the origins of contemporary france-5-第103节

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

who　is　bound　to　pay；　can　do　so　without　violating　the　letter　of　the

law。　The　stern　page　on　which　the　legislator　has　printed　his　imperative

text　is　always　provided　with　an　ample　margin　where　the　administrator；

charged　with　its　execution；　can　write　down　the　decisions　that　he　is

free　to　make。　In　relation　to　each　departmental　or　communal　affair；　the

prefect　can　with　his　own　hand　write　out　what　suits　him　on　the　white

margin；　which；　as　we　have　already　seen；　is　ample　enough；　but　the

margin　at　his　disposition　is　wider　still　and　continues；　beyond

anything　we　have　seen；　on　other　pages；　he　is　chargé　d'affaires　not

only　of　the　department　and　commune；　but　again　of　the　State。　Titular

conductor　or　overseer　of　all　general　services；　he　is；　in　his

circumscription；　head　inquisitor　of　the　republican　faith＇35＇；　even　in

relation　to　private　life　and　inner　sentiments；　the　responsible

director　of　orthodox　or　heretical　acts　or　opinions；　which　are　laudable

or　blamable　in　the　innumerably　army　of　functionaries　by　which　the

central　state　now　undertakes　the　complete　mastery　of　human　life；　the

twenty　distinct　regiments　of　its　vast　hierarchy　…　with　the　staff　of

the　clergy；　of　the　magistracy；　of　the　preventive　and　repressive

police；　of　the　customs；　with　the　officials　of　bridges　and　highways；

forest　domains；　stock…breeding　establishments；　postal　and　telegraph

departments；　tobacco　and　other　monopolies；　with　those　of　every

national　enterprise　which　ought　to　be　private；　Sévres　and　Gobelins；

deaf　and　dumb　and　blind　asylums；　and　every　auxiliary　and　special

workshop　for　war　and　navigation　purposes；　which　the　state　supports　and

manages。　I　pass　some　of　them　and　all　too　many。　Only　remark　this；　that

the　indulgence　or　severity　of　the　prefecture　in　the　way　of　fiscal

violations　or　irregularities　is　an　advantage　or　danger　of　the　highest

importance　to　377；000　dealers　in　wines　and　liquors；　that　an　accusation

brought　before　and　admitted　in　the　prefecture　may　deprive　38；000

clergymen　of　their　bread；＇36＇　43；000　letter…carriers　and　telegraph

messengers；　45；000　sellers　of　tobacco　and　collecting…clerks；　75；000

stone…breakers；　and　120；000　male　and　female　teachers；＇37＇　directly　or

indirectly；　the　good　or　ill　favor　of　the　prefecture　is　of　consequence；

since　recent　military　laws；　to　all　adults　between　20　and　45　years；

and；　since　recent　school　laws；　to　all　children　between　6　and　13　years

of　age。　According　to　these　figures；　which　go　on　increasing　from　year

to；　calculate　the　breadth　of　the　margin　on　which；　alongside　of　the

legal　text　which　states　the　law　for　persons　and　things　in　general；　the

prefect　in　his　turn　gives　the　law　for　persons　and　things　in

particular。　On　this　margin；　which　belongs　to　him；　he　writes　what　he

pleases；　at　one　time　permissions　and　favors；　exemptions；

dispensations；　leaves　of　absence；　relief　of　taxes　or　discharges；　help

and　subventions；　preferences　and　gratuities；　appointments　and

promotions；　and　at　another　time　disgrace；　hardship；　legal　proceedings；

dismissals；　and　special　favors。　To　guide　his　hand　in　each　case；　that

is　to　say；　to　spread　all　the　favors　on　one　side　and　all　the　disfavors

on　the　other；　he　has；　among　the　local　Jacobins；　special　informers　and

important　applicants。　If　not　restrained　by　a　very　strong　sentiment　of

distributive　justice　and　very　great　solicitude　for　the　public　good　he

can　hardly　resist　them；　and　in　general　when　he　takes　up　his　pen　it　is

to　write　under　the　dictation　of　his　Jacobin　collaborators。



Democracy　in　France　in　1889；　Summary。



Thus　has　the　institution　of　the　year　VIII　deviated　（The　France　of　the

revolution　corrected　and　decreed　by　Napoleon）；　no　longer　attaining　its

object。　The　prefects；　formerly　appointed　to　a　department；　like　a

pacier　of　the　Middle　Ages；　imposed　on　it　from　above；　ignorant　of　local

passions；　independent；　qualified　and　fitted　for　the　office；　was；

during　fifty　years；　in　general；　able　to　remain　the　impartial　minister

of　the　law　and　of　equity；　maintaining　the　rights　of　each；　and　exacting

from　each　his　due；　without　heeding　opinions　and　without　respect　to

persons。　Now　he　is　obliged　to　become　an　accomplice　of　the　ruling

faction；　govern　for　the　advantage　of　some　to　the　detriment　of　others；

and　to　put　into　his　scales；　as　a　preponderating　weight；　every　time　he

weighs　judgment；　a　consideration　for　persons　and　opinions。　At　the　same

time；　the　entire　administrative　staff　in　his　hands；　and　under　his　eye；

deteriorates；　each　year；　on　the　recommendation　of　a　senator　or　deputy；

he　adds　to　it；　or　sees；　intruders　there；　whose　previous　services　are

null；　feeble　in　capacity　and　of　weak　integrity　who　do　poor　work　or

none　at　all；　and　who；　to　hold　their　post　or　get　promoted；　count　not　on

their　merits　but　on　their　sponsors。　The　rest；　able　and　faithful

functionaries　of　the　old　school；　who　are　poor　and　to　whom　no　path　is

open；　become　weary　and　lose　their　energy；　they　are　no　longer　even

certain　of　keeping　their　place；　if　they　stay；　it　is　for　the　dispatch

of　current　business　and　because　they　cannot　be　dispensed　with；　perhaps

to…morrow；　however；　they　will　cease　to　be　considered　indispensable；

some　political　denunciation；　or　to　give　a　political　favorite　a　place；

will　put　them　by　anticipation　on　the　retired　list。　From　now　on　they

have　two　powers　to　consult；　one；　legitimate　and　natural；　the　authority

of　their　administrative　chiefs；　and　the　other　illegitimate　and

parasite；　consisting　of　democratic　influence　from　both　above　and

below。　For　them；　as　for　the　prefect；　public　welfare　descends　to　the

second　rank　and　the　electoral　interest　mounts　upward　to　the　first

rank。　With　them　as　with　him　self…respect；　professional　honor；　the

conscientious　performance　of　duty；　reciprocal　loyalty　go　down；

discipline　relaxes；　punctuality　falters；　and；　as　the　saying　goes；　the

great　administrative　edifice　is　no　longer　a　well…kept　house；　but　a

barracks。



Naturally；　under　the　democratic　regime；　the　maintenance　and　service　of

this　house　becomes　more　and　more　costly；＇38＇　for；　owing　to　the

additional　centimes；　it　is　the　rich　and　well…to…do　minority　which

defrays　the　larger　portion　of　the　expense。　Owing　to　universal

suffrage；　the　poor　or　half…poor　majority　which　dominate　the　elections

so　that　the　large　majority　with　impunity　can　overtax　the　minority。　At

Paris；　the　parliament　and　the　government；　elected　by　this　numerical

majority；　contrive　demands　in　its　behalf；　force　expenditure；　augment

public　works；　schools；　endowments；　gratuities；　prizes；　a

multiplication　of　offices　to　increase　the　number　of　their　clients；

while　it　never　tires　in　decreeing；　in　the　name　of　principles；　works

for　show；　theatrical；　ruinous；　and　dangerous；　the　cost　of　which　they

do　not　care　to　know；　and　of　which　the　social　import　escapes　them。

Democracy；　above　as　well　as　below；　is　short…sighted；　it　seizes

whatever　food　it　comes　across；　like　an　animal；　with　open　jaws　and　head

down；　it　refuses　to　anticipate　and　to　calculate；　it　burdens　the　future

and　wastes　every　fortune　it　undertakes　to　manage；　not　alone　that　of

the　central　state；　but；　again；　those　of　all　local　societies。　Up　to　the

advent　of　universal　suffrage；　the　administrators　appointed　above　or

elected　below；　in　the　department　or　in　the　commune；　kept　tight　hold　of

the　purse…strings；　since　1848；　especially　since　1870；　and　still　later；

since　the　passage　of　the　laws　of　1882；　which；　in　suppressing　the

obligatory　consent　of　the　heaviest　taxed；　let　slip　the　last　of　these

strings；　this　purse；　wide　open；　is　emptied　in　the　street。　…　In

1851；＇39＇　the　departments；　all　together；　expended　97　millions；　in

1869；　192　millions；　in　1881；　314　millions。　In　1836；　the　communes；　all

together；　save　Paris；　expended　117　millions；　in　1862；　450　millions；　in

1877；　676　millions。　If　we　examine　the　receipts　covering　this

expenditure；　we　find　that　the　additional　centimes　which　supplied　the

local　budgets；　in　1820；　with　80　millions；　and；　in　1850；　with　131

millions；　supplied　them；　in　1870；　with　249　millions；　in　1880；　with　318

millions；　and；　in　1887；　with　364　millions。　The　annual　increase；

therefore；　of　these　superadded　centimes　to　the　principal　of　the　direct

taxes　is　enormous；　and　finally　ends　in　an　overflow。　In　1874；＇40＇　there

were　already　24　departments　in　which　the　sum　of　additional　centimes

reached　or　surpassed　the　sum　of　the　principal。　〃In　a　very　few　years；〃

says　an　eminent　economist；＇41＇　〃it　is　probable　that；　for　nearly　all　of

the　departments；〃　the　overcharge　will　be　similar。　Already；　for　a　long

time；　in　the　total　of　personal　taxation；＇42＇　the　local　budgets　raised

more　than　the　state；　and；　in　1888；　the　principal　of　the　tax　real

property；　183　millions；　is　less　than　the　total　of　centimes　joined　with

it；　196　millions。　Coming　generations　are　burdened　over　and　beyond　the

present　generation；　while　the　sum　of　loans　constantly　increases；　like

that　of　taxation。　The　indebted　communes；　except　Paris；　owed；

altogether；　in　1868；　524　millions　francs＇43＇