau, the Nationalists of all hues will under different pretexts vote against those two things, and the Radicals will vote for social improvements. It is most interesting, considering what in this country is thought of French Radicals, to read their programme. "Republicans and Democrats," they say, "we desire all the reforms which will put more equality and justice into social relations, two years' military service equal for all, reform of the direct taxes, the establishment of an Income-tax finally to lighten the load of the heavily-burdened smaller taxpayer, the organisation of insurance against labour acci- dents, the development of agricultural credit societies, and the foundation of a working-man's superannuation fund. Ener- getic defenders of individual property, we look upon it as the concrete expression of the human personality and the guarantee of liberty. And this is just why we want to pre- vent large industrial establishments from assuming the character of a new feudalism, and why we want to hasten the reforms which, by facilitating saving and the laying up of capital, will multiply the number of small proprietors and establish social peace." Any English Whig, or indeed any English Tory, might vote for that programme.
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