The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-09-13
THE DEMAG0GUE'S DESTINY


the bigness of nature and the strength
OF mind. is too assertive, cannot ex-
pect to be here for more than a min
ute. Less than q generation ago the
Boulangcr. "le brav general" But
In time he became fugitive from his
own country.
In our own country we have seen
the demagogue of today become the
vagabond Of tomorrow. Sulzer's fall
was n remarkable example of cheap
man riding TO fall.
We will point out no analogies. but
will merely recite the history OF the
French coxcomb to show how tickle
is favor how futile is the effort of the
demagogue to fool the people more
than for n moment at least.
"C'est Boulanger qu'ie nos faute"
sang the hysterical and hypnotized
populace in the streets of Paris. "He
is Boulanger, he can make no mis-
take" Just as people have said of
other demagogues, "He can 10 no
wrong, I believe nothing l see about
him in the papers" There WIS a
day when Boulanger might have gath
cred anil OF France in his grasp-but
he passed.
At one time this French swashbuck.
Ter might have said In earnest:
"L'etat-C'est moi"-"I am the state
This willy politician had practiced the
arts of popularity so successfully
that he made himself the idol OF the
befooled multitude by skillful blus-
ter and pose.
A recently published encyclopedia
says: Through the introduction OF
some army reforms and appearance
of music hall song in his praise,
he was adopted as the embodiment OF
the revenge" policy by the Parisians
who for some months suffered from
what was termed Boulanger 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 sgoism. 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
unscrupulous as regarded politics.
His shoddy ideal was military one,
and he took care to present himself
through the glorified haze of a mill
tory record. He ..xas intellectually
seven pounds lighter than q straw
nat; mis- speeches and writings crum-
BILE to impalpable dust on analysis.
His instincts were ali toward autocra-
cy. Imperialism, personal rule. The
one effective dart against his armor
was ridicule, the one 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 bladder and that there
fore. his advocacy of anything was
meaningless. trivial and insignificant.
They dignifed him by Identifying him
with cause" whereas the man him
self would have collapsed at the pin
prick Of contemot and mockery.
When he had once gathered his fol-
lowing In seemed that nothing could
check him. He committed biunders
repeatedly, that would have ruined
any other man. He talked things and
did many things that would have
speit political death In the ordinary
code. He had "Boulanger luck"
with him. surviving disgrace, expos
ure. loss OF Office, surviving revela-
lions OF cowardire. treachery. mental
dishonesty. Apparently he was above
all laws. Apparently 1t was written
as grim jest hat q great nation
Should come to wreck upon the igno-
rant. absurd. dangerous little man:
that civilization should turn back an
OF fifty years at the pompous ges-
tue of this blatant demagogue.
But 6ouianger pasaed He ca-.,oa