Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-01-15

s"uer Dtu1eutStea pAtrt"ttBua
ExtrnordiaaPy- if.D~atrucsiou
Co Avoid military service.
tcorrsspoudsnce OF tbs Gold Hill Daily News
Paris. December az. 1s7S.-Ths work
Of political ''pursation" continues. The
French Government 10 evidently deter.
mined to establish the political unity Of
its autonomy by turning out Of Office
every man whose republican orthodoxy
is even suspected. Shakespeare says:
1--WE cannot 90 ~inoculate our old stock
but we shall relish Of It," and men who
have been born and educated as I'm.
perialists or Monarchists do not easily
get rid Of their hereditary predictions.
The perfume OF the purple hangs
around them still. The recent whole.
sale removal Of members OF the Council.
General has made q great outcry among
the opposition press. But these com.
plants are unwarrantable. The Govern
ment has only followed tho example Of
our own ''model republic" In changing
its ofice.holders with Q change OF ad-
m%inistration. When the Republicans
come into power at Washington out 60
the Democrats. and when the Democrats
come In out 20 the Republicans. ITO
the victors belong the spoils." Az
a universal rule this sweeping policy 10
u very Objectionable one; beneficial to q
party. but detrimental to the country.
Honest and capable officers, familiar
with their duties, are often made to give
place to men utterly incompetent to dis
charge them. This isa very grave evil OF
the rotation" system, and England Ii
wise enough to avoid Il. The appoin-
tees Of the British Government hold
office for life, or during good behavior,
whether they call themselves Liberals or
Conservatives, but, as q general rule,
these employees Of the Government, un.
like American officials, take no active
part in politics. Having once obtained
o comfortable birth. they attend strictly
to their duties, with no fear Of official
decapitstion. Consequently the British
Government has the best service In the
world. The French Republic, not feel.
ing absolutely secure in Its position, rest
ing. as 1t does, on the explosive element
Of popular caprice. adopts the American
system Of political party discipline rather
than the moro solid policy Of England.
and no doubt, II the opposition should
get into power, they would repeat the
same purgation Of proscriptivs process.
How astonishing q thing II Is that in
this country 1t 10 10 difficult when n
Ia travelling of the railway routes. and
especially on the lesser i%requented lines
OF travel, to ascertain correctly from
those you meet on the road the direction
to anywhere. had an amusing expert.
ence OF this kind Q few days since. A
friend and myself were trappiug along
the road from st. Gsrmaine-en-Laye to
Ruell, in quest Of Malmaison, 30 inter
ssting because Of its connection with the
life and divorce OF Napoleon /. and
Josephine. On leaving the Pavilion
Henri Quatre, where Louis Quatrze was
born, 1--WE are confident Of that statement
since We saw q model Of his cradle on
the pavilion and on our carte Of tho res
taurant), Wa marched toward the river,
inquirins OF every woman, man and
child whom We met on the road the
route 10 plus courts" to Malmaison.
Many OF them had never heard OF II.
Several said they did not belong around
"those parts" Others sent rs along
the left bank towards Versailles. while
the greater number favored the "rive
droits to Chatou and Croissy. Each
told q tale varying from that Of the last
one spoken to. Finally, / met . little
boy standing on the roadside bare
headed, dirty.faced, and picking indus
triously his proboscis. ! rubbed up the
very short.cropped bristles on his little
poll and asked him in English, dds,
douc. Johnny, are we on the right road
to Malmaison or Ruell, Hardscrabble.
or Skinnyatlasf Say!" He looked up
at me in astonishment, scratched his
head pensively. knocked q fly Of his
right ear. and remarked, "Oui." Only
this, and nothing more.
Repugnancs to o military life has
induced, among the inhabitants Of GER
tain villages in tho department Of the
Seine, a curious practice Of atrophying
one Of the great toes, BY some secret
method Of Muscular retractiou which
has bsfled the scrutiny OF the most
experienced army surgeons. The de-
formation prevents the proper surface
Of the foot from being. brought fairly
and fully on the ground. With such
success has this system OF mutilation
been carried on for the past 40 years In
one particular village. and 30 dis
creetly have the peaceful peasants
kept their own counsel. that In the
whole Of the long period only three con.
scripts have been drawn who were found
able to march. It must have appeared
to the bafled investigators OF this
Psychological phenomenon as II q new
species OF countrymen were being
developed; bat at length pecu.
liarly suspicious q 8 attracted
their special notice, and led to
an inquiry before the local tribunal. A
young man who had been noted a. o
good walker, and was in great request
among tho maideus Of the district Is a
partner in the dance on Sundays and
fete days. took to absenting himself
from those juukstings until he came
forth from his retirement an accom-.
plished cripple. It remains to be seen
what can DO done with him and with
other evadsrs Of patriotic duty. Per.
haps O law may DO passed which will
compel all owners Of crooked toes to
contribute o fxed proportion OF their
ssdentary earnings to the State.
Louis.