New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-23
TOPICS IN PARIS.
THE LAND OF PARADOX.
..,,r rpon,.crR OF 4 FAMoIs wINE-DEpARTIR RE
OF THE FOREIGN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GROWING sCAHcE AND EXAcTING.


in preparation for Christmas. There is no time
~ tho wear. to nv mind. when the streets are
eean to such advantage during the month OF
Docen,hcr for the cheerfuness Of the shop win
doNs is reflected on the faces Of the people VINO
all seen, To ha engaged in the pleasant mental
occunaton Of either thinking Of the presents mat
they are going 20 give for the Nouyel An. or. bet
fer still Of those which they expect to receive.
The children Of course. in state OF great
and very apparent excitement, quite natural
when it is borne in mind that this Is the partl'u-
lar season Of the year to which they look forward
throughout the twelvemonth; neither birthdays
nor names days being accorded much attention
here There is a greater air Of prosperity ana g'o'
humor about shoppers and vendors tnan can
ever remember observing before at Christmas.
And yet one would have imagined that quite the
contrary would he the case. at any rate rs far as
tho look Of contentment is concerned. for W" are
in the throes If another great scandal or rather
q series IL scandals. connected with blackmail-
ing and analogous operations on the part 81 peo-
plc hitherto above suspicion. What with III"
Panama and other similar unsavory embroshos
eutailinC the downfall ~ eminent and respected
citizens one feels inclined 10 ask one $ sell whether
any one Is entirely free from questionable antecr-
dents IT has become. too. \ matter Tor discus
cio a ~ whether
all these casos # corruption and shonesiy
sre n public advantage or not While' 81
tho ono hand there is no doubt that the fear If
eventual scandal will exercise a deterrent 'H'''
unon men If weak stamina lowering on the Dor
dcr-line Il wrong and dishonor yet. on the "ther
hand it may have the result II dulling the popu-
lar horror and aversion to dishonesty. as The peo-
ple may end by believing that. sine" ncfarious
they
look m 10 as their leaders. these practices can
not he so hcinous as they had been taught to p'-
Iieve.
France is indeed the land of paradox ana 81
the realization ~ the unexpected 1t is. sup
nose the only country In the world whore one
could have witnessed such a scene as that Which
occurred a day or two ago In the Chamber 81
IDENTITIES when the Socialist Deputy for the De
nart,ncnt Of Gers asccnde1 the rostrum In order
10 bitterly complain ~ the action oi the
Archbishop of Auch in placing under IN
tcrdiction the parish church of inc n''''
town Of st Clar. II seems that TN" Mayor
and municipality - the pace. VINO HN"
their Deputy in Parliament are Socialists OF an
advanced type. removed. without previously OBJ
tanning permission from the Archbishop. gigan-
tie granite cross which from time immemofal
had stood on the markct-place just opposite the
main entrance II the church The object ~ IN"
removal was a good one. since II was - make
room for the Construct ~ an additional wing
T. the local hospital The Diocesan. however.
chose to regard the matter as an Intentional
act ~ Socialist sacri!ege. and accordingly placed
the parsh church under interdict by way ~
ecclesiastical professional is to say. the church
was closed and no religious services were per
mittcI to be held In one word. the people -
the town were deprived 81 The m.nis,raiion ~
their religion II was & protest against THIS
that their Socialist representative In the Legs
I,,ure arose and demanded as a right That ihe
interi,ct should be removed religious rites again
performed and his constituents be permitted 10
resume the enjoyment Z the benefits - the
Church.
The MARQUIS De I.ur-Saluces. who has Just died
at an advanced age. was not only one ~ IN" pest
known members II the Faubourg St German
and Of the upperm0st crust u clubdom. but Y-o
the proprietor Of the vines which produce tina
nectar ~ all white Bordeaux. the Chateau fqhcm
The property has been IN IA" possession ol MS
family for nearly two centuries. and gives an an
nu,i average WELD 81 about 500 hogshcads. some
OF which IL almost worth its weight In gold. Tn
Chateau Yquem Itself Is a picturesque oil man
sion situated In the Commune 81 Sauterne. ana
came to the I.ur-Saluce family by marrdg" ln'p
the ancient house Of Savage dYquem In con
necton with this 1t may be- Of interest 10 some ~
the readers Of The Tribune to know mat Inc
vines which produce that wonderful tcl BOZ
doaux known as Chateau Lahie belong 10 the
Rarons Alfonso. Gustave and Edmond de hoihs-
child who bought II in 1865 for 1.oooooO francs.
The vogue of the Chateau Lahte dates from N"
reign OF King Louis XIV. VINO would permit no
other brand 10 be ser:ed az the royal table. IN"
Chateau Margaux. which Is equal IN rank To Inc
Chateau Latte now belongs to the Comte Pillct-
viii banker whose daughter married the eldest
s,n ~ the Due de la Tremoe. and who pur-
chased Il In 1879 from Empress Eugcnies great
friend and banker. NJ Aguado. Marquis de las
Marsmas Like the Rothschilds. the Comte Pill
,e,.Wil continues the practise OF the former own
ers Of these famous vineyards OF setting asidf
each year 300 bottles Of the very best Of the ysdl
so as to enable comparisons to be made at some
future date The Chateau Latour now belongs
. q syndicate COMPOSED OF the Marquis de Flcrs.
the Comte de Beaumont, and the Nicomte de
CourtIvon To Englshmen this wine should be
espccially dear since the soil where 1t Is grown
was once watercd with their blood in the days
when they attempted 10 reconqucr La Guyenne.
three or four centuries ago.
OF course 1t Is the Foreign Legion which Is TO
occupy the post OF danger In the expedition now
organized against the Hovas. and which VIII
/ probably be decmated 10 n far greater extent
by the pestilentia climate OF the lowland which
separates the plateau Of Madagascar IRON the
coast than by any Of the cnemys bullets IL y
great mistake. however. TO imagine that TINS
Foreign Legion is in any way corps branded
with disgrace or composed " men VINO nav
been incorporated therein by way Of punish
ment for either acts Of indisclp.ine or even Tor
crime This | am aware IL the popular impress
slon which | have frequently heard mentioned
in conversation and read In print. True. there
is a rcprobate element, bu that Is mostly FORMED
by men Of foreign birth who have been com
PEELED by one reason or another To leave thtiI
own country and their own army for the good
of both But. on the other hand. there 49, TOO a
large proportion Of Frenchmen of high social
4. Nd usIrinIlS birth who have taken