Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-12-07
V-THe FRENCH AT WORK.

Gallo Laboring Men and Their Peculiari-
ties-The Patient Peasant-He Is for
Peace and Not war-Shopkeepers Of
France-French Onicials.
Things have greatly changed since
that exact and most impartial observer
La Bruyere drew the following picture
OF the French peasantry two hundred
years ago: "You see," said he .'certain
wild animals, males and females, about
the land, dark, livid, naked, and all
burnt with the sun, bound 10 the soil,
which they dig and stir with unflagging
patience. They seem to articulate Words
and when they stand up they show hui
man face, and, indeed, they are none
other team men; at night they retire to
their Sens, where they feed on black
bread, water and roots. They save other
men the trouble Of sowing, digging and
reaping, and deserve not to lack of that
bread which they have grown"
Today the French peasant lives in his
own cottage, cultivates his own field,
and demands nothing beyond peace and
fine weather. No doubt this cottage of
his would appear to an American tour.
lst 10 be lacking of many comforts. 1t
is carpetless, il is true, but it belongs to
him, and that makes up for many draw.
backs. He is contented and rich like
the rest of Us. not in the things which he
pos sses. but in those which he knows
how to do without. He is peaceful, sim
pie, sober and laborious. His ideal of
life Is the independence which is the
fruit of labor and economy; he is salts
fed with very little in the days of his
strength, because the prospect of eating
his own bread near the door of his own
cottage when his strength is gone makes
him happy. So be works steadily, un-
ceasingly. with wife who is true help
mate. He is no fire eater, no dreamer
of new worlds to conquer. The surging
passions of great towns are horrible to
him. He wants to be left alone, and
cries for peace at the top of his voice.
So eager is he after this blessing that
in 1881 his representatives in parliament
upset the first Ferry ministry by ma
jority of 800 to GS on account of the ex-
pedition to Tunis, although that expedi-
ton had been highly successful from a
military point of view. In 1882 the
Freycinet ministry was defeated on the
vote of credit which they asked to en-.
able France TO Join with England in an
armed intervention in Egypt. In 1885
the second Ferry ministry was upset by
a majority of 300 to 149 on account of
the Tonkin expedition. SO much to
show how aggressive the French nation
is! The permanently aggressive nations
are the nations where the people are OPP
pressed and wretched. Militarism is not
compatible with national prosperity and
happiness The prosperity of the COM
mon people, and the rSe they are learn
ing to make of liberty, are the great facts
which will tend to make France a nation
more and more peaceful. Tho French
peasant might well express wish that
the government should still improve his
position; but he is quiet, and no govern
ment thinks of him particularly. If he
were to mako as much noise as the Paris
workman, he might be listened to.
The real pretender in France is not the
Comte dc Paris or Prince Victor Napo-
leon, not the Due d'Aumale or Prince
Jerome; the real pretender is the Paris
workman. If you speak to him of "the
people, it is he, and he alone, whom he
supposes you mean. The millions of
quiet peasants, laborers and other rural
toilers he totally ignores; he is the "sov.
ereign people," The Partisan workman
is not satisfied with the old cry; "What
is the capitalist? Everything. What
oaght he TO be? Nothing" His new cry
Is: What is the workman? Nothing,
What ought he to Ike? Everything" A
member of the commission appointed by
the late French parliament to inquire
into the Paris workman's life, asked one
of them to get up the budget of his fami-
ly expenses isser describing minutely
all the necessaries, the wskman put
down: "For music halls, theatres, dis.
tractions-three hundred francs" And
ON tn member of parliament suggesting
that the last item might, perhaps, be re-
duced, the Paris workman Indignantly
retorted: "Do you think that we IN go.
ing to live like brutes:'
The present house of deputies is all
occupied with the question of employers
and employed, granting one by one all
the demands of the latter, Nobody
seems concerned about the rural popu,
lation, by far the most interesting of all.
Howis that2 Simply because the peas.