the moscow census-第21节

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whom　you　were　winning；　as　is　the　case　in　other　games；　a　lackey
brought；　not　money；　but　chips；　each　man　lost　a　little　stake；　and　his
disappointment　was　not　visible　　。　。　。　　It　is　the　same　with　roulette；
which　is　everywhere　prohibited；　and　not　without　reason。

It　is　the　same　with　money。　　I　possess　a　magic；　inexhaustible　ruble；　I
cut　off　my　coupons；　and　have　retired　from　all　the　business　of　the
world。　　Whom　do　I　injure；I；　the　most　inoffensive　and　kindest　of
men？　　But　this　is　nothing　more　than　playing　at　loto　or　roulette；
where　I　do　not　see　the　man　who　shoots　himself；　because　of　his　losses；
after　procuring　for　me　those　coupons　which　I　cut　off　from　the　bonds
so　accurately　with　a　strictly　right…angled　corner。

I　have　done　nothing；　I　do　nothing；　and　I　shall　do　nothing；　except　cut
off　those　coupons；　and　I　firmly　believe　that　money　is　the
representative　of　labor！　　Surely；　this　is　amazing！　　And　people　talk
of　madmen；　after　that！　　Why；　what　degree　of　lunacy　can　be　more
frightful　than　this？　　A　sensible；　educated；　in　all　other　respects
sane　man　lives　in　a　senseless　manner；　and　soothes　himself　for　not
uttering　the　word　which　it　is　indispensably　necessary　that　he　should
utter；　with　the　idea　that　there　is　some　sense　in　his　conclusions；　and
he　considers　himself　a　just　man。　　Couponsthe　representatives　of
toil！　　Toil！　　Yes；　but　of　whose　toil？　　Evidently　not　of　the　man　who
owns　them；　but　of　him　who　labors。

Slavery　is　far　from　being　suppressed。　　It　has　been　suppressed　in　Rome
and　in　America；　and　among　us：　　but　only　certain　laws　have　been
abrogated；　only　the　word；　not　the　thing；　has　been　put　down。　　Slavery
is　the　freeing　of　ourselves　alone　from　the　toil　which　is　necessary
for　the　satisfaction　of　our　demands；　by　the　transfer　of　this　toil　to
others；　and　wherever　there　exists　a　man　who　does　not　work；　not
because　others　work　lovingly　for　him；　but　where　he　possesses　the
power　of　not　working；　and　forces　others　to　work　for　him；　there
slavery　exists。　　There　too；　where；　as　in　all　European　societies；
there　are　people　who　make　use　of　the　labor　of　thousands　of　men；　and
regard　this　as　their　right；there　slavery　exists　in　its　broadest
measure。

And　money　is　the　same　thing　as　slavery。　　Its　object　and　its
consequences　are　the　same。　　Its　object　isthat　one　may　rid　one's
self　of　the　first　born　of　all　laws；　as　a　profoundly　thoughtful　writer
from　the　ranks　of　the　people　has　expressed　it；　from　the　natural　law
of　life；　as　we　have　called　it；　from　the　law　of　personal　labor　for　the
satisfaction　of　our　own　wants。　　And　the　results　of　money　are　the　same
as　the　results　of　slavery；　for　the　proprietor；　the　creation；　the
invention　of　new　and　ever　new　and　never…ending　demands；　which　can
never　be　satisfied；　the　enervation　of　poverty；　vice；　and　for　the
slaves；　the　persecution　of　man　and　their　degradation　to　the　level　of
the　beasts。

Money　is　a　new　and　terrible　form　of　slavery；　and　equally　demoralizing
with　the　ancient　form　of　slavery　for　both　slave　and　slave…owner；　only
much　worse；　because　it　frees　the　slave　and　the　slave…owner　from　their
personal；　humane　relations。＇



CHAPTER　XVIII。



I　am　always　surprised　by　the　oft…repeated　words：　　〃Yes；　this　is　so　in
theory；　but　how　is　it　in　practice？〃　　Just　as　though　theory　were　fine
words；　requisite　for　conversation；　but　not　for　the　purpose　of　having
all　practice；　that　is；　all　activity；　indispensably　founded　on　them。
There　must　be　a　fearful　number　of　stupid　theories　current　in　the
world；　that　such　an　extraordinary　idea　should　have　become　prevalent。
Theory　is　what　a　man　thinks　on　a　subject；　but　its　practice　is　what　he
does。　　How　can　a　man　think　it　necessary　to　do　so　and　so；　and　then　do
the　contrary？　　If　the　theory　of　baking　bread　is；　that　it　must　first
be　mixed；　and　then　set　to　rise；　no　one　except　a　lunatic；　knowing　this
theory；　would　do　the　reverse。　　But　it　has　become　the　fashion　with　us
to　say；　that　〃this　is　so　in　theory；　but　how　about　the　practice？〃

In　the　matter　which　interests　me　now；　that　has　been　confirmed　which　I
have　always　thought；that　practice　infallibly　flows　from　theory；　and
not　that　it　justifies　it；　but　it　cannot　possibly　be　otherwise；　for　if
I　have　understood　the　thing　of　which　I　have　been　thinking；　then　I
cannot　carry　out　this　thing　otherwise　than　as　I　have　understood　it。

I　wanted　to　help　the　unfortunate　only　because　I　had　money；　and　I
shared　the　general　belief　that　money　was　the　representative　of　labor；
or；　on　the　whole；　something　legal　and　good。　　But；　having　begun　to
give　away　this　money；　I　saw；　when　I　gave　the　bills　which　I　had
accumulated　from　poor　people；　that　I　was　doing　precisely　that　which
was　done　by　some　landed　proprietors　who　made　some　of　their　serfs　wait
on　others。　　I　saw　that　every　use　of　money；　whether　for　making
purchases；　or　for　giving　away　without　an　equivalent　to　another；　is
handing　over　a　note　for　extortion　from　the　poor；　or　its　transfer　to
another　man　for　extortion　from　the　poor。　　I　saw　that　money　in　itself
was　not　only　not　good；　but　evidently　evil；　and　that　it　deprives　us　of
our　highest　good；labor；　and　thereby　of　the　enjoyment　of　our　labor；
and　that　that　blessing　I　was　not　in　a　position　to　confer　on　any　one；
because　I　was　myself　deprived　of　it：　　I　do　not　work；　and　I　take　no
pleasure　in　making　use　of　the　labor　of　others。

It　would　appear　that　there　is　something　peculiar　in　this　abstract
argument　as　to　the　nature　of　money。　　But　this　argument　which　I　have
made　not　for　the　sake　of　argument；　but　for　the　solution　of　the
problem　of　my　life；　of　my　sufferings；　was　for　me　an　answer　to　my
question：　　What　is　to　be　done？

As　soon　as　I　grasped　the　meaning　of　riches；　and　of　money；　it　not　only
became　clear　and　indisputable　to　me；　what　I　ought　to　do；　but　also
clear　and　indisputable　what　others　ought　to　do；　because　they　would
infallibly　do　it。　　I　had　only　actually　come　to　understand　what　I　had
known　for　a　long　time　previously；　the　theory　which　was　given　to　men
from　the　very　earliest　times；　both　by　Buddha；　and　Isaiah；　and　Lao…
Tze；　and　Socrates；　and　in　a　peculiarly　clear　and　indisputable　manner
by　Jesus　Christ　and　his　forerunner；　John　the　Baptist。　　John　the
Baptist；　in　answer　to　the　question　of　the　people；What　were　they　to
do？　replied　simply；　briefly；　and　clearly：　　〃He　that　hath　two　coats；
let　him　impart　to　him　that　hath　none；　and　he　that　hath　meat；　let　him
do　likewise〃　（Luke　iii。　10；　11）。　　In　a　similar　manner；　but　with　even
greater　clearness；　and　on　many　occasions；　Christ　spoke。　　He　said：
〃Blessed　are　the　poor；　and　woe　to　the　rich。〃　　He　said　that　it　is
impossible　to　serve　God　and　mammon。　　He　forbade　his　disciples　to　take
not　only　money；　but　also　two　garments。　　He　said　to　the　rich　young
man；　that　he　could　not　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　heaven　because　he
was　rich；　and　that　it　was　easier　for　a　camel　to　go　through　the　eye　of
a　needle；　than　for　a　rich　man　to　enter　the　kingdom　of　God。　　He　said
that　he　who　should　not　leave　every　thing；　houses　and　children　and
lands；　and　follow　him；　could　not　be　his　disciple。　　He　told　the
parable　of　the　rich　man　who　did　nothing　bad；　like　our　own　rich　men；
but　who　only　arrayed　himself　in　costly　garments；　and　ate　and　drank
daintily；　and　who　lost　his　soul　thereby；　and　of　poor　Lazarus；　who　had
done　nothing　good；　but　who　was　saved　merely　because　he　was　poor。

This　theory　was　sufficiently　familiar　to　me；　but　the　false　teachings
of　the　world　had　so　obscured　it　that　it　had　become　for　me　a　theory　in
the　sense　which　people　are　fond　of　attributing　to　that　term；　that　is
to　say；　empty　words。　　But　as　soon　as　I　had　succeeded　in　destroying　in
my　consciousness　the　sophisms　of　worldly　teaching；　theory　conformed
to　practice；　and　the　truth　with　regard　to　my　life　and　to　the　life　of
the　people　about　me　became　its　conclusion。

I　understood　that　man；　besides　life　for　his　own　personal　good；　is
unavoidably　bound　to　serve　the　good　of　others　also；　that；　if　we　take
an　illustration　from　the　animal　kingdom；as　some　people　are　fond　of
doing；　defending　violence　and　conflict　by　the　conflict　for　existence
in　the　animal　kingdom；the　illustration　must　be　taken　from
gregarious　animals；　like　bees；　that　consequently　man；　not　to　mention
the　love　to　his　neighbor　incumbent　on　him；　is　called　upon；　both　by
reason　and　by　his　nature；　to　serve　other　people　and　the　common　good
of　humanity。　　I　comprehended　that　the　natural　law　of　man　is　that
according　to　which　only　he　can　fulfil　destiny；　and　therefore　be
happy。　　I　understood　that　this　law　has　been　and　is　broken　hereby；
that　people　get　rid　of　labor　by　force　（like　the　robber　bees）；　make
use　of　the　toil　of　others；　directing　this　toil；　not　to　the　common
weal；　but　to　the　private　satisfaction　of　swift…growing　desires；　and；
precisely　as　in　the　case　of　the　robber　bees；　they　perish　in
consequence。　　＇I　understood　that　the　original　form　of　this
disinclination　for　the　law　is　the　brutal　violence　against　weaker
individuals；　against　women；　wars　and　imprisonments；　whose　sequel　is
slavery；　and　also　the　present　reign　of　money。　　I　understood　that
money　is　the　impersonal　and　concealed　enslavement　of　the　poor。　　And；
once　having　perceived　the　significance　of　money　as　slavery；　I　could
not　but　hate　it；　nor　refrain　from　doing　all　in　my　power　to　free
myself　from　it。＇　｛21｝

When　I