The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-11-05
Selert eglisrellang,


The London DAILY News" gives the
following cheerful sketch of the prison
life of Frelch journalists;
But perhaps it may be your fate to
become State prisoner for some press
offence, in which case there is no deny
ing that the forms of dealing with you
will be much pleasanter. Who that
knows Paris and the Parisians has not
been in some newspaper Office at time
when one Of the courteous ushers from
the Palace'of Justice has entered with a
Citation" and claimed six francs fifty
centimes as the cost of it? There is no
arrest in these cases, and if any one
should marvel why a journalist who can
turn thousands of heads the wrong way
should be treated with more leniency
than an humble committeeman whose
voice is often as a mere tinkling brass,
one GlnOnly say that there are myster-
les in government which are not for the
vulgar to faith IN. The journalist sees no
gems d'arms His summons bids him
call on the juge d'instructiun' at a GER
tain hour, and he calls; the Judge chats
paternally, makes him confess his sins,
and hands him over to the correctional
police; and here he appears on an APP
pointed day, surrounded by his kinsfolk
and acquaintance, to hear himself con-
demned to fine of go or so, and to
tbroa tnoutbst cooluginp ot ~ pa1,io,ia
But here, once more there is nothing of
a disagreeable nature, no apprehension
by tlb coat in open court, no handouts,
no bfisCn van. The journalist, having
heard his sentence, bows with all de-
mureness to the tribunal which has ana
lyzed the explosive properties of his
prose- draws on his glOves-if he has
any-and sails away to dine with his
counsel, and to receive the congratua-
tiOns Of his brother quillmen, who gen
orally envy his good luck in having thus
become, in one afternoon, a renowned
man. As to the Imprisonment. it is dis
missed from memory for good month,
sometimes for more, until some evening,
on coming home from the play, the con-
demned man finds a stamped letter from
the public prosecutor begging him to
surrender on or before six p. NJ. of GER
tain day. If the journalist objects to
that particular date, the prosecutor is
often accommodating, and will grant
respite, so that condemned writers who
are bound to one another by ties of love,
can arrange to undergo their term at the
same time and in company They find
pleasant quarters. There is especially
one room at Ste. Pelaigie NOD, which
has been the delight of its numerous
tenants, and the scene of more festive
banquets than pen can chronicle. The
governor of the prison does not take the
chair at these banquets, but he is Il grace
full functionary, who has long held office
and has formed himself a handsome
library out of the presentation volumes
offered HIM by his former prisoners
'pensionnaires, as he cuphcmisli,ally
terms them. He has urtvr- from the
authorities not to interfere with rcas-
enable flow of soul on the part of his
literary capiives, for no. one has any in
terest in seeing writers leave prison
more ferociOus than when they entered,
and the governor understands this so
well that he has made of his prison
something like very eligible boarding
house. The journalists get their food
from restaurants outside, and are not
stinted as to wine: they have prisoners
of baser sort to wait on them; they
may walk about their big yard and
smoke what hour they please, and the
bolts are only drawn upon them at ~
p. M, after which hour, however, they
are free TO burn their oil for, SO long as
it suits them. Many a writer has been
indebted to his two or three months So
jOurn at Ste. Pelaigi6 for having been
able to indite some cheerful comedy or
novel which he would neverhaYe found
time to compose amid the turmoil of
Parisian life; and editors have noticed,
with pathetic wonder, that newspaper
articles dated from Ste, Pelaigie have
more tone, more sprihg and backbone
than those penned amid the distraction
of boulevard existence. Let it be added
that the printers devil is a familiar APP
partition at Ste. Pelaigie, being allowed
to call there for copy" at all hours be-
, tween 8 and q; but, on the other hand,
Oneis concerned to own that no rope
ladLers have ever been seen there, so
that, after all, it contrasts unfavorably
with that sweet island of St. Margaret.