The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1898-10-28
FRENCH DECADENCE.
EXPLANATION OF 1T BY n
FRENCHMAN.
Haa Taset on Pebble Lfe-He Saws
uaisse and Rsbeiais Were True Sons
Of the ylae. Caustio. Tlppant and
Vohind-satire Depiored

France Is In trouble about her soul
She Is filled with vague and unrealized
desires. fays the London Mail. Not
content with her wealth and capacity
for happiness. which might inspire
envy In the breast Of the most AFRO
gapt Anglo-SaxOn, she still signs for
what she has not. and dreams OF an
empire across the sea. as though her
own country we're a heritage not worth
the keeping She feels the need OF ex-
pansIon. 70 say her philosophers. and
she cannot satisfy her need. The al
llance with Russia proved for awhile
an arrangement Of grief. but the i'm
perial bond is becoming irksome. and
the voice Of France Is once more raised
IN amcntation Paris " destroying
the provinces says one. by attracting
all the talent OF the country to her
boul,yards. the Jews are destroying
the whole country. says another, by
putting all her money into their gaping
pockets But never did pesslmlsm dis
cover 10 strange a complaint az that
set forth by " Demollns In bis recent
book Les Francais d'Aujourd'hui."
For this professor has made a study
OF the modern Frcnchman and declares
that be- Is ruined by the fertility OF his
eountry's soil.
That, indeed. though no would not
alIow II. Is the conclusion Of his arsu-
mont France. says he. is heading
straight for docadoncc. she Is follow
ing Greece. Italy. and Spain into the
night Of hopeless obscurity. and she
owes her failure TO the baleful effect
OF a generous soil upon her character.
lie has examined the provinces one
by one. and wherever his travels have
led him he has found only one ominous
content The English. unable TO grow
their own corn. are wont to deploro the
sad condition OF the farmer. NJ. De-
molIns travels into Touraino or Gas
cony and sheds tears OF bitter grief
over the fertility Of the vineyards. The
vine. he declares. has ruined France
and doprayed the French character.
Not that he brings n charge OF
drunkenness against his countrymon:
they, at least, are not driven by an
Indictment climate to the solace OF tho
bottle No. the vice OF the grape Is
far less obvious than the teetotaler
would suppose. In the FIRST place, Il
yields a handsome profit for "A small
outlay, and that In the beginning OF
Its wlckednesa. once the vine IN plant
ed II goes on year after year flling
the pocket OF the peasant In return
Tor modest Investment and little
labor Moreover. ita cultivation may
be undertaken by small proprietors.
Who need neither be exploited by cap
italiats nor undono BY tho purchase
OF complicated machinery. So that
under ita influence France has become
the country OF small holdings and has
thus achieved without any Intervention
tho benencent result which years OF
legislation have failed to effect In 9TH
Or countries.
But. says NJ. Demollns. the result Ia
not bencficent az all. A the vine
may be- grown and pressed without
elaborate machinery Ia cultivation il
bad for trade" And its immoral in
iluonce 10 still worse An easy pros.
perity renders the family unstable aud
converts the young into monsters OF
cruelty. The old men are thrust out
and their wealth UNANIMOUSLY stolen.
until every village In Touraino pro-
yldea the material for another tragedy
Of Lear. Again, an easy livelihood
produces leisure. another vague dream
OF the legislator, ana leisure brings
In ita train improyidonee and luxury.
NJ. Demollns asserts. though we. can
hardly believe It. that In the Herault
the women cover themselves with orn-
amenta. And II this indictment be
true, II IL clear that the grape Ia
Frances worst enemy. "in good
years" says this extraordinary phil
osopher. the vine gives considerable
profits and this IL sufficient reason
TO deploro its oxistenoel
But tho worst In not yet told Tho
vino exercises. also. debaalng lnnu.
ence upon public life. II makes Tor
equality and those democratic virtues
Tor which we have been told the blood
Of France was shed and for which a
king lost his head upon the scanold.
Il Is droll enough TO hear a French
man deplore the spirit OF equality; II
ia droller still 10 hear II ascribod to the
cultivation OF the grape.
In literature the same unhappy eff
feet Ia visible. Rabelais and Balzac.
born In Tourlne, are true sons OF tho
grape. and they were both caustlc.
filppant and unklnd. In fact, they
looked upon the bitter side OF life and
though the world has regarded them as
men OF genius. NJ Dcmolins deplores
their satire, ana believes that II only
Touraino had enjoyed an ungrateful
soil these heroes might never have
been born. In fact. what we have
always believed the glorles OF France
are her shame. and II Is only when the
grape Is turned into brandy that NJ.
Demollns admits its excellence. For
the manufacture OF brandy requires
machinery, and machinery demands
cooperation. And II Is by eo-opera-
ton that France shall be saved from
tho consequences OF her own prosper
lty.
Brittany Ia not cursed with the vine,
yet this province fares no better at
the hands OF NJ. Demollns The Bre-
,aNNrn awA aalah Uah and