The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-09
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPIos-ooMPInED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
A NEW DANGER TO FRANCE.

and it is not to be with lnsurgent FRENCH
men There the result is assured though
delayed; and hampered by the iron circle
which the armies of Versailles and of Ger
many have conjointly thrown about them,
the Communists have but a brief existence
before them. The worst, as well as the
mightiest enemy of France. is stu the Ger
mans, whom, to her degradation and her
ruin, she msdly provoked to an unequal
conflict. 1t is a battle of the diplomatists;
and past struggles of this kind have shown
that the strongest and wisest OF Frances
foreign ministers, Jules Favre, cannot cope
with Prince Bismarck. 1t is those two who
now engage at Frankfort-on-the-M Main, and
the Frencbman has already suffered a re-
verse which we'll nigh disables him.
The particulars of the interview between
the two Ministers we're given in our dispatches
Yesterday. Briefly stated, they are simply
confession by M, Favre that France cannot
nav the first instalment of the indemnity,
now overdue since the 1st of April, and re-
fusal by Prince Bismarck to wait any longer.
M. Favre wanted more time, and also some
of the forts on the eastern side of Paris, but
Prince Bismarck declined both favors, and
added that further delay would entail serious
consequences on the Versailles Government.
This issue of an interview solicited by M.
Thiers to remove obstacles to the negotiation
of permanent peace is startling but not un-
expected The difficulties long since de-
veloped at Brussels, where the treaty is nego-
tiating, are wholly of a financial character.
The French want the Germans to take French
stocks as security for the indemnify and the
Germans unhesitatingly refuse. M. Tniers
naturally wishes to make it the interest of
Germany to maintain not only the govern
ment it has recognized, but the credit of the
republic; while Prince Bismarck on the other
hand is reluctant to do anything which sus-
tains French power. With all his great
sagacity and foresight, the German Chancel-
lor falls into the common error of European
diplomatists of building their own States upon
the ruins of neighboring empires, and depend
ing for prosperity and safety upon the mis-
fortunes and the weakness of others. He is
not anxious to see French influence increase,
and will certainly do nothing to sustain
French credit. What does he care if the in
demnity is never paid? Nothing would pro-
badly suit him better than that France should
wholly fail to psy a single installment, for he
could and would foreclose the mortgage which
he holds on her by virtue of the presence of
large army in all the provinces of any value
to Germany. He has not attempted to con-
ceal what his policy would be in the event of
Frances failure, now confessed, to pay in
hard gold, even though it ruins her. He has
said he would not hesitate to use the army
and annex the occupied provinces; in other
words, and these his own strong terms, he
would ''do as the caterpillars do on a tree.
Even as they devour leaf after leaf till the tree
dies, so he will seize province after province
until France shall be no more"
Meantime every day of delay at Brussels
makes the conditions harder for France, and
increases the possibilities of her further disin-
tegration. The cost of feeding the German
army of occupation alone is $780, 900 day to
France, while the long continued struggle at
Paris is still more exhausting and rapidly
depletes the treasury. The financial ques-
ton with France is, in consequence of these
demands of the Germans, the most serious
which presents itself, and the French Presi-
dent, King, or Emperor who solves it will de-
serve the place he will win.
POVERTY AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM.
From the N. Y. Sun.
In a recent communication to the Liberal
Christian, MIR. Peter Cooper says that it has
been ascertaiped by the Citizens Association,
of which he is the President that So, 900, 600
are annually expended in this city for differ
ent charitable and philanthropic objects; and
yet he goes on to assert that this immense
sum is used in way to make it productive of
quite as much harm as good 1t superinduces
and masses together the very poverty which
it attempts to relieve. The reputation for
hberality which it has created for New York
has brought hither thousands who came TO
share in the bounty of the city, and who re-
main as permanent burden on its resources
Unless means are taken to counteract the
evil, it will become chronic and perpetual
He therefore recommends, instead of the pre-
sent system, the establishment throughout
the country of labor bureaus, where laborers
seeking employment and employers seeking
laborers may be brought together, and thus
the great fountain of poverty, the want of
work, be as far as possible cut off.
Mr.. Coopers personal open-handedness is
too well known for the reply to be made to
him-as it has sometimes been made to Others
who have expressed the same views-that he
is merely making an excuse for not giving
anything for the relief of the poor at all.
The Cooper Union, on Astor place, is 9
standing witness that he can part with his
money for a charitable purpose, not in little
driblets, but in sums that to most men seem
colossal. His utterances on the subject must
therefore be taken to express the convictions
of an honest mind, sincerely desirous of pro.
noting the welfare of humanity; and if they
contradict popular impressions, they should,
Tor that very reason, receive respectful con-
sideration.
The simplest and most obvious method OF
helping the poor is, of course, to put ones
hand in ones pocket and give them the
money required to provide for their wants al
the moment The sentiment that nrompts
such an act is SO good, and the pleasure
arising from its qualification so pure that il
IS difficult to discourage II without seeming
to be harsh and cruel. But yet, like a fond
parents indulgence of a child this moman,
tary satisfaction is outweighed in a prudent
mind by the evil consequences of which Mr.
Cooper speaks. There is in almsgivine
something SO demoralizing to the recipient
it SO kills bis industry AID self reliance and