The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-09-15
THE DEMAGOGUE'S DESTINY


OF mind. Is too asscrtive, cannot ex-
pect to he here for more than min
ute. Less than generation ago the
populace Of France was wild over
Boulunger, "le brav general" But
in time he became Il fugitive from his
own country.
In our own country we have seen
the demagogue OF today become the
vagabOnd of tomorrow. Suffers fall
was Il remarkable example OF cheap
man riding to Il fall.
We will point out no nnalogies, bur
will merely recite the history of the
French coxco1nb to show how nckle
Is favor. how futile Is the effort OF the
demagoguo to fool the people more
than for moment ut least.
"C'est Boulanger qu'ie nos faute"
sang the hysterical and hypnotized
populace in the streets of Paris. "He
il Boulanger. he can make no mis-
take" Just as people have said of
other dcmagogues. "IIe can do no
wrong, believe nothing see about
him in the papers" There was a
day when Boulanger might have gath
cred anil OF France in his grasp-but
lie passed.
At one time this French swashbuck-
ler might have said I'm earnest
mott am the state"
This willy politician had practiced the
arts OF popularity 80 successfully
that he made himself the idol OF the
befoolcd multitude by skillful blus-
ter and pose.
A recently published encyclopedia
says: Through the introduction of
some army reforms and appearance
OF a music hall song in his praise.
he was adopted rs the embodiment of
the revenge" policy. by the Parisians
who for some months suffered from
what was termed Boulangcr fever.
In 1889 he was prosecuted for his in
trigues and fled the country. He was
condemned in his absence and shot
himself on his mistress grave in
Brussells."
Another writer thus describes the
characteristics of the opera bouffe
tragedy, le brav' general Of q national
Mysteries:
He was pure egoism. enforced by
almost superhuman vitality. He had
an instructive feeling of the catchy
phrase, the shallow sentiment OF the
moment. He had no convictions on
any single subject save his own es-
sential sublimity. He was absolutely
as regarded politics.
His shoddy ideal was a military one.
and he took care to present himself
through the glorified haze of a mill
tory record. He was intellectually
seven pounds lighter than straw
hat; his speeches and writings crum-
BILE to impalpable dust on analysis.
His instincts were all toward autocra-
cy, Imperialism. personal rule. The
one effective dart against his armor
was ridicuie. the oua thing he feared
like every charlatan, was laughter.
Or consider certain points of his
career.
He developed his hold upon the peo-
pie through advocating reforms"
and policies" which insured him ex.
tensive and continuous advertising.
His opponents played into his hands
by attacking his policies" instead
OF merely showing that the man was
as hollow as a bladder and that there
tore. hia advocacy of anything was
meaningless. trivial and insignificant.
They dlgnifled him by identifying him
with Cause" whereas the man him
self would have collapsed at the pin
prick OF contempt and mockery.
When he had once gathered his fol-
lowing in seemed that nothing could
check him. He committed, blunders
repeatedly. that would have ruined
any other man. He talked things and
did many things that would hayo
spelt political death in the ordinary
code. He had "Boulanger luck"
with him. surviving disgrace. expos
ure. loss Of Office. surviving revela-
tions of cowardice. :reachery, mental
dishonesty. Apparently he was above
all laws. Apparently it was written
as grim Jest that great nation
should come to wreck upon the igno-
rant. absurd. dangerous little man:
that civilization should turn back an
other fifty years at the pompous ges-
turo of this blatant demagogue.
But Boulanger passed. He carried