The Labor enquirer., 1886-06-19

niZe- nv companion, but they have
nothing to fear from him. They scarcely
! look up. talk 10 the proprietor, who
also knows me, and comment upon the
lull in the conversation. "There Is nc
lull," he says, ''they sit like that fol
hours nowadays, spending their 10 cen.
times and having no more than that to
spend. Why's should they talk ? They
are all agreed by now the outcome of
their agreement is that there must be a
Revolution, and that at the first signal
of itthey'll take part in it. The smallest
pretext would do-Ihe merest rumor of
conspiracy by the Orleans princes
anything that will give them an excuse
for handling rife. But the Commune
that would follow would be a different
thing from the other; take my word
for it."
| stop until the shutters are put up,
watching the departure of the custo-
mers from the threshold They all run
as fast as they can. stamping their feet
on the hard, frozen pavement, their
hands deep down in their pockets, their
linen blouses huttering in the icv blast
The few omen prowllng at the corners
of the street are not even honored with
look, let alone word. AS the clock
of Notre Dame booms the half hour after
midnight the cold becomes mor3 in
tense, the street more deserted, the gas
lamps seem to burn more brightly. Ny
companion and myself are the last to go,
and before we have proceeded many
Yards are aCcosted by one of these poor
girls. Not in the stereotyped way by
any means. She is young and pretty,
tidily dressed, the strip of white petit
coat showing beneath the black dress,
her fair hair in smooth bands. She says
in a very gentle voice, Monsieur, give
me two sous to buv some bread, | have
not eaten anything since last night"
The Crp3us of the Paris gutter reduced
to beggary? Then times must be hard,
indeed" SAYS nv friend in English, as
be gives the girl haf-franC piece. We
follow her, and sure enough she goes to
the only shop still open, ham and beef
shop, whence she emerges with a large
hunk of bread and savelOv.
After that there is little need to COM
ment upon the Paris municipal council,
who have sent G4O0 to the miners of
Decazeville, who, it should be remem-
bered can work if they will 1t is diff
Cnlt to say whether the sum is meant as
fuel or as water to the smouldering
fFe. But there is little doubt that, after
the presence of NJ. NJ. Barly and Came
linat in the Aveyron, the puddlers and
miners, as have already said, will re-
gard this subscription AS a further en-
COuragement to persist in their demand
for higher wages The republic is firmly
established, but what kind of republic
the next few years will bring forth it is
not easv-or perhaps too easy-tO pre-
dict The government is either power
less or afraid to deal with the Pari' Civic
Fathers. Ten thousand francs is COM
paratively small sum, but the gift Of it
tells which way the wind blows. NJ.
Camelinat, who spoke Yesterday in the
| Chamber, resents all government inter-
| ference with the strikers. He intends
to force NJ de Freycinet and NJ Sarran
to recall the troops. 1t is tanta mount
10 asking Captain Shaw to Con6ne the
fire brigade to their quarters, to disman-
tie the engines and to chop up the es-
capes, while the rff-ratf of London are
taking hundred or so of barrels OF
paraffin to the match works of Messrs
| BRYANT & MAY. To the careful observer
the very quietude of Paris is alarming.
Not that mischiefis imminently impend
ing, but unless a miracle happens
smouldering Paris is sure to blaze forth
When? 1t may be in twelvemonth, it
may be tonight. And the police will
be powerless to quench the Contlagra'
ton while the Paris garrison, carefully
packed, as it is supposed to be with
stanch republicans, Is not to be de-
depended upon much. True, the Paris
turbulent element is in a minority
there thev are relegated to the regi,
ments quartered in the country. But
the peasantry, Of which the metropolitan
garrison is composed, may be influenced
by certain propaganda which am Ger
tain is going on among the troops. The
police are, after all, bat handful, anC
neither their courage nor their brutality
would avail. The words are almos
convertible.> There is an utter lack Of
discipline among them for which the
municipal council are also to blame
Their constant invectiye against thu
prefecture is doing its work. Not late
than Yesterday morning a constable
calmly allowed a couple of assassins t.
Ielsurely accomplish their business q
the Barriere du Maine. He was told b.
a scavenger that some one was beini
murdered in a house. He merely
shrugged his shoulders and went on.
The grand jury for Washington terri
tory refused to 1ndict the murderers o
Charles G. Stewart. With the East st
Louis grand jury they have decided tina