representative government-第40章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


fice；　is　not　（except　sometimes　in　political　cases）　the　opinion　of　the　community　generally；　but　that　of　the　only　public　by　whom　his　conduct　or　qualifications　can　be　duly　estimated；　the　bar　of　his　own　court。　　　I　must　not　be　understood　to　say　that　the　participation　of　the　general　public　in　the　administration　of　justice　is　of　no　importance；　it　is　of　the　greatest：　but　in　what　manner？　By　the　actual　discharge　of　a　part　of　the　judicial　office；　in　the　capacity　of　jurymen。　This　is　one　of　the　few　cases　in　politics　in　which　it　is　better　that　the　people　should　act　directly　and　personally　than　through　their　representatives；　being　almost　the　only　case　in　which　the　errors　that　a　person　exercising　authority　may　commit　can　be　better　borne　than　the　consequences　of　making　him　responsible　for　them。　If　a　judge　could　be　removed　from　office　by　a　popular　vote；　whoever　was　desirous　of　supplanting　him　would　make　capital　for　that　purpose　out　of　all　his　judicial　decisions；　would　carry　all　of　them；　as　far　as　he　found　practicable；　by　irregular　appeal　before　a　public　opinion　wholly　incompetent；　for　want　of　having　heard　the　case；　or　from　having　heard　it　without　either　the　precautions　or　the　impartiality　belonging　to　a　judicial　hearing；　would　play　upon　popular　passion　and　prejudice　where　they　existed；　and　take　pains　to　arouse　them　where　they　did　not。　And　in　this；　if　the　case　were　interesting；　and　he　took　sufficient　trouble；　he　would　infallibly　be　successful；　unless　the　judge　or　his　friends　descended　into　the　arena；　and　made　equally　powerful　appeals　on　the　other　side。　Judges　would　end　by　feeling　that　they　risked　their　office　upon　every　decision　they　gave　in　a　case　susceptible　of　general　interest；　and　that　it　was　less　essential　for　them　to　consider　what　decision　was　just　than　what　would　be　most　applauded　by　the　public；　or　would　least　admit　of　insidious　misrepresentation。　The　practice　introduced　by　some　of　the　new　or　revised　State　Constitutions　in　America；　of　submitting　judicial　officers　to　periodical　popular　re…election；　will　be　found；　I　apprehend；　to　be　one　of　the　most　dangerous　errors　ever　yet　committed　by　democracy：　and；　were　it　not　that　the　practical　good　sense　which　never　totally　deserts　the　people　of　the　United　States　is　said　to　be　producing　a　reaction；　likely　in　no　long　time　to　lead　to　the　retraction　of　the　error；　it　might　with　reason　be　regarded　as　the　first　great　downward　step　in　the　degeneration　of　modern　democratic　government。*

　　*　I　have　been　informed；　however；　that　in　the　States　which　have　made　their　judges　elective；　the　choice　is　not　really　made　by　the　people；　but　by　the　leaders　of　parties；　no　elector　ever　thinking　of　voting　for　any　one　but　the　party　candidate：　and　that；　in　consequence；　the　person　elected　is　usually　in　effect　the　same　who　would　have　been　appointed　to　the　office　by　the　President　or　by　the　Governor　of　the　State。　Thus　one　bad　practice　limits　and　corrects　another；　and　the　habit　of　voting　en　masse　under　a　party　banner；　which　is　so　full　of　evil　in　all　cases　in　which　the　function　of　electing　is　rightly　vested　in　the　people；　tends　to　alleviate　a　still　greater　mischief　in　a　case　where　the　officer　to　be　elected　is　one　who　ought　to　be　chosen　not　by　the　people　but　for　them。

　　With　regard　to　that　large　and　important　body　which　constitutes　the　permanent　strength　of　the　public　service；　those　who　do　not　change　with　changes　of　politics；　but　remain　to　aid　every　minister　by　their　experience　and　traditions；　inform　him　by　their　knowledge　of　business；　and　conduct　official　details　under　his　general　control；　those；　in　short；　who　form　the　class　of　professional　public　servants；　entering　their　profession　as　others　do　while　young；　in　the　hope　of　rising　progressively　to　its　higher　grades　as　they　advance　in　life；　it　is　evidently　inadmissible　that　these　should　be　liable　to　be　turned　out；　and　deprived　of　the　whole　benefit　of　their　previous　service；　except　for　positive；　proved；　and　serious　misconduct。　Not；　of　course；　such　delinquency　only　as　makes　them　amenable　to　the　law；　but　voluntary　neglect　of　duty；　or　conduct　implying　untrustworthiness　for　the　purposes　for　which　their　trust　is　given　them。　Since；　therefore；　unless　in　case　of　personal　culpability；　there　is　no　way　of　getting　rid　of　them　except　by　quartering　them　on　the　public　as　pensioners；　it　is　of　the　greatest　importance　that　the　appointments　should　be　well　made　in　the　first　instance；　and　it　remains　to　be　considered　by　what　mode　of　appointment　this　purpose　can　best　be　attained。　　　In　making　first　appointments；　little　danger　is　to　be　apprehended　from　want　of　special　skill　and　knowledge　in　the　choosers；　but　much　from　partiality；　and　private　or　political　interest。　Being；　as　a　rule；　appointed　at　the　commencement　of　manhood；　not　as　having　learnt；　but　in　order　that　they　may　learn；　their　profession；　the　only　thing　by　which　the　best　candidates　can　be　discriminated　is　proficiency　in　the　ordinary　branches　of　liberal　education：　and　this　can　be　ascertained　without　difficulty；　provided　there　be　the　requisite　pains　and　the　requisite　impartiality　in　those　who　are　appointed　to　inquire　into　it。　Neither　the　one　nor　the　other　can　reasonably　be　expected　from　a　minister；　who　must　rely　wholly　on　recommendations；　and　however　disinterested　as　to　his　personal　wishes；　never　will　be　proof　against　the　solicitations　of　persons　who　have　the　power　of　influencing　his　own　election；　or　whose　political　adherence　is　important　to　the　ministry　to　which　he　belongs。　These　considerations　have　introduced　the　practice　of　submitting　all　candidates　for　first　appointments　to　a　public　examination；　conducted　by　persons　not　engaged　in　politics；　and　of　the　same　class　and　quality　with　the　examiners　for　honours　at　the　Universities。　This　would　probably　be　the　best　plan　under　any　system；　and　under　our　parliamentary　government　it　is　the　only　one　which　affords　a　chance；　I　do　not　say　of　honest　appointment；　but　even　of　abstinence　from　such　as　are　manifestly　and　flagrantly　profligate。　　　It　is　also　absolutely　necessary　that　the　examinations　should　be　competitive；　and　the　appointments　given　to　those　who　are　most　successful。　A　mere　pass　examination　never；　in　the　long　run；　does　more　than　exclude　absolute　dunces。　When　the　question；　in　the　mind　of　an　examiner；　lies　between　blighting　the　prospects　of　an　individual；　and　neglecting　a　duty　to　the　public　which；　in　the　particular　instance；　seldom　appears　of　first　rate　importance；　and　when　he　is　sure　to　be　bitterly　reproached　for　doing　the　first；　while　in　general　no　one　will　either　know　or　care　whether　he　has　done　the　latter；　the　balance；　unless　he　is　a　man　of　very　unusual　stamp；　inclines　to　the　side　of　good　nature。　A　relaxation　in　one　instance　establishes　a　claim　to　it　in　others；　which　every　repetition　of　indulgence　makes　it　more　difficult　to　resist；　each　of　these　in　succession　becomes　a　precedent　for　more；　until　the　standard　of　proficiency　sinks　gradually　to　something　almost　contemptible。　Examinations　for　degrees　at　the　two　great　Universities　have　generally　been　as　slender　in　their　requirements　as　those　for　honours　are　trying　and　serious。　Where　there　is　no　inducement　to　exceed　a　certain　minimum；　the　minimum　comes　to　be　the　maximum：　it　becomes　the　general　practice　not　to　aim　at　more；　and　as　in　everything　there　are　some　who　do　not　attain　all　they　aim　at；　however　low　the　standard　may　be　pitched；　there　are　always　several　who　fall　short　of　it。　When；　on　the　contrary；　the　appointments　are　given　to　those；　among　a　great　number　of　candidates；　who　most　distinguish　themselves；　and　where　the　successful　competitors　are　classed　in　order　of　merit；　not　only　each　is　stimulated　to　do　his　very　utmost；　but　the　influence　is　felt　in　every　place　of　liberal　education　throughout　the　country。　It　becomes　with　every　schoolmaster　an　object　of　ambition；　and　an　avenue　to　success；　to　have　furnished　pupils　who　have　gained　a　high　place　in　these　competitions；　and　there　is　hardly　any　other　mode　in　which　the　State　can　do　so　much　to　raise　the　quality　of　educational　institutions　throughout　the　country。　　　Though　the　principle　of　competitive　examinations　for　public　employment　is　of　such　recent　introduction　in　this　country；　and　is　still　so　imperfectly　carried　out；　the　Indian　service　being　as　yet　nearly　the　only　case　in　which　it　exists　in　its　completeness；　a　sensible　effect　has　already　begun　to　be　produced　on　the　places　of　middle…class　education；　notwithstanding　the　difficulties　which　the　principle　has　encountered　from　the　disgracefully　low　existing　state　of　education　in　the　country；　which　these　very　examinations　have　brought　into　strong　light。　So　contemptible　has　the　standard　of　acquirement　been　found　to　be　among　the　youths　who　obtain　the　nomination　from　the　minister　which　entitles　them　to　offer　themselves　as　candidates；　that　the　competition　of　such　candidates　produces　almost　a　poorer　result　than　would　be　obtained　from　a　mere　pass　examination；　for　no　one　would　think　of　fixing　the　conditions　of　a　pass　examination　so　low　as　is　actually　found　sufficient　to　enable　a　young　man　to　surpass　his　fellow…candidates。　Accordingly；　it　is　said　that　successive　years　show　on　the　whole　a　decline　of　attainments；　less　effort　being　made　because　the　results　of　former　examinations　have　proved　that　the　exertions　then　used　were　greater　than　would　have　been　sufficient　to　attain　the　object。　Partly　from　this　decrease　of　effort；　and　partly　because；　even　at　the　examinations　which　do　not　require　a　previous　nomination；　conscious　ignorance　reduces　the　number　of　competitors　to　a　mere　handful；　it　has　so　happened　that　though　there　have　always　been　a　few　instances　of　great　proficiency；　the　lower　part　of　the　list　of　successful　candidates　represents　but　a　very　moderate　amount　of　acquirement；　and　we　have　it　on　the　word　of　the　Commissioners　that　nearly　all　who　have　been　unsuccessful　have　owed　their　failure　to　ignorance　not　of　the　higher　branches　of　instruction；　but　of　its　very　humblest　elements…　spelling　and　arithmetic。　　　The　outcries　which　continue　to　be　made　against　these　examinations　by　some　of　the　organs　of　opinion；　are　often；　I　regret　to　say；　as　little　creditable　to　the　good　faith　as　to　the　good　sense　of　the　assailants。　They　proceed　partly　by　misrepresentation　of　the　kind　of　ignorance　which；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　actually　leads　to　failure　in　the　examinations。　They　quote　with　emphasis　the　most　recondite　questions*　which　can　be　shown　to　have　been　ever　asked；　and　make　it　appear　as　if　unexceptionable　answers　to　all　these　were　made　the　sine　qua　non　of　success。　Yet　it　has　been　repeated　to　satiety　that　such　questions　are　not　put　because　it　is　expected　of　every　one　that　he　should　answer　them；　but　in　order　that　whoever　is　able　to　do　so　may　have　the　means　of　proving　and　availing　himself　of　that　portion　of　his　knowledge。　It　is　not　as　a　ground　of　rejection；　but　as　an　additional　means　of　success；　that　this　opportunity　is　given。　We　are　then　asked　whether　the　kind　of　knowledge　supposed　in　this；　that；　or　the　other　question　is　calculated　to　be　of　any　use　to　the　candidate　after　he　has　attained　his　object。　People　differ　greatly　in　opinion　as　to　what　knowledge　is　useful。　There　are　persons　in　existence；　and　a　late　Foreign　Secretary　of　State　is　one　of　them；　who　think　English　spelling　a　useless　accomplishment　in　a　diplomatic　attache；　or　a　clerk　in　a　government　office。　About　one　thing　the　objectors　seem　to　be　unanimous；　that　general　mental　culti