The San Francisco call., 1895-11-18
THE DEADLY PARALLEL.

The friends of Christopher Buckley in
their enthusiasm over his rapid renewal
of control over the local Democracy are
disposed to iken his return to power to
that of Napoleon from Elba to the Tuil-
cries. There is some show of reason for
the parallel The domination of Buckley
over the Democratic party of California
in the time of his past glory was as
complete and as autocratic as that of
Napoleon over France before the Rus
sian campaign. The retreat from Moscow
and the disaster which overwhelmed Buck
ley during the sittings of the Wallace
Grand Jury, have certain elements of SINH
larity. The abdication and the Canadian
tour were compelled by circumstances
which had much in common, while in the
exile to Elba and the retirement to Ra-
venswood, the student OF general and local
history will see resemblance at a glance.
The chapter of condolences does not end
here. In each case the exiled dictator
announced that his retirement was final
and that his ambition for power would no
more disturb the peace of the world. The
return OF each was suddenly determined
upon and speedily executed. The hand
full Of adherents which gathered
about Buckley at the Occidental Club
is a reminder of the pitiful array
of followers which Napoleon had about
him at Cannes. The way the royalist sol
diers declared their fidelity to the cause of
the returning exile finds a modern instance
IN the way the warriors OF the local De-
mocracy have dragged the Buckley tri-
color from their knapsacks during the
past few weeks. The treatment which
the press of Paris accorded the passage
of Napoleon from Elba to the Tuileries is
amusingly like that which the local Demo-
cratic newspapers are giving to the Buck
ley of yesterday and to-day. Who that
reads this authentic report of that historic
episode will fail to appreciate the perfec-
| ton of the parallel at this point? Here is
the report from the Parlsian press:
The Corsican has left the Island of Elba
Bondparte has debarked at Cannes with 100
men.
General Bonapdrte has taken possession of
Grenoble.
Napoleon has entered Lyons.
The Emperor has reached Fontainebleau to-
day.
His Imperial HighRess is expected at the
Tuileries tomorrow, the anniversary of the
birth of the King of Rome.
How does this compare with the change
of attitude of the Democratic press of San
Francisco toward Buckley the absent exile
and Buckley the returning dictator2
The parallel at this point begins to push
| itself beyond the liking of the friends of
! the modern Napoleon OF Democratic poll
| tics, but let Us pursue it to the end. The
return of Napoleon was to the brief and
fading glory CT 1.-The Hundred Days." at
the end of which was Waterloo. The
return of Buckley has in it every proph-
ecy of a parallel of fate. He has
come back to find his party France filled
with discord and intrigue and weakened
by the eorrupting diseases and ill-favored
repute of which he sowed the seeds in his
former days of power. He has returned to
| meet the allied forces in favor of honest
methods and legitimate leadership in
politics, represented by the Re
publican party. resolved upon the
downfall of Buckley and all who
are like him. He has come back to
consolidate every evil agency and infu-
ence behind his desperate struggle for the
supremacy Of that sort Of "bossism" of
which he is the most perfect Western type,
but it is only to meet his Waterloo at the
next election. There is every indication
that the deadly parallel will push Itself to
this conclusion.
| 1t only rests with the friends of honest
government and pure politics and the enc
| mics of their opposite to unite beneath the
banner of the Republican party in the next
campaign, and the Waterloo of Bossism
then accomplished will be followed by
st. Helena from which Buckley and Buck
leyism shall neyermore return.