the origins of contemporary france-5-第102节

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

changes　which　keep　on　increasing：　politicians　install　themselves　there

and　make　use　of　their　place　as　a　stepping…stone　to　mount　higher；　it

also；　with　larger　powers　and　prolonged　during　its　vacations　by　its

committee；　is　tempted　to　regard　itself　as　the　legitimate　sovereign　of

the　extensive　and　scattered　community　which　it　represents。　…　Thus

recruited　and　composed；　enlarged　and　deteriorated；　the　local

authorities　become　difficult　to　manage；　and　from　now　on；　to　carry　on

the　administration；　the　prefect　must　come　to　some　understanding　with

them。





VII。　Local　society　in　1880。



Present　state　of　local　society。　…　Considered　as　an　organism；　it　is

stillborn。　…　Considered　as　a　mechanism；　it　gets　out　of　order。　…　Two

successive　and　false　conceptions　of　local　government。　…　In　theory；　one

excludes　the　other。　…　Practically；　their　union　ends　in　the　actual

system。　…　Powers　of　the　prefect。　…　Restrictions　on　these　through

subsequent　changes。　…　Give　and　take。　…　Bargaining。　…　Supported　by　the

government　and　cost　to　the　State。



Before　1870；　when　he　appointed　the　mayors　and　when　the　council　general

held　its　sessions　only　fifteen　days　in　the　year；　the　prefect　was

almost　omnipotent；　still；　at　the　present　day；　（1889）；　〃his　powers　are

immense；〃＇32＇　and　his　power　remains　preponderant。　He　has　the　right　to

suspend　the　municipal　council　and　the　mayor；　and　to　propose　their

dismissal　to　the　head　of　the　state。　Without　resorting　to　this

extremity；　he　holds　them　with　a　strong　hand；　and　always　uplifted　over

the　commune；　for　he　can　veto　the　acts　of　the　municipal　police　and　of

the　road　committee；　annul　the　regulations　of　the　mayor；　and；　through　a

skillful　use　of　his　prerogative；　impose　his　own。　He　holds　in　hand；

removes；　appoints　or　helps　appoint；　not　alone　the　clerks　in　his

office；　but　likewise　every　kind　and　degree　of　clerk　who；　outside　his

office；　serves　the　commune　or　department；＇33＇　from　the　archivist；

keeper　of　the　museum；　architect；　director；　and　teachers　of　the

municipal　drawing…schools；　from　the　directors　and　collectors　of

charity　establishments；　directors　and　accountants　of　almshouses；

doctors　of　the　mineral　springs；　doctors　and　accountants　of　the　insane

asylums　and　for　epidemics；　head…overseers　of　octrois；　wolf…bounty

guards；　commissioners　of　the　urban　police；　inspectors　of　weights　and

measures；　town　collectors；　whose　receipts　do　not　exceed　thirty

thousand　francs；　down　to　and　comprising　the　lowest　employees；　such　as

forest　guards　of　the　department　and　commune；　lock…keepers　and

navigation　guards；　overseers　of　the　quays　and　of　commercial　ports；

toll…gatherers　on　bridges　and　highways；　field…guards　of　the　smallest

village；　policemen　posted　on　the　corner　of　a　street；　and　stone…

breakers　on　the　public　highway。　When　things　and　not　persons　are

concerned；　it　is　he；　again；　who；　in　every　project；　enterprise；　or

proceeding；　is　charged　with　the　preliminary　examination　and　final

execution　of　it；　who　proposes　the　department　budget　and　presents　it；

regularly　drawn　up；　to　the　council　general；　who　draws　up　the　communal

budget　and　presents　that　to　the　municipal　council；　and　who；　after　the

council　general　or　municipal　council　have　voted　on　it；　remains　on　the

spot　the　sole　executor；　director；　and　master　of　the　operation　to　which

they　have　assented。　Their　total；　effective　part　in　this　operation　is

very　insignificant；　it　being　reduced　to　a　bare　act　of　the　will；　in

reaching　a　vote　they　have　had　in　their　hands　scarcely　any　other

documents　than　those　furnished　and　arranged　by　him；　in　gradually

reaching　their　decision　step　by　step；　they　have　had　no　help　but　his；

that　of　an　independent　collaborator　who；　governed　by　his　own　views　and

interests；　never　becomes　the　mere　instrument。　They　lack　for　their

decision　direct；　personal；　and　full　information；　and；　beyond　this；

complete；　efficient　power；　it　is　simply　a　dry　Yes；　interposed　between

insufficient　resources；　or　else　cut　off；　and　the　fruit　of　which　is

abortive　or　only　half　ripens。　The　persistent　will　of　the　prefect

alone；　informed；　and　who　acts；　must　and　does　generally　prevail　against

this　ill…supported　and　ill…furnished　will。　At　bottom；　and　as　he

stands；　he　is；　in　his　mental　and　official　capacity；　always　the　prefect

of　the　year　VIII。



Nevertheless；　after　the　laws　lately　passed；　his　hands　are　not　so　free。

The　competency　of　local　assemblies　is　extended　and　comprises　not　only

new　cases　but；　again；　of　a　new　species；　while　the　number　of　their

executive　decisions　has　increased　five…fold。　The　municipal　council；

instead　of　holding　one　session　a　year；　holds　four；　and　of　longer

duration。　The　council　general；　instead　of　one　session　a　year；　holds

two；　and　maintains　itself　in　the　interim　by　its　delegation　which　meets

every　month。　With　these　increased　authorities　and　generally　present；

the　prefect　has　to　reckon；　and　what　is　still　more　serious；　he　must

reckon　with　local　opinion；　he　can　no　longer　rule　with　closed　doors；

the　proceedings　of　the　municipal　council；　the　smallest　one；　are　duly

posted；　in　the　towns；　they　are　published　and　commented　on　by　the

newspapers　of　the　locality；　the　general　council　furnishes　reports　of

its　deliberations。　…　Thus；　behind　elected　powers；　and　weighing　with

these　on　the　same　side　of　the　scales；　here　is　a　new　power；　opinion；　as

this　grows　in　a　country　leveled　by　equalized　centralization；　in

heaving　or　stagnant　crowd　of　disintegrated　individuals　lacking　any

spontaneous；　central；　rallying　point；　and　who；　failing　natural

leaders；　simply　push　and　jostle　each　other　or　stand　still；　each

according　to　personal；　blind；　and　haphazard　impressions　…　a　hasty；

improvident；　inconsistent；　superficial　opinion；　caught　on　the　wing；

based　on　vague　rumors；　on　four　or　five　minutes　of　attention　given　each

week；　and　chiefly　to　big　words　imperfectly　understood；　two　or　three

sonorous；　commonplace　phrases；　of　which　the　listeners　fail　to　catch

the　sense；　but　the　sound　which；　by　din　of　frequent　repetition；　becomes

for　them　a　recognized　signal；　the　blast　of　a　horn　or　a　shrieking

whistle　which　assembles　the　herd　and　arrests　or　drives　it　on。　No

opposition　can　make　head　against　this　herd　as　it　rushes　along　in　too

compact　and　too　heavy　masses。　…　The　prefect；　on　the　contrary；　is

obliged　to　cajole　it；　yield　to　it；　and　satisfy　it；　for　under　the

system　of　universal　suffrage；　this　same　herd；　besides　local

representatives；　elects　the　central　powers；　the　deputies；　the

government；　and　when　the　government　sends　a　prefect　from　Paris　into

the　provinces；　it　is　after　the　fashion　of　a　large　commercial

establishment；　with　a　view　to　keep　and　increase　the　number　of　its

customers；　to　stay　there；　maintain　its　credit；　and　act　permanently　as

its　traveling…clerk；　or；　in　other　terms；　as　its　electoral　agent；　and；

still　more　precisely；　as　the　campaign　manager　of　coming　elections　for

the　dominant　party　and　for　the　ministers　in　office　who　have

commissioned　and　appointed　him；　and　who；　from　top　to　bottom；

constantly　stimulate　him　to　hold　on　to　the　voters　already　secured　and

to　gain　fresh　ones。　…　Undoubtedly；　the　interests　of　the　state；

department；　and　commune　must　be　seriously　considered；　but；　first　and

above　all；　he　is　the　recruiting　officer　for　voters。　By　virtue　of　this

position　and　on　this　he　treats　with　the　council　general　and　the

standing　committee；　with　the　municipal　councilors　and　mayors；　with

influential　electors；　but　especially　with　the　small　active　committee

which；　in　each　commune；　supports　the　prevailing　policy　and　offers　its

zeal　to　the　government。



Give　and　take。　These　indispensable　auxiliaries　must　obtain　nearly　all

they　ask　for；　and　they　ask　a　great　deal。　Instinctively；　as　well　as　by

doctrine　and　tradition；　the　Jacobins　are　exacting；　disposed　to　regard

themselves　as　the　representatives　of　the　real　and　the　ideal　people；

that　is　to　say；　as　sovereigns　by　right；　above　the　law；　entitled　to

make　it　and　therefore　to　unmake　it；　or；　at　least；　strain　it　and

interpret　it　as　they　please。　Always　in　the　general　council；　in　the

municipal　council；　and　in　the　mayoralty；　they　are　tempted　to　usurp　it；

the　prefect　has　as　much　as　he　can　do　to　keep　them　within　the　local

bounds；　to　keep　them　from　meddling　with　state　matters　and　the　general

policy；　he　is　often　obliged　to　accept　their　lack　of　consideration；　to

be　patient　with　them；　to　talk　to　them　mildly；　for　they　talk　and　want

the　administration　to　reckon　with　them　as　a　clerk　with　his　master；　if

they　vote　money　for　any　service　it　is　on　condition　that　they　take　part

in　the　use　of　the　funds　and　in　the　details　of　the　service；　in　the

choice　of　contractors　and　in　hiring　the　workmen；　on　condition　that

their　authority　be　extended　and　their　hands　applied　to　the　consecutive

execution　of　what　does　not　belong　to　them　but　which　belongs　to　the

prefect。＇34＇　　Bargaining；　consequently；　goes　on　between　them

incessantly　and　they　come　to　terms。　…　The　prefect；　it　must　be　noted；

who　is　bound　to　pay