Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-08
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"a MUNICIPAL MANIAC"
Colonel Ochiltree's Lurld Description of
Paris.

0oipicl = l4uriU Description or
Paris.
Ncw York Verdict.)
Colonel Ochiltrce. sage, statesman
soldier, traveller and rccontcur, has re-
turned. Nine months in Paris two in
London. Colonel Ochiltrec has had a
New York absence of eleven months 1t
was the other day we met. | was the
gamer; 1t is worth ones while To en-
counter Colonel Ochiltrce. TO know
him is Il joy; to be his intimate friend
an education. Merely to meet him be-
comes an inspiration. What of Paris?"
said Colonel Ochiltree, repeating my
question: Crazy. sir, absolutely crazy
Paris Is municipal maniac. You've
seen n lunatic? That goes without ques-
ton. for l recall that YOU put in six
years about Congress. Well. Paris
comes simply to be n lunatic organized
as a city. 1t Is camped midway be
tween the mad-house and the barri-
cades.
What has done II? Absin,hc and
utter moral vilencss. There is no doubt
of II. I've watched Paris for thirtv-one
years. And it has been going down hill
mentally, morally, physically, nervous
ly. Slapped and undcr-dug in each par
ticular byits vic drinks and vicr NOR
ais Perhaps l should say immorals:
Paris has no morals worthy of the
word.
Yes. the topic of all topics is the
Dreyfus case. 1t curls every lip. ways
every tongue, fills every Partisan
mouth Dreyfus will yet. prove the
rock upon which Paris Will split France
for weeks trcmblcd on the brink of war
with England. one heard nothing of
ii in Paris. The cafes rang with Drey-
lus. while the h!cker with England over
Fashoda hardly gained n notice
What would England have done to
France in the event of war? What wo
did to Spain. Tho British would have
sent the French navy To the bottom like
a lot Of anvils. The French navy
wouldn't have lasted IS long as drink
OF whiskey. y Frenchmen at sea is
Frenchman lost. He should keep off
the water. To begin with, he fears wa
ter like n cat And he is too hystcrical.
too fantastic to sail n boat and fight at
one and the same time. BIlows and
broadsides in conjunction overthrow the
French reason. England would have
thrashcd France out Of hand. 1t was
the French good fortune that some of
their quarterback gang had wit enough
To see it and get Marchand out OF
Egypt.
What of the French army? a mere
muster of degenerates; manikins in red
brooches. The French army hasn't dis
ciplinc of Il gang Of section hands.
Dirty. dissolute. debauchcd; the French
army would be a popular menace were
it not for its weak invirility 1t hasn't
manhood enough To be dangerous. The
army is n thing Of tinscl; as sordld as
it is tawCry. with morals ana mentality
in bitter strife for the lowest place. 1t
is no wonder those blonde, healthy
giants of Germany thirty years ago
went over the French army men like
landscape. If Germany and France
should night again, Germany would in
a month leave nothing of her but rags,
and not enough of them 10 flag n hand
car
Tell you OF the Dreyfus case? There
is no doubt among fair minds of his in
nocence. Tho Court OF Cessation viii
say so. When 1t does. look out. The
mob will rise. and the mob will be the
army recruited with all that is thievish,
seMer-born and mud-engcndered in the
whole city of Paris. The doings OF The
Commune Will have redoing. 1t will be
a day OF blood and torch and barricade
of loot. rap!nc. pillage and murder.
Absolutely. conditions In Paris are
hidcouS and a horror. Its legislature is
Il beer garden, its press the tool of
money its law farce, while so-callcd
justice Is joke when II isn't an out
rage. The Court of Cessation is one sole
tribunal worthy dogs respect, the one
last feeble rift in the clouds that threat
en- France. And yet while | was there
Henri Rochefort came out in his paper
and said that the judges OF the Court
OF Cessation ought to be taken and tor
turcd to death by tying them prone in
the DilZliit, sun, cutting OIL their eye
lids and letting vcnomous spiders suck
their eyes from the sockets. This rath-
or elaborate disposal of these judges
was opposed by another editor, who
urged. in the name Of brevity. that they
be burned at tho stake instead.
And Paris calls itself civilized, while
its papers soberiy urge such savage bal
derdash on crazy public. who lap it
up like spring water!
NO. tho French have no use for
America. They hate Yankee as they
do a Jew. For myself, I regard their
hatred as great compliment. Paris
differs from London In that behalf. If
you want to hear London cheer itself
hoarse show 1t the Stars ana Stripes.
Unless I miss my guess. the next
few months in Paris will be worth a
worlds watching. Dreyfus. If he es-
capes assassination in his cell, will go
free. Paris, on the feather-edgn OF tn
multi now. will make that the signal for
trouble and the very cutters will romp
with gore.
"One might sum up Paris like this:
IT is rich. frugal. vile. artistic. vicious.