The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-04
DECENTRALIZATION IN FRANCE.

1.-THE difficulty of forming new Ministry
in France arises from the decentralization
which permeates society. Politicians of all
parties have fallen into general contempt,
and state OF things has developed which
recalls the conditions under which the
French eOndoned the eighteenth Brumaire,
and forgaye Louis Napoleon's coup d'etat
When politicians of every stripe forfeit pub
lie confidence, the people are ready to
acquiesce in military despotism, or In any
other revolutionary remedy.
il does really seem that the entire body OF
public men in France. with few rare ex-
ceptiODs, are corrupt and debased, and that
the roitenness of Zola's Rougon- Marquart
dynasty is exceeded by the fact Every
bod y-Republican, radical opporiunist,
monaTchist. clerical, socialists mad TO
make money, honestly if he can, but TO
make money. Since Sedan, score of novel
writer's have drawn pictures of the demon
alizatiun of society, and have depicted pub
lie men as leading lives Of crapulous de-
bauchery. and STOPPING to the yilest prac-
tees in order 10 acquire wealth. 1t seems
they did not exaggerate. Read the list of
brides which the Panama Company is said
10 have paid TO Paris journals. The GGuloiS.
which has claimed the leadership of the
Paris press, got 5000 francs. and its editor
twice as much for himself personally. The
journal deS De6dtS. which has flourished
for over century. and of which Lamartine
said that 1t was part of the history of
France" allowed its manager TO take 40, 900
francs. And the Petit Journal. whose cir
culaton falls but little short of a million
copies daily, was SO good as to accept 800. 900
francs. When the leading organs of public
opinion were so eallous to honor and hon.
esty, what must the small fry of journalism
have done?
II yenality were confined 10 the press ii
might not be a fatal symptom. But in
every country newspapers are the reflex of
the community in which they are published
Where Journalism is in the main venal, the
people at large must be proportionately
vicious. IL they were not, they would not
support the corrupt newspapers, but would
see that others of higher tone AMI purer
character were established to voice their
views. When we find that the most widely
circulated journals Of Paris took brides to
puff the Panama canal scheme, ii is safe to
infer that the people generally of the great
French city see no wrong in corruption, and
that their moral sensibilities are blunted
1t is this which constitutes the great OBJ
stacle in the way of the establishment of
seli-goyernment in France. Republics al
ways depend Tor existence on public moral
ity; II The morality is non-eXistent. the re-
public can hardly be success.
Americans must bear this in mind when
they pass judgment on the apparent eccen-
tricities of the people of France. Forty
years ago they indorsed the infamous crime
known as the coup d'etat and in the
following year they voted by majority
of 7S0 000 v0tes in favor of tha
OF the empire. Six or seven years ago six
departments contended for the honor of
electing monumental fraud, who was
known as Il brave general, TO the Office of
Deputy. These acts did not imply faith in
Louis Napoleon or B0uanger but simply
want OF faith in their opponents, and a
general devil-may-care lncivism, which can
be traced back by the moralst TO the prev
aience OF uns0und principles, or rather TO
the absence Of all principles whatsoever.
A steady contemplation by the French
people OF corruption IN the ruling class has
engeDdered indifference 10 the discharge of
civic duty. They have come to regard their
governments as farce in which new actors
are introduced from time to time to enter
tain the audience. Since Sedan France has
had more Secretaries of the Interior than
the United States has had since the
organization of the Government
There are few men in public life who
possess unuuestionable virtue and probty.
Such are III. Carnot and NJ de FreycInet
the late 81. Grevy was another, and NJ.
FloqUet was supposed to be another until
he was discovered to have shared in the
spells of the canal company. If these
men combine to make examples of the lead
ing corruptionists, and If the people should
sustain them, something may be done
toward clearing the air. But the task will
be formidable and the prospects of success
-.