The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-07-02
The Fourth Estate.
American Economist.

NJ Clemenceau's suggestion. in recent speech
III tue french Chamber of Deputies, that the
working CLASSES should henceforth be consider
ed the Fourth Estate, has awakened discussion
an over Europe which proves that his words
were only the spark that has exploded a maya
zine already prepared.
LOUIS XIV, no doubt stated the fact when he
uttered the famous words, am the State But
! ehe sole authority of kings was shattered by the
French Revolution, and from that time until
tne middle OF the nineteenth century the three
Estates-the King, the Nobility and the Veal
my eitlzens-were the State. They controlled
ciie uosecnment. In our day the gradual de-
/ cline Of the princes and MOBILES has left the DOW
I ers OF sne otate 10 the ha2ds ef tho upper Glass
es, professional mon, merchants, bankers and
manutdcturers,sor men of fortune or education.
In the principalcountrieso of Europe the suffrage
has been extended SO as to include nearly all
citizens, to q more or less limited degree. But
the working class, comprising by far the greatest
number, has not hitherto found way to exert
It's power and assume that share in the direction
OF government to which by numerical strength
IL Is entitled. 1t is evidently becoming conscious
( OF It's power, and is moro ana more loudly de-
handing the opportunity to exert it, while the
upper class, recognizing the dangers that menace
Its exclusive authority, is displaying all the ex-
ped1ents that experience and intelligence can
suggest to hinder or postpone the issue and pro-
long as much as possible its own power.
This is the attitude of the working classes to-
ward the wealthy classes in all the European
countries today, and to some extent also In the
United States For whatever may be the theo-
retical equality of citizens of the United States
today, iS is evident that the working classes do
not have power and influence in proportion to
their numbers, and that legislation is directed
by the smaller fraction Of the people, largely in
their own interest. and only so far in harmony
with the views Of the working classes as may be
necessary to pacify them. Hence the people of
the United States are interested in the progress
of the revolutionary movement which now in
Europe makes kings bankers hold their
breath, fills society with anxiety, and from day
TO day is break Ing out IN the form Of strikes and
other more or less violent demonstrations of it's
power, 1t is sufficient to show the approximations
excited by these movements to note the recent
attempt of the German Emperor to identify
himself with and guide them, and that the Bel
gian Government has appointed commission
to ascertain and propose measures to reconcile
employers and employed. Similar efforts are
making by the English Parliament, and what is
still more important indication, the Pope has
been laboring to prepare an address to his 200
millions OF subjects, by which he may conciate
the working classes without going too far in |
direction adverse to the interests or even the |
prejudices of the other side.
1t Is significant of the advance of the working |
class in political influence that the governing |
classes on all sides, religious and political, are
so solicitous about their actions and take such |
lively interest in their condition.
AS u. Clemenceau said the other day, 1.-THE |
Fourth Estate Is now on the stage; 1T must be |
either crushed OF acknowledged" The time has |
come, in the interests of social order, to deter
mine plan for receiving and acknowled ging |
the Fourth Estate, for giving it the position
which it deserves; opening way whereby it /
may acquire education and experience for the
duties of government-now in combination with |
the Third Estate, which has so long held the |
power, but ultimately in absolute and undivided |
authority, making its own laws and executing |
them, with only much of respect for the Third !
Estate as may he demanded by it's inte1ll- |
Geuce and sense OF Justice. When Theirs, the |
old bourgeois MOnarchist, entered into relations !
with Gambetta, the young bourgeois Republican, I
he said: Since we must swallow him, let us
first clean him. Since, then, the Fourth Estate
must be accepted the first thing to do is to fit it
for its work. It's dignity must be raised 1t /
must be inspired with high conceptions of the
part it Is TO enact in government and society 1t /
must not be dealt with in doubling or hating
way In other words. ample and liberal prepa-
rations must be made by the Third Estate, which I
has so long monopol zed governing powers, to
surrender and make over the greater part OF |
these powers TO its Inevitable successor Letthe /
pathway be made smooth as possible that |
there may be no shock to social order. Let the
unavoidable, though perhaps unwelcome, end /
be always kept in view with constant efforts to
make the access to it by easy and gradual steps,
so that when the end is reached it will be recog
/, eI,Io