Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/129

 THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN FRANCE 113

Parisian newspapers. L' Intransigeant is managed by Henry Rochefort. This old war-horse is as full of spirit as ever, and as fiery as a youth. His peculiar controversial style, which, though witty, is not very deep, does, however, not now please the multi- tude as much as it formerly did, and the number of copies daily issued by the paper does not exceed 70,000, while fifteen years ago it was double and even sometimes triple that number. Le Petit Journal is read especially for its miscellaneous news, its general information, and its serial stories. Its sale is 1,000,000 copies.

The Anti-Semites flourished especially between 1890 and 1900. Now there are very few of them left I mean of those who proclaim themselves to be such ; because, in spite of himself, every Frenchman is prejudiced against a Jew. The Anti-Semitic program was very simple: fight the Jews and expel them. Beyond that, it varied with the different individuals. All shades of political opinion were represented, from Royalism to Socialism. The official organ of Anti-Semitism is La Libre Parole, the cir- culation of which has now fallen to 70,000 copies, after having exceeded 200,000. This paper was founded by Edouard Drumont, who is still its manager. It is his paper, it subsists only through him, and it is for him alone that it is read. Edouard Drumont is a writer of talent, whose numerous political and social works, written between 1880 and 1895, exercised a notable influence upon the young men of that time. Though a deputy from 1898 to 1902, his influence has been decreasing ever since.

The " Christian Democrats " or " Social Catholics " are few in number. They advocate social reforms with socialistic tend- encies, but they also want the supremacy of the church and religion. The social program of the French Christian Democrats is not so well-defined as that of the Belgian party of the same name. They differ from the Catholic Conservatives only in that they desire social reforms in which more emphasis is laid upon democratic principles. They publish an organ in Paris, Le Peuple frangais, the editor of which is the Abbe Gamier. It is in Paris and in the North that the Christian Democrats are most active; but without a great degree of success, especially in Paris. The central part of the country is too far advanced for such influences.