the results to the arrondissement of Arcis if Simon Giguet is elected.
They talk to you of independence! Simon, whom I thus maltreat as
candidate, is my personal friend, as he is that of all who hear me,
and I should myself be charmed to see him the orator of the Left,
seated between Garnier-Pages and Lafitte; but how would that benefit
the arrondissement? The arrondissement would lose the support of the
Comte de Gondreville and the Kellers. We all, in the course of five
years, have had and shall have need of the one and of the others. Some
have gone to the Marechale de Carigliano to obtain the release of a
young fellow who had drawn a bad number. Others have had recourse to
the influence of the Kellers in many matters which are decided
according to their recommendation. We have always found the old Comte
de Gondreville ready to do us service. It is enough to belong to Arcis
to obtain admission to him without being forced to kick our heels in
his antechamber. Those two families know every one in Arcis. Where is
the financial influence of the Giguets, and what power have they with
the ministry? Have they any standing at the Bourse? When we want to
replace our wretched wooden bridge with one of stone can they obtain
from the department and the State the necessary funds? By electing
Charles Keller we shall cement a bond of friendship which has never,
to this day, failed to do us service. By electing my good, my
excellent schoolmate, my worthy friend Simon Giguet, we shall realize
nothing but losses until the far-distant time when he becomes a
minister. I know his modesty well enough to be certain he will not
contradict me when I say that I doubt his election to the post of
deputy." [Laughter.] "I have come to this meeting to oppose a course
which I regard as fatal to our arrondissement. Charles Keller belongs
to the court, they say to me. Well, so much the better! we shall not
have to pay the costs of his political apprenticeship; he knows the
affairs of the country; he knows parliamentary necessities; he is much