The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-03-20
MARsE1LLEs. FRANCE, March lsth, 1909.


the incessant denunciations of governmental
policies, and the alarming predictions which are
appearing with increasing frequency in conser-
vative and independent newspapers. One or
two concrete incidents, not of absolutely vital
Importance in themselves, but testifying elo-
quently to the spirit of dissatisfaction and I'M
rest, which is abroad upon the winds, will serve
to indicate the crying need for changes and re-
forms, If not for revolution.
The great question of the hour is still the
miserable Steinhel affair, the murder mystery
which has impassioned the French public month
after month. The real interest in the case ut
would otherwise be nothing more than the
murder of an ignoble husband by an unfaithful
wife) lies in the fact that the singular attitude
of the judiciary makes it the elimination, the
climax of the scandalous manipulations which
characterized successfully the Dreyfus case, the
Humbert case, and, in an altogether different
manner, the death of Felix Faure. The French
people are heartily out of patience with these
trials and investigations, in which the prose-
cutting officers and the government seem to act
with the hesitating and embarrassed air of an
accomplish. The attitude of the ministers of
Justice toward this latest crime has been incon-
ceivable. The frightful part of 1t Is that If the
Judges and magistrates had been permitted to
pursue their course without the unauthorized
intervention Of the newspapers and the public,
the truth of the affair would still be shrouded in
darkness.
In lesser, unimportant cases. which do not in
volve secrets of state'and "hautes personages,"
the Indifferent and lackadaisical methods of in
vestigation now in vogue are equally calculated
to weaken public confidence in the department
of justice and police. One example will suffice.
On the last night of December, 1905 certain
Monsieur and Madame Matthew, who lived in
modest residence in suburb of Colonies, near
Paris, were robbed and murdered. The crime
was discovered by butchers boy and promptly
reported to the police, but the Partisan newspa-
per men were upon the scene three hours in ad-
vance of Chief Hamard and his officers. and it
was only upon reading the newspapers on the
morning of January I'd that the police learned
the most important and significant details of
the crime week passed, the official detec-
tives were working always upon the hypothesis
that the crime had been committed by certain
well known band of professional burglars. Then
another reporter, by a clever piece of private
investigation, proved that the detectives were
off the scent, and even succeeded in furnishing
a very definite description of the real murderer.
The officers shamefacedy acknowledged their
error, but they have not yet landed the author
of the crime The reporters are ahead of the
police nearly every time crime is committed
not that the French reporters are keener or more
intelligent than the American or English news
paper men, but simply because the French po-
lice service, theoretically the most scientific and
finely organized body in the world, is practically
slow and inefficient. The officers occupy them
selves with microscopic analysis of cigar ashes
and with the measuring of footprints to the
thousanth part of a hairs breadth. when they
should be grabbing the criminal by the collar
and whacking him over the head with hickory
club. France is one of the richest countries In
the world. Its citizens pay heavy taxes and have
a right to demand the very best police protec-
ton. They have all the more right to demand
frstclass secret service and police administra-
ton because it is in France that the theoretical
science of criminology has reached its highest
perfection.
Another glaring instance of administrative in
capacity or Indifference is seen in the miserable
condition of the streets of Paris after series of
snow storms just before Christmas. For two
days residents and merchants (the latter losing
thousands of dollars) waited patiently for the
department of public works to begin clearing
the principal thoroughfares. then they appoint
ed delegation of protest. The delegation found
and learned that he was absent enjoying him
self in his villa on the Mediterranean. The
frightful condition of the streets was not re-
lieved until January I'd, after an estimated loss
of millions by the merchants.
The French taxpayer seems to be paying more
and more every year and getting less and less
growing dissatisfaction with the present admin
istration and often with the present system of
government.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that
the Royalist party, with its President to the
throne, the Duke of Orleans and the Bonapartist
party, with Victor Bonaparte at its head. are
both extremely active and waiting patiently to
seize the first opportunity to advance their
spective causes. The question is very much
'alive." A few weeks ago, when Jean Seraphin
Maths a weak minded garcon-de-cafe, assaulted
President Fallierers while the latter was prone
nading in the Champs Elysees. the first question
asked was whether Maths was a Royalist or a
Bonapartist and whether the action was ap-
proved by the two pretendents. When M. Gle
menceau makes speech against some proposed
piece of legislation. which does not meet with
his approval, he invariably declares that this or
that course of action is dangerous because it
would lead to restoration of the monarchy"
1 do not know exactly why, and it certainly
seems strange. but when the average French
man complains of the corruption of the govern
ment he concludes, not by expressing his desire
for the reversal of the Clemenceau administra
ton, but for the overthrow of the republic,
after which he would establish another repub
lie or a constitutional monarchy, according as
he is republican or royalist. The we'll known
hostility of the church toward the present form
of government is another fact to be taken into
consideration.
DECADENCE OF MORALS AND IDEALS.
Nearly all moralists who visit France deplore
the decline of respect for what they call the in-
stitution of the family" and view with alarm
the increasing tolerance of the French public
toward temporary illegal liasons and toward the
cases of open conjugal infidelity, which have
become so common among certain classes. But
these are thii.g s of which France certainly has
not the exclusive monopoly, and it seems to me
that the real, crying social evil of the times in
France is something deeper, something that re-
quires a different definition. 1t is the decay of
ideals, rather than the decay of institutions the
decadence of the sentiment of maternity" on
the one side and the decay of the sentiment of
personal bravery and honor on the other.
The great department stores of France have
recently, by the publication of statistics cover
ing period of or 10 years, brought to light two
curious and significant facts A decade ago, in
the toy departments, the sale of dolls for the
girls and lead soldiers for the boys netted every
season profit larger than that of all other kinds
of toys combined. Since that time the sale of
dolls and lead soldiers has steadily decreased
until this last Christmas season it amounted TO
less than one-twentieth part of the sales of the
same articles for the same season ten years ago.
The little girls are satisfied with nothing but
jewelry and expensive articles of personal adorn-
ment, while the little boys want their Christmas
presents in checks or in money.
DOLLS are so bothersome !" fretfully exclaims
the little French girl, whose mama suggests a
dolly for Christmas.
LEAD soldiers are so foolish! !" cries the little
brother.
And behind these two banal, childish exclama-
lions, rejecting the example offered by fathers
and mothers, lurk the two powerful and insidi-
GUS monsters that may one day deliver France
weakened and degenerate into the hands of her
hereditary enemies who are waiting patiently
on the other side of the German and Austrian
frontier.
The first of these monsters is Race Suicide.
The second is Antimilitarism.
PEssIMIsTIc PREDICTIONS.
Certainly no single one of the facts which 1
have cited would justify an observer. above all
q stranger, foreigner, in declaring categori-