the origins of contemporary france-5-第113章

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resident　and　popular。　Everywhere　else　the　numerical　majority；　being

sovereign；　tends　to　select　its　candidates　from　among　the　average

people：　in　the　village；　he　is　a　man　of　average　rural　intelligence；

and；　mostly；　in　the　village　a　municipal　council　which；　as　narrow…

minded　as　its　electors；　elects　a　mayor　equally　as　narrow…minded　as

itself　Such　are；　from　now　on；　the　representatives　and　directors　of

communal　interests；　except　when　they　themselves　are　affected　by

personal　interests　to　which　they　are　sensitive；　their　inertia　is　only

equaled　by　their　incapacity＇25＇



Four　times　a　year　a　bundle　of　elaborately　drawn　papers；　prepared　by

the　prefecture；　are　submitted　to　these　innately　blind　paralytics；

large　sheets　divided　into　columns　from　top　to　bottom；　with　tabular

headings　from　right　to　left；　and　covered　with　printed　texts　and

figures　in　writing　…　details　of　receipts　and　expenses；　general

centimes；　special　centimes；　obligatory　centimes；　optional　centimes；

ordinary　centimes；　extra　centimes；　with　their　sources　and　employment；

preliminary　budget；　final　budget；　corrected　budget；　along　with　legal

references；　regulations；　and　decisions　bearing　on　each　article。　In

short；　a　methodical　table　as　specific　as　possible　and　highly

instructive　to　a　jurist　or　accountant；　but　perfect　jargon　to　peasants；

most　of　whom　can　scarcely　write　their　name　and　who；　on　Sundays；　are

seen　standing　before　the　advertisement　board＇26＇　trying　to　spell　out

the　Journal　Officiel；　whose　abstract　phrases；　beyond　their　reach；　pass

over　their　heads　in　aerial　and　transient　flight；　like　some　confused

rustling　of　vague　and　unknown　forms。　To　guide　them　in　political　life；

much　more　difficult　than　in　private　life；　they　require　a　similar　guide

to　the　one　they　take　in　the　difficult　matters　of　their　individual

life；　a　legal　or　business　adviser；　one　that　is　qualified　and

competent；　able　to　understand　the　prefecture　documents；　sitting

alongside　of　them　to　explain　their　budget；　rights　and　limits　of　their

rights；　the　financial　resources；　legal　expedients；　and　consequences　of

a　law；　one　who　can　arrange　their　debates；　make　up　their　accounts；

watch　daily　files　of　bills；　attend　to　their　business　at　the　county

town；　throughout　the　entire　series　of　legal　formalities　and　attendance

on　the　bureaus；　…　in　short；　some　trusty　person；　familiar　with

technicalities；　who　they　might　choose　to　select。　…　Such　a　person　was

found　in　Savoy；　before　the　annexation　to　France；　a　notary　or　lawyer

who；　practicing　in　the　neighborhood　or　at　the　principal　town；　and　with

five　or　six　communes　for　clients；　visited　them　in　turn；　helped　them

with　his　knowledge　and　intelligence；　attended　their　meetings　and；

besides；　served　them　as　scribe；　like　the　present　secretary　of　the

mayoralty；　for　about　the　same　pay；　amounting　in　all　to　about　the　same

total　of　fees　or　salaries。＇27＇　…　At　the　present　time；　there　is　nobody

in　the　municipal　council　to　advise　and　give　information　to　its

members；　the　schoolmaster　is　their　secretary；　and　he　cannot　be；　and

should　not　be；　other　than　a　scribe。　He　reads　in　a　monotonous　tone　of

voice　the　long　financial　enigma　which　French　public　book…keeping；　too

perfect；　offers　to　their　divination；　and　which　nobody；　save　one　who　is

educated　to　it；　can　clearly　comprehend　until　after　weeks　of　study。

They　listen　all　agog。　Some；　adjusting　their　spectacles；　try　to　pick

out　among　so　many　articles　the　one　they　want；　the　amount　of　taxes　they

have　to　pay。　The　sum　is　too　large；　the　assessments　are　excessive；　it

is　important　that　the　number　of　additional　centimes　should　be　reduced；

and　therefore　that　less　money　should　be　expended。　Hence；　if　there　is

any　special　item　of　expense　which　can　be　got　rid　of　by　a　refusal；　they

set　it　aside　by　voting　No；　until　some　new　law　or　decree　from　above

obliges　them　to　say　Yes。　But；　as　things　go；　nearly　all　the　expenses

designated　on　the　paper　are　obligatory；　willingly　or　not；　these　must

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　wh