Joseph Reinach

Who was Joseph Reinach?

Joseph Reinach was a French author and politician.

He was born in Paris. His two brothers Salomon Reinach and Théodore Reinach would become later be known in the field of archaeology. After studying at Lycée Condorcet, he was called to the bar in 1887. He attracted the attention of Léon Gambetta by writing articles on Balkan politics for the Revue bleue, and joined the staff of the Republique française. In Gambetta's grand ministère, Reinach was his secretary and tried to obtain a partial revision of the constitution and list proportional representation. In the République française he waged a steady war against General Boulanger, which resulted in three duels, one with Edmond Magnier and two with Paul Déroulède. Between 1889 and 1898, he sat for the Chamber of Deputies for Digne.

As a member of the army commission, reporter of the budgets of the ministries of the interior and of agriculture he brought forward bills for the better treatment of the insane, for the establishment of a colonial ministry, for the taxation of alcohol, and for the reparation of judicial errors. He advocated complete freedom of the theatre and the press, the abolition of public executions, and denounced political corruption of all kinds. However, he was indirectly implicated in the Panama scandals through his father-in-law; as soon as he learned that he was benefiting by fraud, he made appropriate restitution.