The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-11-03
Gbe firesioe.
Morals in France.

The New York Sun has an article on
Morals in France, and in Paris especi-
ally, as having reached low depth.
The conclusion of the article given be-
low is fearfully significant: q Money,
and consequently the Jews, who have
almost the entire monopoly of wealth.
reign omnipotent in France. Else
where their influence is felt: there it
asserts itself with boundless audacity.
The Bambergers, Hirshes, Rothchilds,
ETC., can command and possess all they
desire; they rule not only the world of
finance and politics, but the world of
fashion; they are the real makers of
kings temporal and social, and none
dare dispute their sway or rival it.
They have forgotten the days when
they were on sufferance and crept in
by back doors; they no longer solicit
invitations, but decline them, and in
their arrogance have been known to
refuse them to members of the nobility
and diplomacy who asked for them.
AT ball at the Baroness Adolphe de
Rothschild's were present the Grand
Duke and Grand Duchess Vladimir.
They danced the quadriUe d. honneur
according to custom with the very Sc
lect few admitted to share in that
official dance. The host and hostess
had so arranged it that the proudest
princes in Europe should dance with
none of their set, but only with those
it pleased them to designate. The
partner of the Grand Duchess hap
pened to be hitherto well-known sup
porter of republican and democratic
ideas-a staunch antagonist of par
ties not in power. To the intense
amusement of listener he was
heard to tell the Princess how grateful
Paris felt for her presence, how deeply
gratified he was himself to be able to
express his profound respect and at
tachment to the royal house, and could
her imperial highness not understand
with what feelings of relief he was able
for once to speak the truth, when he
was forced to lie every day! Nearly
all the ancient landed proprietors who
have not dipped into lucrative and
shady specuations are so impoverished
that they are bought out by the wealthy
financiers or INDUSTRIES" Thus MOI
selles the admirable castle and domain
of the Marquis de Nicolai, has become
the property of Menier, the chocolate
manufacturer, a man of immense capt.
tai and more than humble origin He
already owned a superb hotel in the
Pare Monceau, but coveted Noiselles,
its woods, its chases, standing in the
vicinity of his great factories. He called
on the marquis simply to inform him
that whenever he wished to part with
his property he had only TO fix his
price, that he, Menier, would pay it.
The grand seigneur bowed him out
with the assurance that Noiselles was
not for sale. However, five or six years
later circumstances compelled the Mar
quis de Nicolai to part with an estate
which his failing resources could no
longer allow him to keep up. He in
formed the manufacturer that he was
willing to let Noiselles 90 for two mil
lions and half. The next morning he
received checks for the full amount.
Menier was man of no manners, no
education, but of indomitable energy
and activity, and possessing a mind
fertile in resources. AT one time, when
already prosperous, he had carried on
his operations with so much zeal that
his unsold stock had accumulated His
foreman suddenly informed him that
over 200, 900 pounds of chocolate were
lying in his store-rooms undisposed of
and rapidly mildewing, being already
discolored. This meant ruin. Menier
bethought himself moment, and with
in forty-eight hours every available
wall or boarding in all the towns, vii
lagos and hamlets Of France was COW
cred with huge posters bearing in fam
ing capitals, "Chocolat Menier, the
only one that gets white as it gets cold"
The stock was sold with astonishing
promptitude, and not only was the i'm
pending disaster STAYED off, but from
that day dated the phenomenal prosper
ity achieved by the chocolate maker.
Never during the period of the much
accused second empire, whose greatest
crime was perhaps to have paved the
way for folly and extravaganza, has
there been witnessed such subversion
of all established laws of propriety,
such disregard of the fitness of things,
such reckless expenditure and waste,
as in these days of the republic. Instead
of sweeping away abuses, it has inten-
sified and magnified them; instead of
purifying and elevating French society,
it has made il more corrupt, alike in its
higher and lower strata; or, to speak
more correctly, all classes unite and
minge in one indscriminate and CO.
lossal Orpie -