Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-29
ONE WOMAN SPOWER
Mrs. Blaine Holds the Des.
tiny of the Republican
Party in Her Hand.
SHE RULES HER LORD
And PIatt, Clarkson and the Rest
Had Best Bow Before Her.
THE SEX HAS GOVERNED FRANCE,
Influence of Madame De Maintenon and
Madame De POmpadOur.
LUCY WEBB HAYS WORD ALWAYS WENT
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

Blaine If she consents to have James G.
run again, ne will not refuse to answer
favorably the importunate prayers of Clark
son, Quay, Platt, Fassett and the other
bosses. Mrs. Blaine then it will be seen,
holds the keys of the kingdom.
Only through her influence, we are told,
can the country be saved to the Republican
party Harrison cannot be reelected, they
say, and the only chance of winning is
through Blaine, the popular idol. The
magic of his name and his personal mag
netism will draw all men unto
him. In view of all these
assurances and hopeful utterances, it is
hardly likely that Mrs. Blame will refuse
to save the party and preserve the country
from the Democracy. 1t is not to- be sup
posed that she will not use her power to
keep the Clevelands, or the Campbells, or
the Brices, or the Whitneys, or the Germans
out of the White House. 1t is scarcely to
be thought that she will forego the honors
and prerogatives of the position of first
lady" with the additional satisfaction of
having the Republican party tied to her
apron strings BY virtue of her supremacy
over the President to be-if James G. gets
there.
Not Make the Mistake Cleopatra Did.
Cleopatra lost Marc Antony the world.
Mrs Blaine will hardly be willing to lose
the proud position of the Presidency for
her husband if she holds any faith in his
power to gain it. Through him she could
rule the country and hold frmer sway for
four years than Victoria herself, if the
stories concerning her influence and ambi-
ton are backed up by truth. She could set
her teet-metaphoricaily speaking, of
course-upon the necks of her enemies and
his if she chose TO do SO. She could lay
stumbling blocks in the paths OF ambitious
men and trample the pretensions of the
spoilers and place hunters With the spirit
willing. she could get even with the society
women who say mean things about her by
Enubblng them, trOwning down their friv-
olOus aiiectations and marking her contempt
OF their small minds by her own superiority,
Women have ruled great nations before
today. When the hope of wealth and
honors depends upon a woman's favor and
influence men are as servile and obsequious
to her as to the strong N she may con-
troll
Woman Ruled All France.
Louis NV, the grand monarch of France,
was a despot whose possession of power was
absolute, but the woman behind his throne
was Madame de Maintenon, who, by her
Infinite tact and agreeable manners, had
Charmed the King. She was the prime
minister. State affairs were discussed in
her room, and her advice was frequently
asked for by the King with all his ministers
round about him. By her talents and iudg-
ment she contrived to control the affairs of
the nation, to rule the court, and manage
the King. So powerful was she that she
made pietv the fashion.
Madame de Pompadour ruled France for
Louis Nv, who preferred amateur cooking,
working tapestry, amusing himself with
school boys playthings, to bothering with
state affairs. She was the most beautiful,
talented and gifted woman OF her day. Her
salon was trequented by the most eminent
philosophers and men of letters. All who
were ambitious were fully impressed with
the conviction that the road to distinction
was through her favor. Judged by the
moral standards of to-day, she would have
been shut out of respectable society, but
those were different davs. The nobility of
France found no fault with Madame de
Pompadour on the score of morality
but always on the ground that she, not of
noble BIRTH should hold the place in the
Kings councils and affections that should
more properly have been assigned to some
one belonging to the high nobility. But the
King bestowed titles upon her and gave his
courtiers to understand that he proposed to
for all he cared.
She overshadowed the Queen.
Madame de Pompadour thus became Prime
Minister of France. She was mistress of
the art OF tiattery. Her powers of persua-
sion were enhanced by her beauty, vivacity
and tact The Queen had no influence what
ever She was dull, wearisomely pious,
given TO long prayers and melancholy
HYMNS. Madame de Pompadour, on the
contrary, was brilliant, entertained in
enchanting style, and had as her guests
the witty, the wise, and the most intelli-
gent Her feasts were triumphs of art,
beauty and refinement, and her chef was
so impressed with the Importance of his
culinary art, that she thought it had more
influence upon the fate of nations, than the
wiliest policy of the ablest diplomatists in
the world" To the careful study given
by her to the tastes of the King is owing,
saws a recent writer, Madame de Pompa-
dour's omnipotence in the affairs of France
tnr over 20 years. But this woman, who
had such control over the feeble mind of
the King, and whose great talent for govern
ing was given to state affairs had a taste
ior, and comprehension of great subjects,
Il Is related that later in life when she
had reached the conclusion that all is
vanity and veIation of spirit, her physician
was wont to remove the oppression of
melancholy, and cheer her spirits by dis
cusslug with her the teachings of political
economy, particularly as to free trade in
the enhancement of the greatness of France.
in the course Of her long career as Prime
Minister Madame de Pompadour estab-
lished schools, and hospitals and manufac-
tUries. She nominated the chief COM
uanders OF the armies and all the high
officers OF state. She found admission
10 the honors of the French Academy
ior tavorite authors, and secured cardinals
robes tor obscure clergvmen who pleased
her. All the affairs OF the Nation were dis
cussed with her before the King ever heard
al them She encouraged science did much
for art, established the porcelain factories
Ht Sevres, which produced such maryels of
beauty as have not been surpassed.
A "a oman of Another Class
Eugenie was another woman of France
who esSayed to take principal part in its
affairs behind the scenes. She had not the
brains OF Pompadour, however, and made
a most lamenlable failure She was chiefly
famous for her eItrayagance and devotion
10 dress. Politically she was biased by her
religious opinions, and when the great crisis
in the affairs of France was reached she
plainly showed she did not understand the
gravity OF the situation She is credited
with the responsibility of the war with
Germany, which desolated and humiliat
the French nation and drove her family
into exile.
1t is surely not to be admitted that