The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-03-19

has reached its highest perfection.
Another glaring instance Of admin
istrative incapacity or indifference is
seen in the miserable condition Of the
streets Of Paris after a series Of snow
storms just before Christmas. For
two days, residents and merchants
(the latter losing thousands Of dol
lars) waited patiently for the depart
ment Of public works to begin clear
ing the principal thoroughfares; then
they appointed a delegation Of pro-
test; the delegation found the office
of the commissioner closed and locked
and learned that he was absent en-
:joying himself in his villa on the Med
iterranean. The frigbtful condition
of the streets was not relieved until
January 2nd, 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 for his money.
The result is a deep-rooted and grow
! ing dissatisfaction with the present
administration and often with the
present system of government.
The situation is aggravated by the
fact that the Royalist party, with its
pretendent 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 opportun-
ity to advance their respective caus-
es. The question is very much
"alive." A few weeks ago, when
Jean Seraphin Maths, weak-minded
garcon-de-cafe, assaulted President
Falliere, while the latter was promen-
aiding in the Champs Elysees, the first
question asked was whether Maths
was Royalist or a Bonapartist, and
whether the action was approved by
the two pretendents. When NJ. Clem-
enceau makes a 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" I do not know exactly
why, and it certainly seems strange,
but the average Frenchman complains
of the corruption of the. government,
he concludes, not by expressing his
desire for the reversal Of the Clemen-
ceau administration, but for the over
throw of the republic; after which he
would establish another republic OF
constitutional monarchy, according
as he is republican or royalist. The
we'll known hostility Of the church
toward the present form Of govern
ment 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 institution Of
the family and view with alarm the
increasing tolerance Of the French
public toward temporary illegal lias-
ons and toward the cases Of open con-
jugal infidelity, which have become
so common among certain classes; but
these are things of which France
certainly has not the exclusive mono
polv. and it seems to me that the real,
crying social evil of the times in
France is something deeper, svme-
thing that requires different defini-
tion. It is the decay Of ideals, rather
than the decay of institutions, the
decadence Of the "sentiment of ma
ternity" on the one side and the de-
cay Of the sentiment OF personal
bravery and honor on the other.
The great department stores OF
France have recently, by the publica-
ton of statistics covering a: period of
8 or 10 years, brought to light two
curious and significant facts: decade
ago, in the toy departments, the sale
of dolls for the girls and lead soldiers
for the boys netted every season a
profit larger than that Of all other
kinds of toys combined; since that
time the sale of dolls and lead Sold
iers 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
adornment. while the little boys want
their Christmas presents in checks
or in money.