what is property-第46节

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s　impossible　unless　fraud　is　used；　the　interest　will　fall　back　upon　the　shoulders　of　the　unfortunate　shoemaker；　and　ruin　him。

I　have　imagined　a　case　of　unnatural　simplicity。　　There　is　no　human　society　but　sustains　more　than　three　vocations。　　The　most　uncivilized　society　supports　numerous　industries；　to…day；　the　number　of　industrial　functions　（I　mean　by　industrial　functions　all　useful　functions）　exceeds；　perhaps；　a　thousand。　　However　numerous　the　occupations；　the　economic　law　remains　the　same；　THAT　THE　PRODUCER　MAY　LIVE；　HIS　WAGES　MUST　REPURCHASE　HIS　PRODUCT。

_　　　_The　economists　cannot　be　ignorant　of　this　rudimentary　principle　of　their　pretended　science：　why；　then；　do　they　so　obstinately　defend　property；　and　inequality　of　wages；　and　the　legitimacy　of　usury；　and　the　honesty　of　profit；all　of　which　contradict　the　economic　law；　and　make　exchange　impossible？　　A　contractor　pays　one　hundred　thousand　francs　for　raw　material；　fifty　thousand　francs　in　wages；　and　then　expects　to　receive　a　product　of　two　hundred　thousand　francs；that　is；　expects　to　make　a　profit　on　the　material　and　on　the　labor　of　his　employees；　but　if　the　laborers　and　the　purveyor　of　the　material　cannot；　with　their　combined　wages；　repurchase　that　which　they　have　produced　for　the　contractor；　how　can　they　live？　　I　will　develop　my　question。　　Here　details　become　necessary。

If　the　workingman　receives　for　his　labor　an　average　of　three　francs　per　day；　his　employer　（in　order　to　gain　any　thing　beyond　his　own　salary；　if　only　interest　on　his　capital）　must　sell　the　day's　labor　of　his　employee；　in　the　form　of　merchandise；　for　more　than　three　francs。　　The　workingman　cannot；　then；　repurchase　that　which　he　has　produced　for　his　master。　　It　is　thus　with　all　trades　whatsoever。　　The　tailor；　the　hatter；　the　cabinet…maker；　the　blacksmith；　the　tanner；　the　mason；　the　jeweller；　the　printer；　the　clerk；　&c。；　even　to　the　farmer　and　wine…grower；　cannot　repurchase　their　products；　since；　producing　for　a　master　who　in　one　form　or　another　makes　a　profit；　they　are　obliged　to　pay　more　for　their　own　labor　than　they　get　for　it。

In　France；　twenty　millions　of　laborers；　engaged　in　all　the　branches　of　science；　art；　and　industry；　produce　every　thing　which　is　useful　to　man。　　Their　annual　wages　amount；　it　is　estimated。　　to　twenty　thousand　millions；　but；　in　consequence　of　the　right　of　property；　and　the　multifarious　forms　of　increase；　premiums；　tithes；　interests；　fines；　profits；　farm…rents；　house…rents；　revenues；　emoluments　of　every　nature　and　description；　their　products　are　estimated　by　the　proprietors　and　employers　at　twenty…five　thousand　millions。　　What　does　that　signify？　　That　the　laborers；　who　are　obliged　to　repurchase　these　products　in　order　to　live；　must　either　pay　five　for　that　which　they　produced　for　four；　or　fast　one　day　in　five。

If　there　is　an　economist　in　France　able　to　show　that　this　calculation　is　false；　I　summon　him　to　appear；　and　I　promise　to　retract　all　that　I　have　wrongfully　and　wickedly　uttered　in　my　attacks　upon　property。

Let　us　now　look　at　the　results　of　this　profit。

If　the　wages　of　the　workingmen　were　the　same　in　all　pursuits；　the　deficit　caused　by　the　proprietor's　tax　would　be　felt　equally　everywhere；　but　also　the　cause　of　the　evil　would　be　so　apparent；　that　it　would　soon　be　discovered　and　suppressed。　　But；　as　there　is　the　same　inequality　of　wages　（from　that　of　the　scavenger　up　to　that　of　the　minister　of　state）　as　of　property；　robbery　continually　rebounds　from　the　stronger　to　the　weaker；　so　that；　since　the　laborer　finds　his　hardships　increase　as　he　descends　in　the　social　scale；　the　lowest　class　of　people　are　literally　stripped　naked　and　eaten　alive　by　the　others。

The　laboring　people　can　buy　neither　the　cloth　which　they　weave；　nor　the　furniture　which　they　manufacture；　nor　the　metal　which　they　forge；　nor　the　jewels　which　they　cut；　nor　the　prints　which　they　engrave。　　They　can　procure　neither　the　wheat　which　they　plant；　nor　the　wine　which　they　grow；　nor　the　flesh　of　the　animals　which　they　raise。　　They　are　allowed　neither　to　dwell　in　the　houses　which　they　build；　nor　to　attend　the　plays　which　their　labor　supports；　nor　to　enjoy　the　rest　which　their　body　requires。　　And　why？　　Because　the　right　of　increase　does　not　permit　these　things　to　be　sold　at　the　cost…price；　which　is　all　that　laborers　can　afford　to　pay。　　On　the　signs　of　those　magnificent　warehouses　which　he　in　his　poverty　admires；　the　laborer　reads　in　large　letters：　　〃This　is　thy　work；　and　thou　shalt　not　have　it。〃　　_Sic　vos　non　vobis_！

Every　manufacturer　who　employs　one　thousand　laborers；　and　gains　from　them　daily　one　sou　each；　is　slowly　pushing　them　into　a　state　of　misery。　　Every　man　who　makes　a　profit　has　entered　into　a　conspiracy　with　famine。　　But　the　whole　nation　has　not　even　this　labor；　by　means　of　which　property　starves　it。　　And　why？　　Because　the　workers　are　forced　by　the　insufficiency　of　their　wages　to　monopolize　labor；　and　because；　before　being　destroyed　by　dearth；　they　destroy　each　other　by　competition。　　Let　us　pursue　this　truth　no　further。

If　the　laborer's　wages　will　not　purchase　his　product；　it　follows　that　the　product　is　not　made　for　the　producer。　　For　whom；　then；　is　it　intended？　　For　the　richer　consumer；　that　is；　for　only　a　fraction　of　society。　　But　when　the　whole　society　labors；　it　produces　for　the　whole　society。　　If；　then；　only　a　part　of　society　consumes；　sooner　or　later　a　part　of　society　will　be　idle。　　Now；　idleness　is　death；　as　well　for　the　laborer　as　for　the　proprietor。

This　conclusion　is　inevitable。

The　most　distressing　spectacle　imaginable　is　the　sight　of　producers　resisting　and　struggling　against　this　mathematical　necessity；　this　power　of　figures　to　which　their　prejudices　blind　them。

If　one　hundred　thousand　printers　can　furnish　reading…matter　enough　for　thirty…four　millions　of　men；　and　if　the　price　of　books　is　so　high　that　only　one…third　of　that　number　can　afford　to　buy　them；　it　is　clear　that　these　one　hundred　thousand　printers　will　produce　three　times　as　much　as　the　booksellers　can　sell。　　That　the　products　of　the　laborers　may　never　exceed　the　demands　of　the　consumers；　the　laborers　must　either　rest　two　days　out　of　three；　or；　separating　into　three　groups；　relieve　each　other　three　times　a　week；　month；　or　quarter；　that　is；　during　two…thirds　of　their　life　they　must　not　live。　　But　industry；　under　the　influence　of　property；　does　not　proceed　with　such　regularity。　　It　endeavors　to　produce　a　great　deal　in　a　short　time；　because　the　greater　the　amount　of　products；　and　the　shorter　the　time　of　production；　the　less　each　product　costs。　　As　soon　as　a　demand　begins　to　be　felt；　the　factories　fill　up；　and　everybody　goes　to　work。　　Then　business　is　lively；　and　both　governors　and　governed　rejoice。　　But　the　more　they　work　to…day；　the　more　idle　will　they　be　hereafter；　the　more　they　laugh；　the　more　they　shall　weep。　　Under　the　rule　of　property；　the　flowers　of　industry　are　woven　into　none　but　funeral　wreaths。　　The　laborer　digs　his　own　grave。

If　the　factory　stops　running；　the　manufacturer　has　to　pay　interest　on　his　capital　the　same　as　before。　　He　naturally　tries；　then；　to　continue　production　by　lessening　expenses。　　Then　comes　the　lowering　of　wages；　the　introduction　of　machinery；　the　employment　of　women　and　children　to　do　the　work　of　men；　bad　workmen；　and　wretched　work。　　They　still　produce；　because　the　decreased　cost　creates　a　larger　market；　but　they　do　not　produce　long；　because；　the　cheapness　being　due　to　the　quantity　and　rapidity　of　production；　the　productive　power　tends　more　than　ever　to　outstrip　consumption。　　It　is　when　laborers；　whose　wages　are　scarcely　sufficient　to　support　them　from　one　day　to　another；　are　thrown　out　of　work；　that　the　consequences　of　the　principle　of　property　become　most　frightful。　　They　have　not　been　able　to　economize；　they　have　made　no　savings；　they　have　accumulated　no　capital　whatever　to　support　them　even　one　day　more。　　Today　the　factory　is　closed。　　To…morrow　the　people　starve　in　the　streets。　　Day　after　tomorrow　they　will　either　die　in　the　hospital；　or　eat　in　the　jail。

And　still　new　misfortunes　come　to　complicate　this　terrible　situation。　　In　consequence　of　the　cessation　of　business；　and　the　extreme　cheapness　of　merchandise；　the　manufacturer　finds　it　impossible　to　pay　the　interest　on　his　borrowed　capital；　whereupon　his　frightened　creditors　hasten　to　withdraw　their　funds。　　Production　is　suspended；　and　labor　comes　to　a　standstill。　　Then　people　are　astonished　to　see　capital　desert　commerce；　and　throw　itself　upon　the　Stock　Exchange；　and　I　once　heard　M。　Blanqui　bitterly　lamenting　the　blind　ignorance　of　capitalists。　　The　cause　of　this　movement　of　capital　is　very　simple；　but　for　that　very　reason　an　economist　could　not　understand　it；　or　rather　must　not　explain　it。　　The　cause　lies　solely　in　COMPETITION。

I　mean　by　competition；　not　only　the　rivalry　between　two　parties　engaged　in　the　same　business；　but　the　general　and　simultaneous　effort　of　all　kinds　of　business　to　get　ahead　of　each　other。　　This　effort　is　to…day　so　strong；　that　the　price　of　merchandise　scarcely　covers　the　cost　of　production　and　distribution；　so　that；　the　wages　of　all　laborers　being　lessened；　nothing　remains；　not　even　interest　for　the　capitalists。

The　primary　cause　of　commercial　and　industrial　stagnations　is；　then；　interest　on　capital；that