The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23

thus held up to popular reprobation 40
not comprise more than one hundred. or
let us say at the very most two hundred,
of persons occupying a place ia the aris-
tocracy, in the official world. in la Finance,
or among the well-to-do bourgeoise the
same names occurring over and over again,
nearly 30 per cent of them belonging to
foreigners. For it is only necessary TO re-
call the fact that Baron Reinach and DR..
Cornelius Herr, the two principal culprits
in the Panama scandal, were of German
birth, while the princess, whose divorce
and subsequent attempts to appear at the
Folie Gorgeres Theater in living pictures
has been attracting so much attention in
the press, is an American Yet it is on the
strength of the misconduct of this relative
ly infinitesmal number of individuals, some
French and the other foreign, who are
thus held up to public obloquB in the press
that the entire French nation with a pop
ulatton of 40,000O00, is branded as so corrupt
and so lacking on the score of morality
that the word French" here in America
has come to be regarded as synonymous
with "indelicate"
Police experts, and those who devote
their time to the study of crime and of
social problems therein do not hesitate to
express the very decided opinion that there
IS UNNECESSARILY more social corruption at
Berlin at Vienna, al St. Petersburg, and
even in Stockholm than at Paris, While
Brussels has achieved for herself an un-
desirable pre-eminence over all the other
cities of the world as the principal source
of all the literary filth. which Beelzebub in
spires degenerate scrbes to write for the
contamination of innocence and purity.
But every one of these capitals just men
toned make a point of observing the max
i'm of de La Rochefoucauld and keep as far
as possible a veil of mystery of their mis-
doings, the scandal which they print in
their newspapers relating exclusively to oc-
currences abroad and TO foreigners, a dis
Greet silence being observed in connection
with those happening nearer home one
may search the Berlin journals and those
of Vienna in vain for any unsavory gossip
concerning the German ariStOcracy or
about the Austrian great world. But you
will find in their columns the fullest de-
tails concerning the scandals of the hour
in Madrid, London, Paris or st. Peters
burg. Partisan newspapers on the other
hand are apparently never so happy
when fouling their own nest, and as when
holding up the moral shortcomings or their
and in a far too highly colored light to the
gaze of the entire world.
WHERE MANNER COUNTS.
1t will doubtless astonish many people in
America to learn that nowhere in Europe
does responsibility count for so much as
among the French middle and lower classes,
while the great world of France attaches
equal Importance to what it describes as
correctness of conduct, speech and man.
ner. If Felix Faure, and before him Cas-
mir Perier and Sadi-Carnot, were elected
by the suffrages of their countrymen to the
chief magistracy of the republic, it was
mainly because of all the rival candidates
for that high office they were held to come
nearest to the national ideal of respecta-
qualities which are invariably preferred by
the French to brilliancy, to wit, and to
smartness of intellect ard nowhere are
Irregularities of conduct visited with more
serious consequences to a public man or
viewed with greater severity by the people
at large than in France. That was indeed
the cause of the lamentable failure and fall
of President GreVy. The fact that his do
nestle relations prior to the fall of the en-
characters fact of which no one was
aware at the time of his election as chief
magistrate-was forever being brought to
bear against him, and it was solely due to
similar causes that the late Nj. Chalamel
Lacour, the clevcrest Ffenchman who has
ever held office under the third republic.
was on three separate occasions defeated
by overwhelming majorities in his efforts
to secure the presidency This high price
set upon responsibility is to be found in
every class of French society; and it IS but
a year go that a retired revenue officer,
who, like his father and grandfather be
fore him, had been decorated with the
Legion of Honor, and pensioned off nearly
two score years of subaltern service to the
state, was shown to have murdered his
reprObate son in consequence of the young
man having brought disgrace upon the hon
or of the name of a family, which, though
humble. had been noted throughout three
generations for it's Responsibility.
In conclusion, let me say that strict OBJ
servance of the marriage ties is the rule
in French families, and not the exception.
as people here seem to believe Indeed, the
family relations are perhaps even moro
close and more intimate in France than in
<AIlltliCt OWlliS ~ lllG lslCl llIdl lIlclt II
infinitely less independence on the part of
the wife, the daughters and The sons. The
latter, even when grown p and gray head
ed, cannot contract a marriage without the
parental sanction, ana the fact that no one
should have ever thought of modifying the
law upon the subject shows conclusively the
extent to which the filial sentiment prevails
in France.
New York is not America. ror is Paris
France Both cities are infinitely too cos
mopolitan 20 serve as a sample or stand
ard of the character of their respective
countries. And if the French We're to know
little more of America than they do at
presented that America that lies beyond
the limits of even greater New York. and
if, on the other hand, the Americans We're
to possess q more extensive acquaintance of
France than can be derived from French
novels. plays, newspapers and from brief
visits to Paris. we should 10 longer find the
words 'bien Am ericain'' used in France to
designate things that are indicate, nor the
latter described in this country as $50 very