the origins of contemporary france-5-第84章

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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；　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　b