24 juin 1858
17 juin 1912
Georges Laguerre (1858-1912) naît à Paris le 24 juin 1858. Fils d’un maître clerc, il est aussi parent de Thiers par sa mère. Ce lien de parenté est à l’origine des nombreuses accusations de sympathies cléricales qui le poursuivront tout au long de sa carrière politique.
Laguerre envisage un temps de rentrer à l’École militaire de Saint-Cyr, avant de finalement s’orienter vers le droit. En 1879, devenu avocat, il s’inscrit au barreau de Paris. S’étant distingué lors de la conférence Molé [1] , Laguerre est aussitôt présenté à Clemenceau qui lui confie la rédaction de la chronique judiciaire à La Justice. Dans le même temps, il acquiert une notoriété en défendant, lors de plaidoiries retentissantes, des ouvriers, mais aussi Louise Michel en juin 1883 ou encore l’assassin Pranzini.
Élu député radical de l’arrondissement d’Apt dès septembre 1883, Laguerre siège à l’extrême gauche aux côtés de Clemenceau et prend une part active dans les débats parlementaires. En juillet 1884, il réclame en vain la révision de l'article 8 de la Constitution au Congrès qui s'ouvre à Versailles. En août 1884, il demande, sans plus de succès, la suppression du Sénat. Son mandat de député du Vaucluse est renouvelé en 1885. Le 15 janvier 1886, suite à la décision de Clemenceau de créer un groupe ouvert d’extrême gauche, Laguerre choisit de se ranger du côté de l’intransigeance. Les relations de Laguerre avec son protecteur commencent alors à se détériorer.
Arriviste et ambitieux, Laguerre voit dans le boulangisme une opportunité idéale pour donner un nouveau souffle à sa carrière politique. Dès 1887, il met ses talents au service de la cause révisionniste portée par le général Boulanger et devient l’orateur et le propagandiste du mouvement. Laguerre prend ainsi la direction du journalLa Presseà partir de juin 1888 et le transforme en organe de propagande boulangiste. Il s’impose rapidement au sein du Comité républicain national et en prend la direction. Confronté à un besoin pressant de financement, Laguerre n’échappe pas à la compromission avec les monarchistes. En effet, dès sa création,La Pressefonctionne à fond perdu. Son tirage moyen est de 40 000 exemplaires, dont une bonne partie est distribuée gratuitement. Au bord de la faillite en avril 1889, Laguerre est contraint d’accepter l’argent royaliste.
Le 23 avril 1888, Laguerre crée avec Alfred Martineau une Ligue d’Action républicaine pour concurrencer la Ligue des patriotes de Déroulède, qui tente de noyauter le mouvement boulangiste. Délégué général de la Ligue des patriotes, son immunité parlementaire est levée le 14 mars 1889 dans le cadre des poursuites engagées contre la Ligue. Finalement, Laguerre et les autres membres du comité directeur de la Ligue des patriotes sont condamnés le 6 avril 1889 à 100 francs d’amende pour délit d’association non autorisée.
N’ignorant pas qu’il a très peu de chances d’être réélu dans le Vaucluse, théâtre d’une vigoureuse campagne antiboulangiste, Laguerre juge préférable de se présenter dans le XVe arrondissement pour les élections législatives générales de 1889. Il est élu dès le premier tour de scrutin dans la deuxième circonscription du XVe (quartier Saint-Lambert et Javel) par 4 209 voix contre Humbert (radical-socialiste), Chauvière (blanquiste) et Chaput (possibiliste) qui obtiennent respectivement 1 616, 1 138 et 211 voix. Laguerre, qui a beaucoup insisté auprès du général pour qu’il compare devant la Haute Cour afin de restaurer son prestige, n’ignore pas que le boulangisme est moribond. Très compromis avec les monarchistes, il souhaite se détacher de Boulanger qui devient gênant.
Le 29 avril 1890, Laguerre, Naquet, Déroulède et Laisant rompent avec le général Boulanger. La dissolution du Comité républicain national est prononcée le 21 mai 1890. Laguerre tente alors de récupérer le mouvement en créant le Parti républicain socialiste révisionniste. Cette ultime tentative se solde par un échec. le 10 mai 1891, Laguerre demande officiellement à être classé comme membre de la majorité républicaine au sein de la Chambre des députés. La publication des Coulisses du boulangisme de Mermeix, suivie de la révélation du rôle des royalistes dans le financement de La Presse, achèvent de déconsidérer Laguerre que le naufrage boulangiste avait déjà sévèrement atteint. Il s’avère en fait que Laguerre était au courant de la préparation des Coulisses et a même renseigné Mermeix. Par ailleurs, contrairement à ses déclarations selon lesquelles il assure n’avoir eu connaissance de la collusion entre Boulanger et les monarchistes qu’en novembre 1889, Laguerre en est informé dès décembre 1888 par Bocher, l’oncle de sa femme.
Laguerre ne se relève pas du naufrage boulangiste et entame une longue déchéance. Battu par Chauvière dans le XVe arrondissement aux élections législatives générales de 1893, il quitte la vie politique. Il se présente à nouveau dans l’arrondissement d’Apt lors des élections générales de 1898, 1902 et 1906, mais ces tentatives se soldent toutes par un échec. En 1910, Laguerre se représente à nouveau dans l’arrondissement d’Apt où il est finalement élu. Il s’inscrit alors à la Chambre sous l’étiquette de « républicain socialiste », mais Georges Laguerre ne ressemble plus au brillant orateur qu’il était au temps du boulangisme.
Atteint d’un lupus facial et dévoré par l’alcoolisme, il meurt le 17 juin 1912 à Gournay-sur-Marne à l’âge de 54 ans.
[1] Il s’agit de la conférence d’éloquence parlementaire.
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