bureaucracy-第4节

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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　clerks　（as

did　Napoleon；　Louis　XIV。；　Richelieu；　and　Ximenes）；　but　to　keep　them

long　and　train　them　for　the　higher　offices　and　greatest　honors；　these

were　the　chief　features　of　a　reform　which　if　carried　out　would　be　as

beneficial　to　the　State　as　to　the　clerks　themselves。　It　is　difficult

to　recount　in　detail；　chapter　by　chapter；　a　plan　which　embraced　the

whole　budget　and　continued　down　through　the　minutest　details　of

administration　in　order　to　keep　the　whole　synthetical；　but　perhaps　a

slight　sketch　of　the　principal　reforms　will　suffice　for　those　who

understand　such　matters；　as　well　as　for　those　who　are　wholly　ignorant

of　the　administrative　system。　Though　the　historian's　position　is

rather　hazardous　in　reproducing　a　plan　which　may　be　thought　the

politics　of　a　chimney…corner；　it　is；　nevertheless；　necessary　to　sketch

it　so　as　to　explain　the　author　of　it　by　his　own　work。　Were　the　recital

of　his　efforts　to　be　omitted；　the　reader　would　not　believe　the

narrator's　word　if　he　merely　declared　the　talent　and　the　courage　of

this　official。



Rabourdin's　plan　divided　the　government　into　three　ministries；　or

departments。　He　thought　that　if　the　France　of　former　days　possessed

brains　strong　enough　to　comprehend　in　one　system　both　foreign　and

domestic　affairs；　the　France　of　to…day　was　not　likely　to　be　without

its　Mazarin；　its　Suger；　its　Sully；　its　de　Choiseul；　or　its　Colbert　to

direct　even　vast　administrative　departments。　Besides；　constitutionally

speaking；　three　ministries　will　agree　better　than　seven；　and；　in　the

restricted　number　there　is　less　chance　for　mistaken　choice；　moreover；

it　might　be　that　the　kingdom　would　some　day　escape　from　those

perpetual　ministerial　oscillations　which　interfered　with　all　plans　of

foreign　policy　and　prevented　all　ameliorations　of　home　rule。　In

Austria；　where　many　diverse　united　nations　present　so　many　conflicting

interests　to　be　conciliated　and　carried　forward　under　one　crown；　two

statesmen　alone　bear　the　burden　of　public　affairs　and　are　not

overwhelmed　by　it。　Was　France　less　prolific　of　political　capacities

than　Germany？　The　rather　silly　game　of　what　are　called　〃constitutional

institutions〃　carried　beyond　bounds　has　ended；　as　everybody　knows；　in

requiring　a　great　many　offices　to　satisfy　the　multifarious　ambition　of

the　middle　classes。　It　seemed　to　Rabourdin；　in　the　first　place；

natural　to　unite　the　ministry　of　war　with　the　ministry　of　the　navy。　To

his　thinking　the　navy　was　one　of　the　current　expenses　of　the　war

department；　like　the　artillery；　cavalry；　infantry；　and　commissariat。

Surely　it　was　an　absurdity　to　give　separate　administrations　to

admirals　and　marshals　when　both　were　employed　to　one　end；　namely；　the

defense　of　the　nation；　the　overthrow　of　an　enemy；　and　the　security　of

the　national　possessions。　The　ministry　of　the　interior　ought　in　like

manner　to　combine　the　departments　of　commerce；　police；　and　finances；

or　it　belied　its　own　name。　To　the　ministry　of　foreign　affairs　belonged

the　adm