2
ENT 12
II. CONFUSION OF FUNCTIONS 37
III. THE REFUGES OF EFFICIENCY 59
IV. THE COMPETENT LEGISLATOR 66
V. LAWS UNDER DEMOCRACY 82
VI. THE INCOMPETENCE OF GOVERNMENT 92
VII. JUDICIAL INCOMPETENCE 96
VIII. EXAMPLES OF INCOMPETENCE 123
IX. MANNERS 156
X. PROFESSIONAL CUSTOMS 162
XI. ATTEMPTED REMEDIES 172
XII. THE DREAM 216
INDEX 237
THE CULT OF INCOMPETENCE.
INTRODUCTION.
Though it may not have been possible in the following pages to reproduce the elegant and incisive style of a master of French prose, not even the inadequacies of a translation can obscure the force of his argument. The only introduction, therefore, that seems possible must take the form of a request to the reader to study M. Faguet's criticism of modern democracy with the daily paper in his hand. He will then see, taking chapter by chapter, how in some aspects the phenomena of English democracy are identical with those described in the text, and how in others our English worship of incompetence, moral and technical, differs considerably from that which prevails in France. It might have been possible, as a part of the scheme of this volume, to note on each page, by way of illustration, instances from contemporary English practice, but an adequate execution of this plan would have overloaded the text, or even required an additional volume. Such a volume, impartially worked out with instances drawn from the programme of all political parties, would be an interesting commentary on current political controversy, and it is to be hoped that M. Faguet's suggestive pages will inspire some competent hand to undertake the task.
If M. Faguet had chosen to refer to England, he might, perhaps, have cited the constitution of this country, as it existed some seventy years ago, as an example of a "demophil aristocracy," raised to power by an "aristocracy-respecting democracy." It is not perhaps wise in political controversy to compromise our liberty