what is property-第31节

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Whoever　labors　becomes　a　proprietorthis　is　an　inevitable　deduction　from　the　acknowledged　principles　of　political　economy　and　jurisprudence。　　And　when　I　say　proprietor；　I　do　not　mean　simply　（as　do　our　hypocritical　economists）　proprietor　of　his　allowance；　his　salary；　his　wages；I　mean　proprietor　of　the　value　which　he　creates；　and　by　which　the　master　alone　profits。

As　all　this　relates　to　the　theory　of　wages　and　of　the　distribution　of　products；and　as　this　matter　never　has　been　even　partially　cleared　up；I　ask　permission　to　insist　on　it：　this　discussion　will　not　be　useless　to　the　work　in　hand。　　Many　persons　talk　of　admitting　working…people　to　a　share　in　the　products　and　profits；　but　in　their　minds　this　participation　is　pure　benevolence：　they　have　never　shownperhaps　never　suspectedthat　it　was　a　natural；　necessary　right；　inherent　in　labor；　and　inseparable　from　the　function　of　producer；　even　in　the　lowest　forms　of　his　work。

This　is　my　proposition：　　THE　LABORER　RETAINS；　EVEN　　AFTER　HE　HAS　RECEIVED　HIS　WAGES；　A　NATURAL　RIGHT　OF　PROPERTY　IN　THE　THING　WHICH　HE　HAS　PRODUCED。

I　again　quote　M。　Ch。　Comte：


〃Some　laborers　are　employed　in　draining　marshes；　in　cutting　down　trees　and　brushwood；in　a　word；　in　cleaning　up　the　soil。　　They　increase　the　value；　they　make　the　amount　of　property　larger；　they　are　paid　for　the　value　which　they　add　in　the　form　of　food　and　daily　wages：　it　then　becomes　the　property　of　the　capitalist。〃


The　price　is　not　sufficient：　the　labor　of　the　workers　has　created　a　value；　now　this　value　is　their　property。　　But　they　have　neither　sold　nor　exchanged　it；　and　you；　capitalist；　you　have　not　earned　it。　　That　you　should　have　a　partial　right　to　the　whole；　in　return　for　the　materials　that　you　have　furnished　and　the　provisions　that　you　have　supplied；　is　perfectly　just。　　You　contributed　to　the　production；　you　ought　to　share　in　the　enjoyment。　　But　your　right　does　not　annihilate　that　of　the　laborers；　who；　in　spite　of　you；　have　been　your　colleagues　in　the　work　of　production。　　Why　do　you　talk　of　wages？　　The　money　with　which　you　pay　the　wages　of　the　laborers　remunerates　them　for　only　a　few　years　of　the　perpetual　possession　which　they　have　abandoned　to　you。　　Wages　is　the　cost　of　the　daily　maintenance　and　refreshment　of　the　laborer。　　You　are　wrong　in　calling　it　the　price　of　a　sale。　　The　workingman　has　sold　nothing；　he　knows　neither　his　right；　nor　the　extent　of　the　concession　which　he　has　made　to　you；　nor　the　meaning　of　the　contract　which　you　pretend　to　have　made　with　him。　　On　his　side；　utter　ignorance；　on　yours；　error　and　surprise；　not　to　say　deceit　and　fraud。

Let　us　make　this　clearer　by　another　and　more　striking　example。

No　one　is　ignorant　of　the　difficulties　that　are　met　with　in　the　conversion　of　untilled　land　into　arable　and　productive　land。　　These　difficulties　are　so　great；　that　usually　an　isolated　man　would　perish　before　he　could　put　the　soil　in　a　condition　to　yield　him　even　the　most　meagre　living。　　To　that　end　are　needed　the　united　and　combined　efforts　of　society；　and　all　the　resources　of　industry。　　M。　Ch。　Comte　quotes　on　this　subject　numerous　and　well…　authenticated　facts；　little　thinking　that　he　is　amassing　testimony　against　his　own　system。

Let　us　suppose　that　a　colony　of　twenty　or　thirty　families　establishes　itself　in　a　wild　district；　covered　with　underbrush　and　forests；　and　from　which；　by　agreement；　the　natives　consent　to　withdraw。　　Each　one　of　these　families　possesses　a　moderate　but　sufficient　amount　of　capital；　of　such　a　nature　as　a　colonist　would　be　apt　to　choose；animals；　seeds；　tools；　and　a　little　money　and　food。　　The　land　having　been　divided；　each　one　settles　himself　as　comfortably　as　possible；　and　begins　to　clear　away　the　portion　allotted　to　him。　　But　after　a　few　weeks　of　fatigue；　such　as　they　never　before　have　known；　of　inconceivable　suffering；　of　ruinous　and　almost　useless　labor；　our　colonists　begin　to　complain　of　their　trade；　their　condition　seems　hard　to　them；　they　curse　their　sad　existence。

Suddenly；　one　of　the　shrewdest　among　them　kills　a　pig；　cures　a　part　of　the　meat；　and；　resolved　to　sacrifice　the　rest　of　his　provisions；　goes　to　find　his　companions　in　misery。　　〃Friends；〃　he　begins　in　a　very　benevolent　tone；　〃how　much　trouble　it　costs　you　to　do　a　little　work　and　live　uncomfortably！　　A　fortnight　of　labor　has　reduced　you　to　your　last　extremity！　。　。　。　　Let　us　make　an　arrangement　by　which　you　shall　all　profit。　　I　offer　you　provisions　and　wine：　you　shall　get　so　much　every　day；　we　will　work　together；　and；　zounds！　my　friends；　we　will　be　happy　and　contented！〃

Would　it　be　possible　for　empty　stomachs　to　resist　such　an　invitation？　　The　hungriest　of　them　follow　the　treacherous　tempter。　　They　go　to　work；　the　charm　of　society；　emulation；　joy；　and　mutual　assistance　double　their　strength；　the　work　can　be　seen　to　advance。　　Singing　and　laughing；　they　subdue　Nature。　　In　a　short　time；　the　soil　is　thoroughly　changed；　the　mellowed　earth　waits　only　for　the　seed。　　That　done；　the　proprietor　pays　his　laborers；　who；　on　going　away；　return　him　their　thanks；　and　grieve　that　the　happy　days　which　they　have　spent　with　him　are　over。

Others　follow　this　example；　always　with　the　same　success。　　Then；　these　installed；　the　rest　disperse；each　one　returns　to　his　grubbing。　　But；　while　grubbing；　it　is　necessary　to　live。　　While　they　have　been　clearing　away　for　their　neighbor；　they　have　done　no　clearing　for　themselves。　　One　year's　seed…time　and　harvest　is　already　gone。　　They　had　calculated　that　in　lending　their　labor　they　could　not　but　gain；　since　they　would　save　their　own　provisions；　and；　while　living　better；　would　get　still　more　money。　　False　calculation！　they　have　created　for　another　the　means　wherewith　to　produce；　and　have　created　nothing　for　themselves。　　The　difficulties　of　clearing　remain　the　same；　their　clothing　wears　out；　their　provisions　give　out；　soon　their　purse　becomes　empty　for　the　profit　of　the　individual　for　whom　they　have　worked；　and　who　alone　can　furnish　the　provisions　which　they　need；　since　he　alone　is　in　a　position　to　produce　them。　　Then；　when　the　poor　grubber　has　exhausted　his　resources；　the　man　with　the　provisions　（like　the　wolf　in　the　fable；　who　scents　his　victim　from　afar）　again　comes　forward。　　One　he　offers　to　employ　again　by　the　day；　from　another　he　offers　to　buy　at　a　favorable　price　a　piece　of　his　bad　land；　which　is　not；　and　never　can　be；　of　any　use　to　him：　that　is；　he　uses　the　labor　of　one　man　to　cultivate　the　field　of　another　for　his　own　benefit。　　So　that　at　the　end　of　twenty　years；　of　thirty　individuals　originally　equal　in　point　of　wealth；　five　or　six　have　become　proprietors　of　the　whole　district；　while　the　rest　have　been　philanthropically　dispossessed！

In　this　century　of　bourgeoisie　morality；　in　which　I　have　had　the　honor　to　be　born；　the　moral　sense　is　so　debased　that　I　should　not　be　at　all　surprised　if　I　were　asked；　by　many　a　worthy　proprietor；　what　I　see　in　this　that　is　unjust　and　illegitimate？　　Debased　creature！　galvanized　corpse！　how　can　I　expect　to　convince　you；　if　you　cannot　tell　robbery　when　I　show　it　to　you？　　A　man；　by　soft　and　insinuating　words；　discovers　the　secret　of　taxing　others　that　he　may　establish　himself；　then；　once　enriched　by　their　united　efforts；　he　refuses；　on　the　very　conditions　which　he　himself　dictated；　to　advance　the　well…being　of　those　who　made　his　fortune　for　him：　and　you　ask　how　such　conduct　is　fraudulent！　　Under　the　pretext　that　he　has　paid　his　laborers；　that　he　owes　them　nothing　more；　that　he　has　nothing　to　gain　by　putting　himself　at　the　service　of　others；　while　his　own　occupations　claim　his　attention；he　refuses；　I　say；　to　aid　others　in　getting　a　foothold；　as　he　was　aided　in　getting　his　own；　and　when；　in　the　impotence　of　their　isolation；　these　poor　laborers　are　compelled　to　sell　their　birthright；　hethis　ungrateful　proprietor；　this　knavish　upstartstands　ready　to　put　the　finishing　touch　to　their　deprivation　and　their　ruin。　　And　you　think　that　just？　　Take　care！

I　read　in　your　startled　countenance　the　reproach　of　a　guilty　conscience；　much　more　clearly　than　the　innocent　astonishment　of　involuntary　ignorance。

〃The　capitalist；〃　they　say；　〃has　paid　the　laborers　their　DAILY　WAGES。〃　　To　be　accurate；　it　must　be　said　that　the　capitalist　has　paid　as　many　times　one　day's　wage　as　he　has　employed　laborers　each　day；which　is　not　at　all　the　same　thing。　　For　he　has　paid　nothing　for　that　immense　power　which　results　from　the　union　and　harmony　of　laborers；　and　the　convergence　and　simultaneousness　of　their　efforts。　　Two　hundred　grenadiers　stood　the　obelisk　of　Luxor　upon　its　base　in　a　few　hours；　do　you　suppose　that　one　man　could　have　accomplished　the　same　task　in　two　hundred　days？　　Nevertheless；　on　the　books　of　the　capitalist；　the　amount　of　wages　paid　would　have　been　the　same。　　Well；　a　desert　to　prepare　for　cultivation；　a　house　to　build；　a　factory　to　run；all　these　are　obelisks　to　erect；　mountains　to　move。　　The　smallest　fortune；　the　most　insignificant　establishment；　the　setting　in　motion　of　the　lowest　industry；　demand　the　concurrence　of　so　many　different　kinds　of　labor　and　skill；　that　one　man　could　not　possibly　execute　the　whole　of　them。　　It　is　astonishing　that　the　economists　never　have　called　attention　to　this　fact。　　Strike　a　balance；　then；　between　the　capitalist's　receipts　and　his　payments。

The