Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-26

a frozen pond. A young man appeared with
a pair of skates in his hand, but fearing the
ice might not be strong enough. he scattered
pennies on the surface and sent the children
out to scramble for them. The ice broke
under their weight and they were drowned.
| He went off to look for another pond, and
the law was powerless to punish him.
Suspicion and selfinterest form the basis
| of English society, while French society
| gives forth constant desire to please and
to be admired. The English are, perhaps,
more sincere, but their sincerity destroys
much Of the most charming illusions of So
| elal life. A literary man occupies widely
different position in the two countries. In
London he is nobody. whom society does
not wish to know, except to read him. In
Paris he mixes freely with the best people,
and man of letters. novelist or a special
correspondent is considered an ornament to
a salon. He has rank equal to that of the
highest nobleman, and he can make him
self just as much of favorite with the pub
lie. In England the Intellectual power
gives place before political power, and lit
erary man occupies a false and equivocal
position. Fashion sometimes gives to him
passing pre-eminence, but he is soon lost
again, in the crowd, like a carnival king de-
throned by the arrival of sack cloth and
ashes.
THE PEN AND THE PRESS.
1t is easy to see the great part that French
writer's have taken in all social movements.
In the eighteenth century a galaxy of elo-
quent and bold writers threw themselves
into the arena; they have been cursed as the
propagators of a sensual and dangerous
morality, but it is also admitted that their
writings produced much real kindness of
feeling, and are inspired by a profound
philanthropy to which humanity is deeply
indebted.
Newspaper men of the present day occupy
positions of prominence and political power
under the French Republic, such as no En-
glish journalist has ever known. There are
at least 80 men of letters in the new Cham
Der OF Deputies, and several Senators are
also of our profession. The Minister of
Foreign Affairs, NJ. Spuller, is an editor on
the RepubliQue Franchise, and he makes
an excellent Cabinet officer. I could name
scores of journalists who deservediy occupy
high positions in Franco, and most of them
are welcome guests to the highest society.
All would be welcome were it not for poll
tics.
JOURNALISM IS PERSONAL.
The strength, the excellence, the promi
nence which members of the press have
achieved in France is owing to the fact that
over there journalism is personal. Very
rarely, indeed, do you see an article in
paper not signed by some name, and thus,
while gaining money for his work, he gains
increased reputation. The one is just as
needful as the other. Personal journalism
makes French journalists stand up for each
other. Brethren of the French press do not
abuse their confreres; for, aside from the
prospects of an affair of honor, there IS an
esprit de corps which induces them to stand
by each other under all circumstances.
Fire-eating Paul Cassagnac will thunder
against Henry Maret in the Chamber OF
Deputies, and will call him bad names only
as politician; the session over they meet
as friends in the lobby, for each is proud of
the other as distinguished journalist.
HENRY HAYNIE.