The morning call., 1892-12-21
is REVOLUTION COMINGp

The fur continues to fy in Paris. and the
disclosures made before the investigating
committee grow more sensational from day
to day. The banker Reinach. W no committed
suicide, appears to have been the discussing
agent OF the Panama Company. The off,
clal liquidator. MonticOurt testfies that he
gave hlD million dollars, and that when
the question was asked what he wanted
to DO with so much money the ex-
perienced bsnke- replied, you must be
very simple" - other persons the com.
pany gave as much as 100000: this was
for booming" the Panama bonds As the
word implies the recipients Of this bounty
were mainly newspaper men; bnt with
them were others-Deputies, who got brides
Tor boosting the scheme in the Chamber
men OF the world who were subsidized to
puff 1t in salons. The hired press writers
seem to have been legion; some of them
were content with ten-dolar note; others
actually started papers to raid the company
In order TO be bought off. San Franciscans
will realize the poignant sorro with which
one city journalist will read the story and
curse his fate that he was not there.
a prominent Paris banker is reported to
have said that the excitement will culmiu-
ate in revolution. That depends on two
to keep the Paris mob under control, and
next the extent to which the Government
and the leading Republicans of the chamber
are implicated in the disclosures. Asto
the first condition. il must be remembered
that Paris is in an entirely different con-
ditioD. strategically, now from what it was
in 1880 and 1913. There is an ample mill
tary force On hand. under the lead of
officers who have made a special study of
the art OF suppressing mobs in Paris. They
know their business, and they learned from
MacMahon, In 1871. that the most merciful
as the most sensible way of dealing with
an instruction is not to spare the use of
cannon and mitrailieuses. Paris is not To
surprised any more by bands Of boys.
stationed behind barricades. If the army
stands firm, Paris will not be permitted To
overthrow the republic.
The temper of the army as of the most
influential citizens will depend on the ex-
tent OF the spread which corruption will he
shown to have attained. Republican insti-
buttons are not going to be overthrown be-
cause 1t turns out that few score hungry
newspaper men and as many political or
financial adventures bled poor De Lesseps
until they had drained the last drop of
blood out of his veins. Such an event may
oe Iatal 10 good many individual reputa-
tons; 1T may teach Parisans that they can
not afford to sustain venal press, and that
the whole fabric OF metro oolitan journal
ism must be pulled down and rebuilt on
new principles But it will not necessarily
induce the French people TO lose their faith
10 seii-government. or TO replace M. Carnot
ny worthless survivor OF the Bourbon or
the orieanlst or the Bonaparte dynasties
IL IL should turn out that majority of
those who have administered public affairs
during the past FIVE years were stipendiaries
OF the Panama Company; IL France has
been run by venal scoundrels intent on
piunder; then indeed 1t would be dif1cult
to forecast the future. Popular Indignation
sometimes takes the shape Of an ungoyern-
able burst OF passion which DESTROYS before
1t thinks how Ii can rebuild. The discovery
OF the treachery of Louis XVI led the
French TO establish Government which
was worse shan his. SO now, If all French
men. or the bulk of them, turn out to be
rotten, > restoration Of monarchy. or even
empire. would not be wholly impossible,
though in their sober senses the French
want neither the one nor the other.
let US hope that things will not turn out
IS badly as that In great metropolitan city