The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-28
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such as marked the closing year oi the 18th century? Readers Of history do not need to be told of the condi- tions existing during those years; the discontent, the uprisings. the excesses that affected the entire nation; when the cry of Liberty and Equality was heard all over the land and when law ana order and even common humanity were trampied under foot, and when the very dregs of society arose to the top and the best and highest people of France were imprisoned, beheaded, assassinated or driven into exile. New CT was the expression Reign of Ter ror' better suited to conditions.
 All this is history. For long pe- riod the French Republic has been a comparatively stable. quiet and order iy government, but now the indica- tions point to another upheavai, with possibly a repetition of order and bloodshed. Mir. H. R. Chamberlain, writing from Paris to the Chicago Tri- bune on the 2s declares that France at the present moment Is face to face with the gravest peril that can me- mace democracy or any form of govern ment. The law has bowed before the mob in more than one disturbed dis trict with the inevitable result. Re- bellion is begun and anarchy threatens to follow swiftly. not only at the scenes of prevailing riots. but in Paris itseif.
 The present troubles are both fn- dustrial and political, with large ad- mixture of Socialism. The miners. the iron workers and probably other in dustries are dissatisfied. Already there have been several strikes in va rious parts of the country, attended by the violence and lawlessness which usually attend strikes. It has been an- nounced that unless some satisfactory understanding is reached before the 1st of May there will be general strike throughout the nation. If that occurs France will be almost in state of revolution, for the discontented and restless working men are backed up and secretly or openly encouraged by those who hope to gain something for themselves by disorder.
 But there is another and perhaps a more dangerous cause at work and that is the political one. The general election occurs on the 6th of May and political dissatisfaction and unrest unite with industrial troubles. There Is great dissatisfaction with the Min istry and the government. Politics in France is based on friendship or oppo- sitione to government-those, who are for the powers in office and those who are against them, and it is apprehend- ed that the elections will bring on a continuation of existing troubles.
 And perhaps the most dangerous fea- ture of all is the activity of profess sional agitators and strife-breeders. They are and have lately been busy among the strikers as well as among the enemies of the government. Mir. Chamberlain tells of professional agi- tators from Paris who systematically went about spreading sedition, and seeking to change the movement from an ordinary strike into a general in- surrection." And 1t is from these pro 1 fessionals'' that most danger is to be
 spprehended; not because they are phy- | sically the most dangerous element, but
 because they stir up trouble hoping
 to gain by it.
 And the still greater danger, so far
 as apprehension of physical violence
 is concerned lies in the very lowest | and outcasts who have nothing to
 lose by a revolution but who will find | plenty vengeance on the better peo- | pie who have cut them out. These are the wolves of France. ever ready to bite and ever on the watch for a chance to rob and to kill their betters.
 With them either a labor strike or a political revolution offers a fine harvest and they will join any party that prom 1 ises most trouble and most plunder And added to all these portentious features of the situation is the fact that troops are being massed at the various points of danger. As all know the people who are so ready to stir
 up strife and encourage disorder have a hatred of the military. They always
 have much to say about free speech
 and about the government crushing
 the liberties of the people by the mil
 itary power. If a revolution breaks
 out In France 1t will require some
 such man as Bonaparte to take charge
 of the army and put down the revolu-
 tionsts. yet the very sight of armed and uniformed men Is red rag in the
 faces of a lawless and blood thirsty mob.
 Looking at the matter in any way we
 can view it, with the news coming from
 there, 1t seems certain that the next
 few days are fraught with grave dan gers for France. It is possible that
 the labor difficulties may be settled,
 and it is also possible that the cleo
 tions may pass off quietly and peace I ably, but neither Is probable. The
 causes of dissatisfaction are too nu-
 merous and widespread, and the sit-
 uatlon too acute to hope that there will be no trouble. week will decide 1t -S-o-S----
 sHoo FLYl
 1 We believe it was Mark Twain, or