As for those who said, "Let us repress injustice altogether; let us allow neither _robbery_, nor _half robbery_, nor _quarter robbery_," they passed for theorists, dreamers, bores--always parroting the same thing. The people also found their reasoning too easy to understand. How can that be true which is so very simple? X. THE TAX COLLECTOR. JACQUES BONHOMME, Vine-grower. M. LASOUCHE, Tax Collector. L. You have secured twenty hogsheads of wine? J. Yes, with much care and sweat. --Be so kind as to give me six of the best. --Six hogsheads out of twenty! Good heavens! You want to ruin me. If you please, what do you propose to do with them? --The first will be given to the creditors of the State. When one has debts, the least one can do is to pay the interest. --Where did the principal go? --It would take too long to tell. A part of it was once upon a time put in cartridges, which made the finest smoke in the world; with another part men were hired who were maimed on foreign ground, after having ravaged it. Then, when these expenses brought the enemy upon us, he would not leave without taking money with him, which we had to borrow. --What good do I get from it now? --The satisfaction of saying: How proud am I of being a Frenchman When I behold the triumphal column, And the humiliation of leaving to my heirs an estate burdened with a perpetual rent. Still one must pay what he owes, no matter how foolish a use may have been made of the money. That accounts for one hogshead, but the five others? --One is required to pay for public services, the civil list, the judges who decree the restitution of the bit of land your neighbor wants to appropriate, the policemen who drive away robbers while you sleep, the men who repair the road leading to the city, the priest who baptizes your children, the teacher who educates them, and myself, your servant, who does not work for nothing. --Certainly, service for service. There is nothing to say against that. I had rather make a bargain directly with my priest, but I do not insist on this. So much for the second hogshead. This leaves four, however. --Do you believe that two would be too much for your share of the army and navy expenses? --Alas, it is little compared with what they have cost me already. They have taken from me two sons whom I tenderly loved. --The balance of power in Europe must be maintained. --Well, my God! the balance of power would be the same if these forces were every where reduced a half or three-quarters. We should save our children and our money. All that is needed is to understand it. --Yes, but they do not understand it. --That is what amazes me. For every one suffers from it. --You wished it so, Jacques Bonhomme. --You are jesting, my dear Mr. Collector; have I a vote in the legislative halls? --Whom did you support for Deputy? --An excellent General, who will be a Marshal presently, if God spares his life. --On what does this excellent General live?