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the origins of contemporary france-5-第101章

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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
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