New-York tribune., 1907-01-07
FRENCH ESTIMATES OF GREATNESS.

An interesting and decidedly inspiring light
is thrown upon the French national and popu-
lar mind by the results Of Il plebiscite which
the Petit Parisien" has been taking That
paper is one of the most widely circulated IN
France, and has for its constituency no par
ticular party, crew, class or social grade but
rather a fair and very large representation OF
the whole French people. It recently Invited
its readers TO indicate whom they considered
to have been the greatest men of France in
the last century. Such votings have been COM
mon enough-and futile enough and wearisome
enough-in other countries even in our own.
But this one in France seems TO have been
taken up generally and so seriously as to
give us really significant index Of the French
estimate of greatness. More than 15,000,OOo
votes have been cast, and number of the
foremost names received more than 100000
votes EACH figures worthy TO be taken as ex-
pressing much of the mind of France.
It will probably cause much surprise, though
also much qualification TO very many, to know
that the name which leads all the rest with
33S 425 votes is that of Louis Pasteur Prob
ably the average outsider would have guessed
that the choice would fall upon Napoleon Bona
parte, or Victor Hugo, or Adolphe Thiers or
Leon Gambetta. But no, France chose by g.
decisive plurality that modest, patient, indom-
liable Christian philosopher and scientist who
gave his life to proving that only from life can
life proceed, TO saving the silk and vine and
sheep Industries from ruin, and TO protecting
mankind from some of the deadest of plaques.
When we consider that to Pasteur more than
to any other man, perhaps more than to all
others, we owe the modern science of bac-
teriology and all that it means to human health,
we shall not be inclined to quarrel with the
estimate which his loving and reverent coun-
tryInen put upon the man.
Victor Hugo came second, with 227 103 votes
which is not surprising. Gambetta, whose glory
has not yet faded as much as it will, was
third with ,155672 Napoleon Bonaparte once
first, and no second was only fourth with
1,11s,034 votes, followed by Theirs, with 1889
453. Thus people supposedly devoted to mill
tary glory put its greatest soldier only fourth
on its roll Of fame and put only one soldier in
the first five immortais Of the century, Still
more impressive does that feature Of the Voting
become when we go further along in the list.
LeZare Carnot, who organized victory and
incidentally introduced military conscriptIon
stands sixth. Then followed in order Curie,
with his wife the joint discoverer of radium;
the elder Dumas fBalzac is nowhereD; Roux
the conqueror Of dphtheria; Parmentier, the
potato planter: Ampere. the electrician: Brazza.
the African explorer: Zola, largely because OF
his "Jaccusc"; Lamartine, Arago. Sarah Bern
hardt. Waldeck- Rousseau MacNIahon, sadi
Carnot, Chevreul Chateaubriand, De Lesseps
Michelet, Jacquard inventor OF the loom: Jules
Verne, exPresident Loubet and Denfert-
Rochereau, the hero OF Belfort
We may not challenge the title of any OF
these to fame, though must wonder at the
faliure Of many names TO be ranked among
these first twenty-seven. Where are Lafayette
Guizot, Talleyrand? Where are BaIzac. Sand.
De Musset, Thine. Sante- Beuve? Where are
tie painters and musicians of France? Beyond
doubt we must regard this list with some sur
prise and disapprova for its omissions Yet in
the first twenty OF her heroes France In