Hégésippe Simon

See also: Simon

Hégésippe Simon , “teacher of the democracy” is a character invented by the journalist Paul Birault in 1913 for the needs for one mystification whose many members of Parliament of the time were victims. Paul Birault had indeed created the committee of the centenary of Hégésippe Simon and had sent an invitation to hundred members of Parliament of the Radical party (randomly selected) and to a minister, kindly requesting to them to go on March 31st to Poil, in Nievre, claimed birthplace of Hégésippe Simon, for the inauguration of the statue of “this large precursor which was Hégésippe Simon”. Not realizing even that the report of this fictitious inauguration appears in the edition of April 1st, certain deputies had not located the hoax since Paul Birault received seventeen positive responses (of which that of a deputy, which will become thereafter President of the Council, applicant to have known this precursor personally).

Paul Birault revealed finally the hoax in the edition of January 21st of the Flash , not without regret: “I had ended up accepting his existence by intend statesmen to pronounce his name” said it.

Hégésippe Simon was, according to his creator, the author of the sentence: Darkness disappears when the day rises.

See too

Hégésippe Simon, precursor of the democracy, by Breton Guy (pdf)

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