list2-第48节

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children　a　good　education！



　　　　What　immense　performances　in　both　mental　and　material



production　arise　out　of　the　endeavour　to　move　in　better　society！



　　　　We　can　live　as　well　in　a　house　made　of　boards　as　in　a　villa；　we



can　protect　ourselves　for　a　few　florins　against　rain　and　cold　as



well　as　by　means　of　the　finest　and　most　elegant　clothing。　Ornaments



and　utensils　of　gold　and　silver　add　no　more　to　comfort　than　those



of　iron　and　tin；　but　the　distinction　connected　with　the　possession



of　the　former　acts　as　an　inducement　to　exertions　of　the　body　and



the　mind；　and　to　order　and　thrift；　and　to　such　inducements　society



owes　a　large　part　of　its　productiveness。　Even　the　man　living　on　his



private　property　who　merely　occupies　himself　with　preserving；



increasing；　and　consuming　his　income；　acts　in　manifold　ways　on



mental　and　material　production　：　firstly；　by　supporting　through　his



consumption　art　and　science；　and　artistic　trades；　next；　by



discharging；　as　it　were；　the　function　of　a　preserver　and　augmenter



of　the　material　capital　of　society；　finally；　by　inciting　through



his　display　all　other　classes　of　society　to　emulation。　As　a　whole



school　is　encouraged　to　exertions　by　the　offer　of　prizes；　although



only　a　few　become　winners　of　the　principal　prizes；　so　does　the



possession　of　large　property；　and　the　appearance　and　display



connected　with　it；　act　on　civil　society。　This　action　of　course



ceases　when　the　great　property　is　the　fruit　of　usurpation；　of



extortion；　or　fraud；　or　where　the　possession　of　it　and　the



enjoyment　of　its　fruits　cannot　be　openly　displayed。



　　　　Manufacturing　production　yields　either　productive　instruments



or　the　means　of　satisfying　the　necessities　of　life　and　the　means　of



display。　The　last　two　advantages　are　frequently　combined。　The



various　ranks　of　society　are　everywhere　distinguished　by　the　manner



in　which　and　where　they　live；　and　how　they　are　furnished　and



clothed；　by　the　costliness　of　their　equipages　and　the　quality；



number；　and　external　appearance　of　their　servants。　Where　the



commercial　production　is　on　a　low　scale；　this　distinction　is　but



slight；　i。e。　almost　all　people　live　badly　and　are　poorly　clothed；



emulation　is　nowhere　observable。　It　originates　and　increases



according　to　the　ratio　in　which　industries　flourish。　In　flourishing



manufacturing　countries　almost　everyone　lives　and　dresses　well；



although　in　the　quality　of　manufactured　goods　which　are　consumed



the　most　manifold　degrees　of　difference　take　place。　No　one　who



feels　that　he　has　any　power　in　him　to　work　is　willing　to　appear



outwardly　needy。　Manufacturing　industry；　therefore；　furthers



production　by　the　community　by　means　of　inducements　which



agriculture；　with　its　mean　domestic　manufacture；　its　productions　of



raw　materials　and　provisions；　cannot　offer。



　　　　There　is　of　course　an　important　difference　between　various



modes　of　living；　and　everyone　feels　some　inducement　to　eat　and



drink　well；　but　we　do　not　dine　in　public；　and　a　German　proverb　says



strikingly；　'Man　sieht　mir　auf　den　Kragen；　nicht　auf　den　Magen'



（One　looks　at　my　shirt　collar；　not　at　my　stomach）。　If　we　are



accustomed　from　youth　to　rough　and　simple　fare；　we　seldom　wish　for



better。　The　consumption　of　provisions　also　is　restricted　to　very



narrow　limits　where　it　is　confined　to　articles　produced　in　the



immediate　neighbourhood。　These　limits　are　extended　in　countries　of



temperate　climate；　in　the　first　instance；　by　procuring　the　products



of　tropical　climates。　But　as　respects　the　quantity　and　the　quality



of　these　products；　in　the　enjoyment　of　which　the　whole　population



of　a　country　can　participate；　they　can　only　be　procured　（as　we　have



shown　in　a　former　chapter）　by　means　of　foreign　commerce　in



manufactured　goods。



　　　　Colonial　products；　so　far　as　they　do　not　consist　of　raw



materials　for　manufacturing　purposes；　evidently　act　more　as



stimulants　than　necessary　means　of　subsistence。　No　one　will　deny



that　barley　coffee　without　sugar　is　as　nutritious　as　mocha　coffee



with　sugar；　and　admitting　also　that　these　products　contain　some



nutritious　matter；　their　value　in　this　respect　is　nevertheless　so



unimportant　that　they　can　scarcely　be　considered　as　substitutes　for



native　provisions。　With　regard　to　spices　and　tobacco；　they　are



certainly　mere　stimulants；　i。e。　they　chiefly　produce　a　useful



effect　on　society　only　so　far　as　they　augment　the　enjoyments　of　the



masses；　and　incite　them　to　mental　and　bodily　labour。



　　　　In　many　countries　very　erroneous　notions　prevail　among　those



who　live　by　salaries　or　rents；　respecting　what　they　are　accustomed



to　call　the　luxurious　habits　of　the　lower　classes；　such　persons　are



shocked　to　observe　that　labourers　drink　coffee　with　sugar；　and



regret　the　times　when　they　were　satisfied　with　gruel；　they　deplore



that　the　peasant　has　exchanged　his　poor　clothing　of　coarse　homespun



for　woollen　cloth；　they　express　fears　that　the　maid…servant　will



soon　not　be　distinguishable　from　the　lady　of　the　house；　they　praise



the　legal　restrictions　on　dress　of　previous　centuries。　But　if　we



compare　the　result　of　the　labour　of　the　workman　in　countries　where



he　is　clad　and　nourished　like　the　well…to…do　man　with　the　result　of



his　labour　where　he　has　to　be　satisfied　with　the　coarsest　food　and



clothing；　we　shall　find　that　the　increase　of　his　comfort　in　the



former　case　has　been　attained　not　at　the　expense　of　the　general



welfare；　but　to　the　advantage　of　the　productive　powers　of　the



community。　The　day's　work　of　the　workman　is　double　or　three　times



greater　in　the　former　case　than　in　the　latter。　Attempts　to　regulate



dress　and　restrictions　on　luxury　have　destroyed　wholesome　emulation



in　the　large　masses　of　society；　and　have　merely　tended　to　the



increase　of　mental　and　bodily　idleness。



　　　　In　any　case　products　must　be　created　before　they　can　be



consumed；　and　thus　production　must　necessarily　generally　precede



consumption。　In　popular　and　national　practice；　however；　consumption



frequently　precedes　production。　Manufacturing　nations；　supported　by



large　capital　and　less　restricted　in　their　production　than　mere



agricultural　nations；　make；　as　a　rule；　advances　to　the　latter　on



the　yield　of　future　crops；　the　latter　thus　consume　before　they



produce　　they　produce　later　on　because　they　have　previously



consumed。　The　same　thing　manifests　itself　in　a　much　greater　degree



in　the　relation　between　town　and　country：　the　closer　the



manufacturer　is　to　the　agriculturist；　the　more　will　the　former



offer　to　the　latter　both　an　inducement　to　consume　and　means　for



consumption；　the　more　also　will　the　latter　feel　himself　stimulated



to　greater　production。



　　　　Among　the　most　potent　stimulants　are　those　afforded　by　the



civil　and　political　institutions　of　the　country。　Where　it　is　not



possible　to　raise　oneself　by　honest　exertions　and　by　prosperity



from　one　class　of　society　to　another；　from　the　lowest　to　the



highest；　where　the　possessor　necessarily　hesitates　to　show　his



property　publicly　or　to　enjoy　the　fruits　of　it　because　it　would



expose　his　property　to　risk；　or　lest　he　should　be　accused　of



arrogance　or　impropriety；　where　persons　engaged　in　trade　are



excluded　from　public　honour；　from　taking　part　in　administration；



legislation；　and　juries；　where　distinguished　achievements　in



agriculture；　industry；　and　commerce　do　not　lead　also　to　public



esteem　and　to　social　and　civil　distinction；　there　the　most



important　motives　for　consumption　as　well　as　for　production　are



wanting。



　　　　Every　law；　every　public　regulation；　has　a　strengthening　or



weakening　effect　on　production　or　on　consumption　or　on　the



productive　forces。



　　　　The　granting　of　patent　privileges　offers　a　prize　to　inventive



minds。　The　hope　of　obtaining　the　prize　arouses　the　mental　powers；



and　gives　them　a　direction　towards　industrial　improvements。　It



brings　honour　to　the　inventive　mind　in　society；　and　roots　out　the



prejudice　for　old　customs　and　modes　of　operation　so　injurious　among



uneducated　nations。　It　provides　the　man　who　merely　possesses　mental



faculties　for　new　inventions　with　the　material　means　which　he



requires；　inasmuch　as　capitalists　are　thus　incited　to　support　the



inventor；　by　being　assured　of　participation　in　the　anticipated



profits。



　　　　Protective　duties　act　as　stimulants　on　all　those　branches　of



internal　industry　the　produce　of　which　foreign　countries　can



provide　better　than　the　home　country　but　of　the　production　of　which



the　home　country　is　capable。　They　guarantee　a　reward　to　the　man　of



enterprise　and　to　the