what is property-第32节

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ist's　receipts　and　his　payments。

The　laborer　needs　a　salary　which　will　enable　him　to　live　while　he　works；　for　unless　he　consumes；　he　cannot　produce。　　Whoever　employs　a　man　owes　him　maintenance　and　support；　or　wages　enough　to　procure　the　same。　　That　is　the　first　thing　to　be　done　in　all　production。　　I　admit；　for　the　moment；　that　in　this　respect　the　capitalist　has　discharged　his　duty。

It　is　necessary　that　the　laborer　should　find　in　his　production；　in　addition　to　his　present　support；　a　guarantee　of　his　future　support；　otherwise　the　source　of　production　would　dry　up；　and　his　productive　capacity　would　become　exhausted：　in　other　words；　the　labor　accomplished　must　give　birth　perpetually　to　new　laborsuch　is　the　universal　law　of　reproduction。　　In　this　way；　the　proprietor　of　a　farm　finds：　　1。　In　his　crops；　means；　not　only　of　supporting　himself　and　his　family；　but　of　maintaining　and　improving　his　capital；　of　feeding　his　live…stockin　a　word；　means　of　new　labor　and　continual　reproduction；　2。　In　his　ownership　of　a　productive　agency；　a　permanent　basis　of　cultivation　and　labor。

But　he　who　lends　his　services；what　is　his　basis　of　cultivation？

The　proprietor's　presumed　need　of　him；　and　the　unwarranted　supposition　that　he　wishes　to　employ　him。　　Just　as　the　commoner　once　held　his　land　by　the　munificence　and　condescension　of　the　lord；　so　to…day　the　working…man　holds　his　labor　by　the　condescension　and　necessities　of　the　master　and　proprietor：　that　is　what　is　called　possession　by　a　precarious＇1＇　title。　　But　this　precarious　condition　is　an　injustice；　for　it　implies　an　inequality　in　the　bargain。　　The　laborer's　wages　exceed　but　little　his　running　expenses；　and　do　not　assure　him　wages　for　to…morrow；　while　the　capitalist　finds　in　the　instrument　produced　by　the　laborer　a　pledge　of　independence　and　security　for　the　future。


＇1＇　Precarious；　from　precor；　〃I　pray；〃　because　the　act　of　concession　expressly　signified　that　the　lord；　in　answer　to　the　prayers　of　his　men　or　slaves；　had　granted　them　permission　to　labor。




Now；　this　reproductive　leaventhis　eternal　germ　of　life；　this　preparation　of　the　land　and　manufacture　of　implements　for　productionconstitutes　the　debt　of　the　capitalist　to　the　producer；　which　he　never　pays；　and　it　is　this　fraudulent　denial　which　causes　the　poverty　of　the　laborer；　the　luxury　of　idleness；　and　the　inequality　of　conditions。　　This　it　is；　above　all　other　things；　which　has　been　so　fitly　named　the　exploitation　of　man　by　man。

One　of　three　things　must　be　done。　　Either　the　laborer　must　be　given　a　portion　of　the　product　in　addition　to　his　wages；　or　the　employer　must　render　the　laborer　an　equivalent　in　productive　service；　or　else　he　must　pledge　himself　to　employ　him　for　ever。　　Division　of　the　product；　reciprocity　of　service；　or　guarantee　of　perpetual　labor；from　the　adoption　of　one　of　these　courses　the　capitalist　cannot　escape。　　But　it　is　evident　that　he　cannot　satisfy　the　second　and　third　of　these　conditionshe　can　neither　put　himself　at　the　service　of　the　thousands　of　working…men；　who；　directly　or　indirectly；　have　aided　him　in　establishing　himself；　nor　employ　them　all　for　ever。　　He　has　no　other　course　left　him；　then；　but　a　division　of　the　property。　　But　if　the　property　is　divided；　all　conditions　will　be　equalthere　will　be　no　more　large　capitalists　or　large　proprietors。

Consequently；　when　M。　Ch。　Comtefollowing　out　his　hypothesis　shows　us　his　capitalist　acquiring　one　after　another　the　products　of　his　employees'　labor；　he　sinks　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　mire；　and；　as　his　argument　does　not　change；　our　reply　of　course　remains　the　same。


〃Other　laborers　are　employed　in　building：　some　quarry　the　stone；　others　transport　it；　others　cut　it；　and　still　others　put　it　in　place。　　Each　of　them　adds　a　certain　value　to　the　material　which　passes　through　his　hands；　and　this　value；　the　product　of　his　labor；　is　his　property。　　He　sells　it；　as　fast　as　he　creates　it；　to　the　proprietor　of　the　building；　who　pays　him　for　it　in　food　and　wages。〃


_Divide　et　impera_divide；　and　you　shall　command；　divide；　and　you　shall　grow　rich；　divide；　and　you　shall　deceive　men；　you　shall　daze　their　minds；　you　shall　mock　at　justice！　　Separate　laborers　from　each　other；　perhaps　each　one's　daily　wage　exceeds　the　value　of　each　individual's　product；　but　that　is　not　the　question　under　consideration。　　A　force　of　one　thousand　men　working　twenty　days　has　been　paid　the　same　wages　that　one　would　be　paid　for　working　fifty…five　years；　but　this　force　of　one　thousand　has　done　in　twenty　days　what　a　single　man　could　not　have　accomplished；　though　he　had　labored　for　a　million　centuries。　　Is　the　exchange　an　equitable　one？　　Once　more；　no；　when　you　have　paid　all　the　individual　forces；　the　collective　force　still　remains　to　be　paid。

Consequently；　there　remains　always　a　right　of　collective　property　which　you　have　not　acquired；　and　which　you　enjoy　unjustly。

Admit　that　twenty　days'　wages　suffice　to　feed；　lodge；　and　clothe　this　multitude　for　twenty　days：　thrown　out　of　employment　at　the　end　of　that　time；　what　will　become　of　them；　if；　as　fast　as　they　create；　they　abandon　their　creations　to　the　proprietors　who　will　soon　discharge　them？　　While　the　proprietor；　firm　in　his　position　（thanks　to　the　aid　of　all　the　laborers）；　dwells　in　security；　and　fears　no　lack　of　labor　or　bread；　the　laborer's　only　dependence　is　upon　the　benevolence　of　this　same　proprietor；　to　whom　he　has　sold　and　surrendered　his　liberty。　　If；　then；　the　proprietor；　shielding　himself　behind　his　comfort　and　his　rights；　refuses　to　employ　the　laborer；　how　can　the　laborer　live？　　He　has　ploughed　an　excellent　field；　and　cannot　sow　it；　he　has　built　an　elegant　and　commodious　house；　and　cannot　live　in　it；　he　has　produced　all；　and　can　enjoy　nothing

Labor　leads　us　to　equality。　　Every　step　that　we　take　brings　us　nearer　to　it；　and　if　laborers　had　equal　strength；　diligence；　and　industry；　clearly　their　fortunes　would　be　equal　also。　　Indeed；　if；　as　is　pretended；and　as　we　have　admitted；the　laborer　is　proprietor　of　the　value　which　he　creates；　it　follows：

1。　That　the　laborer　acquires　at　the　expense　of　the　idle　proprietor；

2。　That　all　production　being　necessarily　collective；　the　laborer　is　entitled　to　a　share　of　the　products　and　profits　commensurate　with　his　labor；

3。　That　all　accumulated　capital　being　social　property；　no　one　can　be　its　exclusive　proprietor。

These　inferences　are　unavoidable；　these　alone　would　suffice　to　revolutionize　our　whole　economical　system；　and　change　our　institutions　and　our　laws。　　Why　do　the　very　persons；　who　laid　down　this　principle；　now　refuse　to　be　guided　by　it？　　Why　do　the　Says；　the　Comtes；　the　Hennequins；　and　othersafter　having　said　that　property　is　born　of　laborseek　to　fix　it　by　occupation　and　prescription？

But　let　us　leave　these　sophists　to　their　contradictions　and　blindness。　　The　good　sense　of　the　people　will　do　justice　to　their　equivocations。　　Let　us　make　haste　to　enlighten　it；　and　show　it　the　true　path。　　Equality　approaches；　already　between　it　and　us　but　a　short　distance　intervenes：　to…morrow　even　this　distance　will　have　been　traversed。


％　6。That　in　Society　all　Wages　are　Equal。


When　the　St。　Simonians；　the　Fourierists；　and；　in　general；　all　who　in　our　day　are　connected　with　social　economy　and　reform；　inscribe　upon　their　banner；


〃TO　EACH　ACCORDING　TO　HIS　CAPACITY；　TO　EACH　CAPACITY　ACCORDING　TO　ITS　RESULTS〃　（St。　Simon）；

〃TO　EACH　ACCORDING　TO　HIS　CAPITAL；　HIS　LABOR；　AND　HIS　SKILL〃　（Fourier）；

they　meanalthough　they　do　not　say　so　in　so　many　wordsthat　the　products　of　Nature　procured　by　labor　and　industry　are　a　reward；　a　palm；　a　crown　offered　to　all　kinds　of　preeminence　and　superiority。　　They　regard　the　land　as　an　immense　arena　in　which　prizes　are　contended　for；no　longer；　it　is　true；　with　lances　and　swords；　by　force　and　by　treachery；　but　by　acquired　wealth；　by　knowledge；　talent；　and　by　virtue　itself。　　In　a　word；　they　mean　and　everybody　agrees　with　themthat　the　greatest　capacity　is　entitled　to　the　greatest　reward；　and；　to　use　the　mercantile　phraseology；which　has；　at　least；　the　merit　of　being　straightforward；that　salaries　must　be　governed　by　capacity　and　its　results。

The　disciples　of　these　two　self…styled　reformers　cannot　deny　that　such　is　their　thought；　for；　in　doing　so；　they　would　contradict　their　official　interpretations；　and　would　destroy　the　unity　of　their　systems。　　Furthermore；　such　a　denial　on　their　part　is　not　to　be　feared。　　The　two　sects　glory　in　laying　down　as　a　principle　inequality　of　conditions；reasoning　from　Nature；　who；　they　say；　intended　the　inequality　of　capacities。　　They　boast　only　of　one　thing；　namely；　that　their　political　system　is　so　perfect；　that　the　social　inequalities　always　correspond　with　the　natural　inequalities。　　They　no　more　trouble　themselves　to　inquire　whether　inequality　of　conditionsI　mean　of　salariesis　possible；　than　they　do　to　fix　a　measure　of　capacity。＇1＇

＇1＇　In　St。　Simon's　system；　the　St。…Simonian　priest　determines　the　capacity　of　each　by　virtue　of　his　pontifical　infallibility；　in　imitation　of　the　Roman　Church：　in　Fourier's；　the　ranks　and　merits　are　decided　by　vote；　in　imitation　of　the　constitutional　regime。

Clearly；　the　great　man　is　an　object　of　ridicule　to　the　reader；　he　did　not　mean　to　tell　his　secret。




〃To　each　according　to　his　capacity；