a new view of society-第22节

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ernment；　to　estimate　how　much　its　finances　would　be　improved；　by　giving　proper　employment　to　a　million　of　its　subjects；　rather　than　by　supporting　that　million　in　ignorance；　idleness；　and　crime。　　　　　Will　it　exceed　the　bounds　of　moderation　to　say；　that　a　million　of　the　population　so　employed；　under　the　direction　of　an　intelligent　government；　might　earn　to　the　state　ten　pounds　each　annually；　or　ten　millions　sterling　per　annum？　Ten　millions　per　year　would　be　obtained；　by　each　individual　earning　less　than　four　shillings　per　week；　and　any　part　of　the　population　of　these　kingdoms；　including　within　the　average　the　too　young　and　the　too　old　for　labour；　may　be　made　to　earn；　under　proper　arrangements；　more　than　four　shillings　per　week　to　the　state；　besides　creating　an　innumerable　train　of　other　more　beneficial　consequences。）　　　　　Why　then；　are　there　any　idle　poor　in　these　kingdoms？　Solely　because　so　large　a　part　of　the　population　have　been　permitted　to　grow　up　to　manhood　in　gross　ignorance；　and　because；　when　they　are；　or　easily　may　be　trained　to　be　willing　to　labour；　useful　and　productive　employment　has　not　been　provided　for　them。　　　　　All　men　may；　by　judicious　and　proper　laws　and　training；　readily　acquire　knowledge　and　habits　which　will　enable　them；　if　they　be　permitted；　to　produce　far　more　than　they　need　for　their　support　and　enjoyment：　and　thus　any　population；　in　the　fertile　parts　of　the　earth；　may　be　taught　to　live　in　plenty　and　in　happiness；　without　the　checks　of　vice　and　misery。　　　　　Mr　Malthus　is；　however；　correct；　when　he　says　that　the　population　of　the　world　is　ever　adapting　itself　to　the　quantity　of　food　raised　for　its　support；　but　he　has　not　told　us　how　much　more　food　an　intelligent　and　industrious　people　will　create　from　the　same　soil；　than　will　be　produced　by　one　ignorant　and　ill…governed。　It　is；　however；　as　one　to　infinity。　　　　　For　man　knows　not　the　limit　to　his　power　of　creating　food。　How　much　has　this　power　been　latterly　increased　in　these　islands！　And　in　them　such　knowledge　is　in　its　infancy。　Yet　compare　even　this　power　of　raising　food　with　the　efforts　of　the　Bosgemens　or　other　savages；　and　it　will　be　found；　perhaps；　as　one　to　a　thousand。　　　　　Food　for　man　may　also　be　considered　as　a　compound　of　the　original　elements；　of　the　qualities；　combinations；　and　control　of　which；　chemistry　is　daily　adding　to　our　knowledge；　nor　is　it　yet　for　man　to　say　to　what　this　knowledge　may　lead；　or　where　it　may　end。　　　　　The　sea；　it　may　be　remarked　also；　affords　an　inexhaustible　source　of　food。　It　may　then　be　safely　asserted　that　the　population　of　the　world　may　be　allowed　naturally　to　increase　for　many　thousand　years；　and　yet；　under　a　system　of　government　founded　on　the　principles　for　the　truth　of　which　we　contend；　the　whole　may　continue　to　live　in　abundance　and　happiness；　without　one　check　of　vice　or　misery；　and　under　the　guidance　of　these　principles；　human　labour；　properly　directed；　may　be　made　far　more　than　sufficient　to　enable　the　population　of　the　world　to　live　in　the　highest　state　of　human　enjoyment。　　　　　Shall　we　then　continue　to　allow　misery　to　predominate；　and　the　labour　of　man　to　be　most　absurdly　applied　or　wasted；　when　it　might　be　easily　directed　to　remove　that　misery？　　　　　The　labour　of　every　man；　woman；　and　child；　possessing　sufficient　bodily　strength；　may　be　advantageously　employed　for　the　public；　and　there　is　not；　perhaps；　a　stronger　evidence　of　the　extreme　ignorance　and　fallacy　of　the　systems　which　have　hitherto　governed　the　world；　than　that　the　rich；　the　active；　and　the　powerful；　should；　by　tacit　consent；　support　the　ignorant　in　idleness　and　crime；　without　making　the　attempt　to　train　them　into　industrious；　intelligent；　and　valuable　members　of　the　community；　although　the　means　by　which　the　change　could　be　easily　effected　have　been　always　at　their　command！　　　　　It　is　not；　however；　intended　to　propose　that　the　British　Government　should　now　give　direct　employment　to　all　its　working　population。　On　the　contrary；　it　is　confidently　expected　that　a　national　system　for　the　training　and　education　of　the　poor　and　lower　orders　will　be　so　effectual；　that　ere　long　they　will　all　find　employment　sufficient　to　Support　themselves；　except　in　cases　of　great　sudden　depression　in　the　demand　for；　and　consequent　depreciation　in　the　value　of；　labour。　　　　　To　prevent　the　crime　and　misery　which　ever　follow　these　unfavourable　fluctuations　in　the　demand　for　and　value　of　labour；　it　ought　to　be　a　primary　duty　of　every　government　that　sincerely　interests　itself　in　the　well…being　of　its　subjects；　to　provide　perpetual　employment　of　real　national　utility；　in　which　all　who　apply　may　be　immediately　occupied。　　　　　In　order　that　those　only　who　could　not　obtain　employment　from　private　individuals　should　be　induced　to　avail　themselves　of　these　national　works；　the　rate　of　the　public　labour　might　be　in　general　fixed　at　some　proportion　less　than　the　average　rate　of　private　labour　in　the　district　in　which　such　public　labour　should　be　performed。　These　rates　might　be　readily　ascertained　and　fixed；　by　reference　to　the　county　or　district　quarterly　returns　of　the　average　rate　of　labour。　　　　　This　measure；　judiciously　managed；　would　have　a　similar　effect　on　the　price　of　labour；　that　the　sinking　fund　produces　on　the　Stock　Exchange；　and；　as　the　price　of　public　labour　should　never　fall　below　the　means　of　temperate　existence；　the　plan　proposed　would　perpetually　tend　to　prevent　an　excess　of　nationally　injurious　pressure　on　the　most　unprotected　part　of　society。　　　　　The　most　obvious；　and；　in　the　first　place；　the　best　source；　perhaps；　of　employment；　would　be　the　making　and　repairing　of　roads。　Such　employment　would　be　perpetual　over　the　whole　kingdom；　and　it　will　be　found　true　national　economy　to　keep　the　public　roads　at　all　times　in　a　much　higher　state　of　repair　than；　perhaps；　any　of　them　are　at　present。　If　requisite；　canals；　harbours；　docks；　shipbuilding；　and　materials　for　the　navy；　may　be　afterwards　resorted　to；　it　is　not；　however；　supposed　that　many　of　the　latter　resources　would　be　necessary。　　　　　A　persevering　attention；　without　which；　indeed；　not　anything　beneficial　in　practice　can　ever　be　attained；　will　soon　overcome　all　the　difficulties　which　may　at　first　appear　to　obstruct　this　plan　for　introducing　occasional　national　employment　into　the　polity　of　the　kingdom。　　　　　In　times　of　very　limited　demand　for　labour；　it　is　truly　lamentable　to　witness　the　distress　which　arises　among　the　industrious　for　want　of　regular　employment　and　their　customary　wages。　In　these　periods；　innumerable　applications　are　made　to　the　superintendents　of　extensive　manual　operations；　to　obtain　any　kind　of　employment；　by　which　a　subsistence　may　be　procured。　Such　applications　are　often　made　by　persons　who；　in　search　of　work；　have　travelled　from　one　extremity　of　the　island　to　the　other！　　　　　During　these　attempts　to　be　useful　and　honest；　in　the　common　acceptation　of　the　terms；　the　families　of　such　wandering　individuals　accompany　them；　or　remain　at　home；　in　either　case　they　generally　experience　sufferings　and　privations　which　the　gay　and　splendid　will　hesitate　to　believe　it　possible　that　human　nature　could　endure。　　　　　Yet；　after　this　extended　and　anxious　endeavour　to　procure　employment；　the　applicant　often　returns　unsuccessful；　he　cannot；　by　his　most　strenuous　exertions；　procure　an　honest　and　independent　existence；　therefore；　with　intentions　perhaps　as　good；　and　a　mind　as　capable　of　great　and　benevolent　actions　as　the　remainder　of　his　fellow　men；　he　has　no　other　resources　left　but　to　starve；　apply　to　his　parish　for　relief；　and　thus　suffer　the　greatest　degradation；　or　rely　on　his　own　native　exertions；　and；　to　supply　himself　and　family　with　bread；　resort　to　what　are　termed　dishonest　means。　　　　　Some　minds　thus　circumstanced　are　so　delicately　formed；　that　they　will　not　accept　the　one　or　adopt　the　other　of　the　two　latter　modes　to　sustain　life；　and　in　consequence　they　actually　starve。　These；　however；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　are　not　very　numerous。　But　the　number　is　undoubtedly　great；　of　those　whose　health　is　ruined　by　bad　and　insufficient　food；　clothing；　and　shelter；　who　contract　lingering　diseases；　and　suffer　premature　death；　the　effect　of　partial　starvation。　　　　　The　most　ignorant　and　least　enterprising　of　them　apply　to　the　parish　for　support；　soon　lose　the　desire　of　exertion；　become　permanently　dependent；　conscious　of　their　degradation　in　society；　and　henceforward；　with　their　offspring；　remain　a　burden　and　grievous　evil　to　the　state；　while　those　among　this　class　who　yet　possess　strength　and　energy　of　body　and　mind；　with　some　undestroyed　powers　of　reasoning；　perceive；　in　part；　the　glaring　errors　and　injustice　of　society　towards　themselves　and　their　fellow　sufferers。　　　　　Can　it　then　create　surprise　that　feelings　like　those　described　should　force　human　nature　to　endeavour　to　retaliate？　　　　　Multitudes　of　our　fellow　men　are　so　goaded　by　these　reflections　and　circumstances；　as　to　be　urged；　even　while　incessantly　and　closely　pursued　by　legal　death　almost　without　a　chance　of　escape；　to　resist　those　laws　under　which　they　suffer；　and　thus　the　private　depredator　on　society　is　formed；　fostered；　and　matured。　　　　　Shall　we　then　longer　withhold　national　instruction　from　our　fellow　men；　who；　it　has　been　shown；　might　easily　be　trained　to　be　industrious；　intelligent；