Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 20 March 1894, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

(from our own correspondent.) ; Paris, 31st Jan., 1894. Whatever opinion may be formed of the French Revolution of 17»9 it has had one good effect. It has formed an insuperable barrier to French Socialism, which cannot advance without attacking its main dogma the liberty of the indtvidual. When the Slate holds all property and deals out daily rations to all alike of equal quantity, there is no such a thing as individual liberty. Where there is no individual liberty, the relations between the State and the individual become simply those of master and slave. It is a fortunate thing for France also, that the French Revolution of 1789 has increased the number of small landed proprietors, nnd made a m^re g neral diffusion of property than in other European States. This diffusion of property forms a strong barrier in France to the spread ot Socialism, rs it would be difficult to persuade the masses, that they would be benefitted by giving up their property to the State. The Socialists eiideavdur to turn this difficulty by assuring the Freuch peasantry, that they shall.be devoured last of all, and" that in-.the meantime only the

corporations are attacked. They declare at present that they only intend to plunder the rich for the purpose of giving their wealth to the poor. M. Jaures is a good Parliamentary tactician, and he know what he was about when he proposed to apply the proceeds of conversion to the relief of the agriculturalists. He knew that most of the Deputies in their electoral programmes had promised to do something for agriculturalists \n(l tlv.it '.Ivy could vitla difficulty refuse to support a measure hiving tb i-9 object in view Ho played and played successfully on tho weakness of the Deputies in this respect. But when the Prime Minister declared that conversion and reduction of taxes were two separate measure?, and must be considered separately, the majority rallied round the Ministry and deprived M* Jaures of his ahort-lived triumph. An outcry has been raised against the Chamber for contradicting itself in the course of a single sitting, but it was better to do this than to overthrow the Ministry for the benefit of the small group of Socialists whom E. Jaures deigns to lead.