The times., 1899-02-22
France and Her Statesmen.

The SureSt lndlcat1On OF Il lack Vi pun
lie virtue in France, proof of utter weari-
ness or disgust and consequent indiifer-
ence to the fate of the country, is the toll
Grafton of certain noisy and vicious An
archists like Deroulede and a few other
anti-Dreyfusards. If France were herself;
if she had not been allowed to become de-
generate by her long nursing of revenge
full thoughts and purposes, these seoun-
drels would long since have found them
selves in the workhouse, where -they be-
long. In no other country in the world,
except the Philippines. perhaps, would
such scallawags be permitted to raise
their ugly voices, hoarse with absinthe, TO
disturb the public peace. Nowhere else
would a brainless, characterless lunatic
like Deroulede find it safe to come out OF
the dramshop and the holes where the en-
emies of society hide and into the sun
light, to rail against the government. Yet
such is the deseneracy of what was once
the most cultured and patriotic of peo-
pies, that this despicable demagogue, who
would be dangerous if he were not a cow
ard, has found it possible to gather a
able rawlings. In all the painful spectacles
OF a period of confusion. the kind of at
tention Deroulede, with a few Of his fel-
lows, receives is the most disgusting. In
stead OF being sent TO jail as an Anarchist
brawler or a vagabond capable of being
an assassin he is applauded in a legisla-
tive chamber and wildly cheered in the
What a descent for France, If she has
left any men of power and aggressive pa
triotism and not merely timid burgesses
who seek security for the property they
have made in trade, like the new Presi-
dent, they keep themselves secluded at
this time, evidently regarding as hopeless
a people who will listen to so cheap a
scoundrel as Beaurepaire, whose success
in achieving a high judicial position was
due to base trickery and the selling out of
his own friends. IL is incredible that
these creatures. lacking all the qualities of
honest manhood, are the best product of
the generation in a race that has played
so vital a part in the history of man
kind. It must be simply that all men who
possess the least sanity and the other
equipments OF a patriot statesman, have
abandoned their country TO the wolves and
the shopkeepers.
President Loubet is said to be an honest
man, simple, seIf-made lawyer, who is
without conspicuous talents. His election
was a distinct triumph of the virtuous
elements, but he is not the man to redeem
France. He may prove an obstacle in the
way of the schemes of the conspirators
against the government. although his pow
stretch his authority even to preserve the
| Republic. That his selection to succeed
/ the dead President has been welcomed by
the friends of good order and republican
| institutions only shows how sore are the
| straits in which the country finds itself.
/ He displays the shrewdness of the attor-
ney in playing on the popular love OF the
army, instead of denouncing military usur-
| pations and calling on ~ citizens OF
| France to uphold the civ .gr and save
| their country from the menace of the
army. 4 true and strong and courageous
their ruinous dependence on troops for
| a revenge the hope OF which has already
| proved so costly and turn their minds to
| the establishment of a true Republic He
| would send all such scoundrels as De-
! roulede on the one hand and Beaurepalre
| on the other to jail. the former as a vaga-
/ bond Anarchist and the latter as traitor
J