The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-30
THE DISCIPLINE OF PARIS.

From the NJ Y. Tribune.
There may be, after all, silver lining to
the cloud which hangs over Paris. The life
of this beautiful city has been for eighteen
years one of the most singular examples ever
seen of an unbroken tide of material success
1t has increased vastly in extent, in riches, in
population and in every department of luxury
and art there has been an improvement with
out parallel in recent times. 1t has been
fashionable for those tourists who imagine
that with the aid of their Fetridge and their
courier they have mastered all the social and
political problems of Europe, to build upon
this fact theory of the omniscient wisdom
and sagacity of the Emperor. But in fact
there are two powers which, working together,
have made the modern Paris. One of these
is the railroad system of France, which has
performed there the marvels we are familiar
with in New York and Chicago, and the other
is the genius of Haussmann, the Prefect of
the Seine. 1t is he who has combined and
organized the abundant resources which the
recent developments of trade in France placed
in his hands, and who has accomplished the
practical miracle of tearing down and rebuild
ing, without moments check or pause in its
daily life, city of two million inhabitants.
1t is true this success was only apparent
and superficial. The city which rose from
the ruins wrought by the hammer of the
municipal king was marvellously beautiful
and harmonious one. No vested rights, no
historical memories, were allowed to stand in
the way of the despotic Alsacian's passion for
uniformity. He grew at last well-nigh mono
maniac in this respect, and pushed his fan
| like system of streets which diverged from
the Grand Opera through costly blocks of
| stores and palaces almost entirely new. Of
| course, such an humiliation of positive
values could not but entail disastrous con-
sequences. There was Fictitious COM
pensation in the enhanced prices of
the new structures. But gradually, as a con-
sequence of this mad sacrifice of everything to
considerations of mere taste, the cost of living
rose to an unendurable point, and the whole
laboring population was exiled to the suburbs.
1t was a vicious circle from which there
seemed no escaping. The public works at
tracted laborers and made at the same time
wages higher and subsistence dearer. Taxes
rose like rising tide, and the necessity of
employing the clamorous bands of workmen
made it impossible to discontinue or retrench
expenses. Al. the magic of the Empire could
not lay the spirit it had raised.
With the enormous development given by
the empire to reckless speculation came an
Increase of luxury and extravaganza, which
always accompanies a period Of irregular
gains, and which was we'll described by the
venerable Dupin, in his startling speech in
the Senate, In 1865, on the luxury of women
Never in history was seen such splendor of
toilets and of equipages Vice shared in the
general plenty, and the establishments of the
leaders of the balf-world rivalled the palaces
of princes. The dangerous example of the
great and powerful ran like wildfre among a
corrupt and languid youth. Who would
choose to live by honest official or profes-