the origins of contemporary france-5-第101节

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be　met；　and　there　is　no　way　to　pay　them　outside　of　the　additional

centimes；　however　numerous　these　are；　vote　them　they　must　and　sanction

the　centimes　inscribed。　They　accordingly　affix　their　signatures；　not

with　trust　but　with　mistrust；　with　resignation；　and　out　of　pure

necessity。　Abandoned　to　their　natural　ignorance；　the　twenty…seven

thousand　petty　municipal　councilors　of　the　country　are　no　more

passive；　more　inert；　more　constrained　than　ever；　deprived　of　the　light

which；　formerly；　the　choice　of　the　prefect　or　a　restricted　suffrage

could　still　throw　into　the　darkness　around　them；　there　remains　to　them

only　one　safe　tutor　or　conductor；　and　this　final　guide　is　the　official

of　the　bureaus；　especially　this　or　that　old；　permanent　chief；　or　under

clerk；　who　is　perfectly　familiar　with　his　files　of　papers。　With　about

four　hundred　municipal　councils　to　lead；　one　may　imagine　what　he　will

do　with　them：　nothing　except　to　drive　them　like　a　flock　of　sheep　into

a　pen　of　printed　regulations；　or　urge　them　on　mechanically；　in　lots；

according　to　his　instructions；　he　himself　being　as　automatic　and　as

much　in　a　rut　as　they　are。



VI。　The　larger　Communes。



Effects　of　the　law　on　the　urban　commune。　…　Disproportion　between　the

administrative　capacity　of　its　elected　representatives　and　the　work

imposed　on　them。　…　Lack　of　a　special　and　permanent　manager。　…　The

municipal　council　and　the　mayor。　…　The　general　council　and　the

intermediary　committee。　…　The　prefect。　…　His　dominant　rule。　…　His

obligatory　concessions。　…　His　principal　aim。　…　Bargains　between　the

central　authority　and　the　local　Jacobins。　…　Effect　on　this　on　local

government；　on　the　officials；　and　in　local　finances。



Let　us　now　look　at　the　other　side　of　the　scale；　on　the　side　of　the

large　urban　communes；　of　which　there　are　223；　with　above　10；000

inhabitants；　90　of　these　above　20；000　inhabitants；　9　of　the　latter

above　100；000　inhabitants；　and　Paris；　which　has　2；300；000。＇28＇　We　see

at　the　first　glance　cast　upon　an　average　specimen　of　these　human

anthills；　a　town　containing　from　40；000　to　50；000　souls；　how　vast　and

complex　the　collective　undertaking　becomes；　how　many　principal　and

accessory　services　the　communal　society　must　co…ordinate　and　unite

together　in　order　to　secure　to　its　members　the　advantages　of　public

roads　and　insure　their　protection　against　spreading　calamities：



*　Maintenance　and　repairs　of　these　roads；　the　straightening；　laying…

out；　paving；　and　drainage；　the　constructions　and　expense　for　sewers；

quays；　and　rivers；　and　often　for　a　commercial　harbor；



*　the　negotiations　and　arrangements　with　departments　and　with　the

state　for　this　or　that　harbor；　canal；　dike；　or　insane　asylum；　the

contracts　with　cab；　omnibus；　and　tramway　companies　and　with　telephone

and　house…lighting　companies；　the　street…lighting；　artesian　wells　and

aqueducts；



*　the　city　police；　supervision　and　rules　for　using　public　highways；

and　orders　and　agents　for　preventing　men　from　injuring　each　other　when

collected　together　in　large　assemblies　in　the　streets；　in　the　markets；

at　the　theater；　in　any　public　place；　whether　coffee…houses　or　taverns；



*　the　firemen　and　machinery　for　conflagrations；　the　sanitary　measures

against　contagion；　and　precautions；　long　beforehand　to　insure　hygiene

during　epidemics；



*　and；　as　extra　burdens　and　abuses；　the　establishment；　direction　and

support　of　primary　schools；　colleges；　public　lectures；　libraries；

theaters；　hospitals；　and　other　institutions　which　should　be　supported

and　governed　by　different　associations；　at　the　very　least；　the

appropriations　to　these　establishments　and　therefore　a　more　or　less

legitimate　and　more　or　less　imperative　intervention　in　their　internal

management。



Such　are　the　great　undertakings　which　form　a　whole；　which　bear　alike

on　the　present；　past；　and　future　budget　of　the　commune；　and　which；　as

so　many　distinct　branches　of　every　considerable　enterprise；　require；

for　proper　execution；　to　have　their　continuity　and　connection　always

present　in　the　thoughtful　and　directing　mind　which　has　them　in

charge。＇29＇　Experience　shows　that；　in　the　great　industrial　or

financial　companies；　in　the　Bank　of　France；　in　the　Crédit　Lyonnais；

and　in　the　insurance；　navigation；　and　railroad　companies；　the　best　way

to　accomplish　this　end　is　a　permanent　manager　or　director；　always

present；　engaged　or　accepted　by　the　administrative　board　on　understood

conditions；　a　special；　tried　man　who；　sure　of　his　place　for　a　long

period；　and　with　a　reputation　to　maintain；　gives　his　whole　time；

faculties；　and　zeal　to　the　work；　and　who；　alone；　possessing　at　every

moment　a　coherent　and　detailed　conception　of　the　entire　undertaking；

can　alone　give　it　the　proper　stimulus；　and　bring　to　bear　the　most

economical　and　the　most　perfect　practical　improvements。　Such　is　also

the　municipal　administration　in　the　Prussian　towns　on　the　Rhine。　Then；

in　Bonn；　for　instance；＇30＇　the　municipal　council；　elected　by　the

inhabitants　〃goes　in　quest〃　of　some　eminent　specialist　whose　ability

is　well　known。　It　must　be　noted　that　he　is　taken　wherever　he　can　be

found；　outside　the　city；　in　some　remote　province；　they　bargain　with

him；　the　same　as　with　some　famous　musician；　for　the　management　of　a

series　of　concerts。　Under　the　title　of　burgomaster；　with　a　salary　of

10；000　francs　per　annum；　he　becomes　for　twelve　years　the　director　of

all　municipal　services；　leader　of　the　civic　orchestra；　solely

entrusted　with　executive　power；　wielding　the　magisterial　baton　which

the　various　instruments　obey；　many　of　these　being　salaried

functionaries　and　others　benevolent　amateurs；＇31＇　all　in　harmony　and

through　him；　because　they　know　that　he　is　watchful；　competent；　and　top

quality；　constantly　occupied　with　am　overall　view；　responsible；　and　in

his　own　interest；　as　a　point　of　honor；　wholly　devoted　to　his　work

which　is　likewise　their　work；　that　is　to　say；　to　the　complete　success

of　the　concert。



Nothing　in　a　French　town　corresponds　to　this　admirable　type　of　a

municipal　institution。　Here；　also；　and　to　a　much　greater　extent　in　the

village；　the　effect　of　universal　suffrage　has　been　to　discredit　the

true　notables　and　to　incite　the　abdication　or　insure　the　exclusion　of

men　who；　by　their　education；　the　large　proportion　of　the　taxes　they

pay；　and　still　greater　influence　or　production　on　labor　and　on

business；　are　social　authorities；　and　who　should　become　legal

authorities。　In　every　country　where　conditions　are　unequal；　the

preponderance　of　a　numerical　majority　necessarily　ends　in　the　nearly

general　abstention　or　almost　certain　defeat　of　the　candidates　most

deserving　of　election。　But　here　the　case　is　different；　the　elected；

being　towns…people　（citadins）　and　not　rural；　are　not　of　the　species　as

in　the　village。　They　read　a　daily　newspaper；　and　believe　that　they

understand　not　only　local　matters　but　all　subjects　of　national　and

general　importance；　that　is　to　say；　high　level　economy；　philosophy　and

law；　somewhat　resembling　the　schoolmaster　who；　being　familiar　with　the

rules　of　arithmetic；　thinks　that　he　can　teach　the　differential

calculus；　and　the　theory　of　functions。　At　any　rate；　they　talk　loud　and

argue　on　every　subject　with　confidence；　according　to　Jacobin

traditions；　being；　indeed；　so　many　budding　Jacobins。　They　are　the

heirs　and　successors　of　the　old　sectarians；　issuing　from　the　same

stock　and　of　the　same　stamp；　a　few　in　good　faith；　but　mainly　narrow…

minded；　excited；　and　bewildered　by　the　smoke　of　the　glittering

generalities　they　utter。　Most　of　them　are　mere　politicians；

charlatans；　and　intriguers；　third…class　lawyers　and　doctors；　literary

failures；　semi…educated　stump…speakers；　bar…room；　club；　or　clique

orators；　and　vulgar　climbers。　Left　behind　in　private　careers；　in　which

one　is　closely　watched　and　accepted　for　what　he　is　worth；　they　launch

out　on　a　public　career　because；　in　this　business；　popular　suffrage　at

once　ignorant；　indifferent；　is　a　badly　informed；　prejudiced　and

passionate　judge　and　prefers　a　moralist　of　easy　conscience；　instead　of

demanding　unsullied　integrity　and　proven　competency。　Nothing　more　is

demanded　from　candidates　but　witty　speech…making；　assertiveness　and

showing　off　in　public；　gross　flattery；　a　display　of　enthusiasm　and

promises　to　place　the　power　about　to　be　conferred　on　them　by　the

people　in　the　hands　of　those　who　will　serve　its　antipathies　and

prejudices。　Thus　introduced　into　the　municipal　council；　they

constitute　its　majority　and　appoint　a　mayor　who　is　their　figurehead　or

creature；　now　the　bold　leader　and　again　the　docile　instrument　of　their

spite；　their　favors；　and　their　headlong　action；　of　their　blunders　and

presumption；　and　of　their　meddlesome　disposition　and　encroachments。　…

In　the　department；　the　council　general；　also　elected　by　universal

suffrage；　also　bears　the　marks　of　its　origin；　its　quality；　without

falling　so　low；　still　descends　in　a　certain　degree；　and　through

changes　which　keep　on　increasing：　politicians　install　the