Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
PASTEUR HEADS LIST
Greatest French Citizen of the
Nineteenth Century.
VICTOR HUGO COMES NEXT
Result of Vote Invited by Leading
Newspaper Of Paris. -,
lola IN THIRTEENTH PLACE
Many Surprises When Result Of Con-
test is Made Public-Bernhardt
Leads Waldeck and Rosseau.
VICTOR HUGO COMES NEXT
lola IN THIRTEENTH PLACE
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
PARIS, January 12.-The word plehiscite
has been for more than thirty years a
word OF Ill omen In France. One of the
most widely circulated of French news
papers, the Petit Parisien. has however
been rehabilitating the word during the
past few weeks in way too striking to
be ignored. 1t appealed to its readers all
over the country to vote on the question
of the relative pre-emnence of the great
Frenchmen of the last century Fifteen
million answers have been received. and
what gives striking demonstration Is that
the opinion of average France is recorded.
not that of political coterie or of a cul-
tivated elite.
The world knows approximately what
France thinks Of her great men, and what
her conception is of civic duty, as well as of
civil and moral distinction. 1t is the revela-
ton to the foreigner of idealism hither-
to unsupported Only those Observers who
have had the privilege of studying the
evolution of the French mind and feeling
over an unbroken series of years on the
spot, We're aware of the profound trans
formation which the republican school syS-
tenn and stable republican government in
general have affected in the points OF view
of the present generation Of Frenchmen.
NdpOlcOu lS JUL ILL.,
The winner Of the recent contest is
Pasteur. Victor Hugo runs him close, hav-
ing received 1227. lo3 votes. against i.33s.
425 for the world renowned man of science
But it is characteristic that two men Of
peaceful pursuits should precede on the
lists those great Frenchmen who might
have appeared at first sight to have con-
trbuted to the military glory which the
French are supposed TO so much admire
Gambetta follows Victor Hugo with Lib
672 votes Then comes Napoleon l. and
Theirs with 111sO34 and 1898, ABB votes
respectively.
For the sixth place what foreigner would
have suggested the name Of Lazare Carnot-
The order of the names--which succeed
Lazare Carnots is interesting in the ex-
IRENE. Cure, the inventor of radium.
Alexander Dumas, pere. who has charmed
several generations. not only of Frenchmen.
but also of EngliShmen; DR.. Roux. the dis
coverer of d:phtheretic serum; Parmentier.
the introducer of the potato into France;
then Ampere the father of dynamic cleo
tricity: Brazza. the founder Of the French
West Africa; lola, whose place here, the
thirteenth on the list. shows conclusively
what France now thinks of his courageous
deed as author of "Jaccuse;" Lamartine, a
consoling selection for those who have al
ways regarded the author of The Lake" as
the most seductive Frenchman Of the nine
teenth century. and Francois AraSo, the as
tronomer and physicist.
Sarah Bernhardt's Place.
The sixteenth place is held glorously by
Mime Sarah Bernhardt. But immediately
afterward comes NJ Waldeck Rousseau.
MacMahon. the hero of the famous "Jy
suis. ~ reste;" President Carnot, who Ger
tainly incarnates here very characteristic
conception of civic duty: Chevreul. the
chemist and Chateaubriand. the most elo-
ouently French of all Of the writer's of the
last century unless exception be made for
Mckelot, who figures twenty-third on this
list after De I.esseps. That Is a victory
which shows how Shortived is French ram
cor.
Ten years ago no plebiscte in France
could have given such a result, the stupen-
douS energy of the creator of the Suez
canal having been forgotten amid the tenn
pest of the Panama scandals, The next four
names are jacquard. the inventor of the
weaving machine: Jules Verne President
Loubet and Denfert-Rochereau. The re-
suits constitute lesson full Of instruction
not only for the rulers of France. but for
foreigners curious to the temperament
and the ideals of contemporary Frenchmen.