bureaucracy-第3章

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orders　it）；　it　was　permanently　organized　under　the　constitutional

government；　which　was；　inevitably；　the　friend　of　all　mediocrities；　the

lover　of　authentic　documents　and　accounts；　and　as　meddlesome　as　an　old

tradeswoman。　Delighted　to　see　the　various　ministers　constantly

struggling　against　the　four　hundred　petty　minds　of　the　Elected　of　the

Chamber；　with　their　ten　or　a　dozen　ambitious　and　dishonest　leaders；

the　Civil　Service　officials　hastened　to　make　themselves　essential　to

the　warfare　by　adding　their　quota　of　assistance　under　the　form　of

written　action；　they　created　a　power　of　inertia　and　named　it　〃Report。〃

Let　us　explain　the　Report。



When　the　kings　of　France　took　to　themselves　ministers；　which　first

happened　under　Louis　XV。；　they　made　them　render　reports　on　all

important　questions；　instead　of　holding；　as　formerly；　grand　councils

of　state　with　the　nobles。　Under　the　constitutional　government；　the

ministers　of　the　various　departments　were　insensibly　led　by　their

bureaus　to　imitate　this　practice　of　kings。　Their　time　being　taken　up

in　defending　themselves　before　the　two　Chambers　and　the　court；　they

let　themselves　be　guided　by　the　leading…strings　of　the　Report。　Nothing

important　was　ever　brought　before　the　government　that　a　minister　did

not　say；　even　when　the　case　was　urgent；　〃I　have　called　for　a　report。〃

The　Report　thus　became；　both　as　to　the　matter　concerned　and　for　the

minister　himself；　the　same　as　a　report　to　the　Chamber　of　Deputies　on　a

question　of　laws；namely；　a　disquisition　in　which　the　reasons　for　and

against　are　stated　with　more　or　less　partiality。　No　real　result　is

attained；　the　minister；　like　the　Chamber；　is　fully　as　well　prepared

before　as　after　the　report　is　rendered。　A　determination；　in　whatever

matter；　is　reached　in　an　instant。　Do　what　we　will；　the　moment　comes

when　the　decision　must　be　made。　The　greater　the　array　of　reasons　for

and　against；　the　less　sound　will　be　the　judgment。　The　finest　things　of

which　France　can　boast　have　been　accomplished　without　reports　and

where　decisions　were　prompt　and　spontaneous。　The　dominant　law　of　a

statesman　is　to　apply　precise　formula　to　all　cases；　after　the　manner

of　judges　and　physicians。



Rabourdin；　who　said　to　himself：　〃A　minister　should　have　decision；

should　know　public　affairs；　and　direct　their　course；〃　saw　〃Report〃

rampant　throughout　France；　from　the　colonel　to　the　marshal；　from　the

commissary　of　police　to　the　king；　from　the　prefects　to　the　ministers

of　state；　from　the　Chamber　to　the　courts。　After　1818　everything　was

discussed；　compared；　and　weighed；　either　in　speech　or　writing；　public

business　took　a　literary　form。　France　went　to　ruin　in　spite　of　this

array　of　documents；　dissertations　stood　in　place　of　action；　a　million

of　reports　were　written　every　year；　bureaucracy　was　enthroned！

Records；　statistics；　documents；　failing　which　France　would　have　been

ruined；　circumlocution；　without　which　there　could　be　no　advance；

increased；　multiplied；　and　grew　majestic。　From　that　day　forth

bureaucracy　used　to　its　own　profit　the　mistrust　that　stands　between

receipts　and　expenditures；　it　degraded　the　administration　for　the

benefit　of　the　administrators；　in　short；　it　spun　those　lilliputian

threads　which　have　chained　France　to　Parisian　centralization；as　if

from　1500　to　1800　France　had　undertaken　nothing　for　want　of　thirty

thousand　government　clerks！　In　fastening　upon　public　offices；　like　a

mistletoe　on　a　pear…tree；　these　officials　indemnified　themselves

amply；　and　in　the　following　manner。



The　ministers；　compelled　to　obey　the　princes　or　the　Chambers　who

impose　upon　them　the　distribution　of　the　public　moneys；　and　forced　to

retain　the　workers　in　office；　proceeded　to　diminish　salaries　and

increase　the　number　of　those　workers；　thinking　that　if　more　persons

were　employed　by　government　the　stronger　the　government　would　be。　And

yet　the　contrary　law　is　an　axiom　written　on　the　universe；　there　is　no

vigor　except　where　there　are　few　active　principles。　Events　proved　in

July；　1830；　the　error　of　the　materialism　of　the　Restoration。　To　plant

a　government　in　the　hearts　of　a　nation　it　is　necessary　to　bind

INTERESTS　to　it；　not　MEN。　The　government…clerks　being　led　to　detest

the　administrations　which　lessened　both　their　salaries　and　their

importance；　treated　them　as　a　courtesan　treats　an　aged　lover；　and　gave

them　mere　work　for　money；　a　state　of　things　which　would　have　seemed　as

intolerable　to　the　administration　as　to　the　clerks；　had　the　two

parties　dared　to　feel　each　other's　pulse；　or　had　the　higher　salaries

not　succeeded　in　stifling　the　voices　of　the　lower。　Thus　wholly　and

solely　occupied　in　retaining　his　place；　drawing　his　pay；　and　securing

his　pension；　the　government　official　thought　everything　permissible

that　conduced　to　these　results。　This　state　of　things　led　to　servility

on　the　part　of　the　clerks　and　to　endless　intrigues　within　the　various

departments；　where　the　humbler　clerks　struggled　vainly　against

degenerate　members　of　the　aristocracy；　who　sought　positions　in　the

government　bureaus　for　their　ruined　sons。



Superior　men　could　scarcely　bring　themselves　to　tread　these　tortuous

ways；　to　stoop；　to　cringe；　and　creep　through　the　mire　of　these

cloacas；　where　the　presence　of　a　fine　mind　only　alarmed　the　other

denizens。　The　ambitious　man　of　genius　grows　old　in　obtaining　his

triple　crown；　he　does　not　follow　in　the　steps　of　Sixtus　the　Fifth

merely　to　become　head　of　a　bureau。　No　one　comes　or　stays　in　the

government　offices　but　idlers；　incapables；　or　fools。　Thus　the

mediocrity　of　French　administration　has　slowly　come　about。

Bureaucracy；　made　up　entirely　of　petty　minds；　stands　as　an　obstacle　to

the　prosperity　of　the　nation；　delays　for　seven　years；　by　its

machinery；　the　project　of　a　canal　which　would　have　stimulated　the

production　of　a　province；　is　afraid　of　everything；　prolongs

procrastination；　and　perpetuates　the　abuses　which　in　turn　perpetuate

and　consolidate　itself。　Bureaucracy　holds　all　things　and　the

administration　itself　in　leading　strings；　it　stifles　men　of　talent　who

are　bold　enough　to　be　independent　of　it　or　to　enlighten　it　on　its　own

follies。　About　the　time　of　which　we　write　the　pension　list　had　just

been　issued；　and　on　it　Rabourdin　saw　the　name　of　an　underling　in

office　rated　for　a　larger　sum　than　the　old　colonels；　maimed　and

wounded　for　their　country。　In　that　fact　lies　the　whole　history　of

bureaucracy。



Another　evil；　brought　about　by　modern　customs；　which　Rabourdin　counted

among　the　causes　of　this　secret　demoralization；　was　the　fact　that

there　is　no　real　subordination　in　the　administration　in　Paris；

complete　equality　reigns　between　the　head　of　an　important　division　and

the　humblest　copying…clerk；　one　is　as　powerful　as　the　other　in　an

arena　outside　of　which　each　lords　it　in　his　own　way。　Education；

equally　distributed　through　the　masses；　brings　the　son　of　a　porter

into　a　government　office　to　decide　the　fate　of　some　man　of　merit　or

some　landed　proprietor　whose　door…bell　his　father　may　have　answered。

The　last　comer　is　therefore　on　equal　terms　with　the　oldest　veteran　in

the　service。　A　wealthy　supernumerary　splashes　his　superior　as　he

drives　his　tilbury　to　Longchamps　and　points　with　his　whip　to　the　poor

father　of　a　family；　remarking　to　the　pretty　woman　at　his　side；　〃That's

my　chief。〃　The　Liberals　call　this　state　of　things　Progress；　Rabourdin

thought　it　Anarchy　at　the　heart　of　power。　He　saw　how　it　resulted　in

restless　intrigues；　like　those　of　a　harem　between　eunuchs　and　women

and　imbecile　sultans；　or　the　petty　troubles　of　nuns　full　of　underhand

vexations；　or　college　tyrannies；　or　diplomatic　manoeuvrings　fit　to

terrify　an　ambassador；　all　put　in　motion　to　obtain　a　fee　or　an

increase　in　salary；　it　was　like　the　hopping　of　fleas　harnessed　to

pasteboard　cars；　the　spitefulness　of　slaves；　often　visited　on　the

minister　himself。　With　all　this　were　the　really　useful　men；　the

workers；　victims　of　such　parasites；　men　sincerely　devoted　to　their

country；　who　stood　vigorously　out　from　the　background　of　the　other

incapables；　yet　who　were　often　forced　to　succumb　through　unworthy

trickery。



All　the　higher　offices　were　gained　through　parliamentary　influence；

royalty　had　nothing　to　do　now　with　them；　and　the　subordinate　clerks

became；　after　a　time；　merely　the　running…gear　of　the　machine；　the　most

important　considerations　with　them　being　to　keep　the　wheels　well

greased。　This　fatal　conviction　entering　some　of　the　best　minds

smothered　many　statements　conscientiously　written　on　the　secret　evils

of　the　national　government；　lowered　the　courage　of　many　hearts；　and

corrupted　sterling　honesty；　weary　of　injustice　and　won　to　indifference

by　deteriorating　annoyances。　A　clerk　in　the　employ　of　the　Rothchilds

corresponds　with　all　England；　another；　in　a　government　office；　may

communicate　with　all　the　prefects；　but　where　the　one　learns　the　way　to

make　his　fortune；　the　other　loses　time　and　health　and　life　to　no

avail。　An　undermining　evil　lies　here。　Certainly　a　nation　does　not　seem

threatened　with　immediate　dissolution　because　an　able　clerk　is　sent

away　and　a　middling　sort　of　man　replaces　him。　Unfortunately　for　the

welfare　of　nations　individual　men　never　seem　essential　to　their

existence。　But　in　the　long　run　when　the　belittling　process　is　fully

carried　out　nations　will　disappear。　Every　one　who　seeks　instruction　on

this　point　can　look　at　Venice；　Madrid；　Amsterdam；　Stockholm；　Rome；　all

places　which　were　formerly　resplendent　with　mighty　powers　and　are　now

destroyed　by　the　infiltrating　littleness　which　gradually　attained　the

highest　eminence。　When　the　day　of　struggle　came；　all　was　found　rotten；

the　State　succumbed　to　a　weak　attack。　To　worship　the　fool　who

succeeds；　and　not　to　grieve　over　the　fall　of　an　able　man　is　the　result

of　our　melancholy　education；　of　our　manners　and　customs　which　drive

men　of　intellect　into　disgust；　and　genius　to　despair。



What　a　difficult　undertaking　is　the　rehabilitation　of　the　Civil

Service　while　the　liberal　cries　aloud　in　his　newspapers　that　the

salaries　of　clerks　are　a　standing　theft；　calls　the　items　of　the　budget

a　cluster　of　leeches；　and　every　year　demands　why　the　nation　should　be

saddled　with　a　thousand　millions　of　taxes。　In　Monsieur　Rabourdin's

eyes　the　clerk　in　relation　to　the　budget　was　very　much　what　the

gambler　is　to　the　game；　that　which　he　wins　he　puts　back　again。　All

remuneration　implies　something　furnished。　To　pay　a　man　a　thousand

francs　a　year　and　demand　his　whole　time　was　surely　to　organize　theft

and　poverty。　A　galley…slave　costs　nearly　as　much；　and　does　less。　But

to　expect　a　man　whom　the　State　remunerated　with　twelve　thousand　francs

a　year　to　devote　himself　to　his　country　was　a　profitable　contract　for

both　sides；　fit　to　allure　all　capacities。



These　reflections　had　led　Rabourdin　to　desire　the　recasting　of　the

clerical　official　staff。　To　employ　fewer　man；　to　double　or　treble

salaries；　and　do　away　with　pensions；　to　choose　only　young　cl