the vested interests and the common man-第29节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sensible　degree　will　necessarily　be　viewed　with　the　liveliest　
apprehension　by　the　gentlemanly　statesmen　of　the　old　school；　by　
the　kept　classes；　and　by　the　captains　of　finance。　It　will　be　
deplored　as　a　subversion　of　the　economic　order；　a　destruction　of　
the　country's　wealth；　a　disorganisation　of　industry；　and　a　sure　
way　to　poverty；　bloodshed；　and　pestilence。　In　point　of　fact；　of　
course；　what　such　a　project　may　be　counted　on　to　subvert　is　that　
dominion　of　ownership　by　which　the　vested　interests　control　and　
retard　the　rate　and　volume　of　production。　The　destruction　of　
wealth；　in　such　a　case　will　touch；　directly；　only　the　value　of　
the　securities；　not　the　material　objects　to　which　these　
securities　have　given　title　of　ownership；　it　would　be　a　
disallowance　of　ownership；　not　a　destruction　of　useful　goods。　Nor　
need　any　disorganisation　or　disability　of　productive　industry　
follow　from　such　a　move；　indeed；　the　apprehended　cancelment　of　
the　claims　to　income　covered　by　negotiable　securities　would　by　
that　much　cancel　the　fixed　overhead　charges　resting　on　industrial　
enterprise；　and　so　further　production　by　that　much。　But　for　those　
persons　and　classes　whose　keep　is　drawn　from　prescriptive　rights　
of　ownership　or　of　privilege　the　consequences　of　such　a　shifting　
of　ground　from　vested　interest　to　tangible　performance　would　
doubtless　be　deplorable。　In　short；　〃Bolshevism　is　a　menace〃；　and　
the　wayfaring　man　out　of　Armenia　will　be　likely　to　ask：　A　menace　
to　whom？　
　
Chapter　8　
　
The　Vested　Interests　and　the　Common　Man　
　
　　　　In　the　eighteenth　century　certain　principles　of　enlightened　
common　sense　were　thrown　into　formal　shape　and　adopted　by　the　
civilised　peoples　of　that　time　to　govern　the　system　of　law　and　
order；　use　and　wont；　under　which　they　chose　to　live。　So　far　as　
concerns　economic　relations　the　principles　which　so　became　
incorporated　into　the　system　of　civilised　law　and　custom　at　that　
time　were　the　principles　of　equal　opportunity；　
self…determination；　and　self…help。　Chief　among　the　specific　
rights　by　which　this　civilised　scheme　of　equal　opportunity　and　
self…help　were　to　be　safeguarded　were　the　rights　of　free　contract　
and　security　of　property。　These　make　up　the　substantial　core　of　
that　system　of　principles　which　is　called　the　modern　point　of　
view；　in　so　far　as　concerns　trade；　industry；　investment；　credit　
obligations；　and　whatever　else　may　properly　be　spoken　of　as　
economic　institutions。　And　these　still　stand　over　today；　
paramount　among　the　inalienable　rights　of　all　free　citizens　in　
all　free　countries；　they　are　the　groundwork　of　the　economic　
system　as　it　runs　today；　and　this　existing　system　can　undergo　no　
material　change　of　character　so　long　as　these　paramount　rights　of　
civilised　men　continue　to　be　inalienable。　Any　move　to　set　these　
rights　aside　would　be　subversive　of　the　modern　economic　order；　
whereas　no　revision　or　alteration　of　established　rights　and　
usages　will　amount　to　a　revolutionary　move；　so　long　as　it　does　
not　disallow　these　paramount　economic　rights。　
　　　　When　the　constituent　principles　of　the　modern　point　of　view　
were　accepted　and　the　modern　scheme　of　civilised　life　was　
therewith　endorsed　by　the　civilised　peoples；　in　the　eighteenth　
century；　these　rights　of　self…direction　and　self…help　were　
counted　on　as　the　particular　and　sufficient　safeguard　of　equity　
and　industry　in　any　civilised　country。　They　were　counted　on　to　
establish　equality　among　men　in　all　their　economic　relations　and　
to　maintain　the　industrial　system　at　the　highest　practicable　
degree　of　productive　efficiency。　They　were　counted　on　to　give　
enduring　effect　to　the　rule　of　Live　and　Let　Live。　And　such　is　
still　the　value　ascribed　to　these　rights　in　the　esteem　of　modern　
men。　The　maintenance　of　law　and　order　still　means　primarily　and　
chiefly　the　maintenance　of　these　rights　of　ownership　and　
pecuniary　obligation。　
　　　　But　things　have　changed　since　that　time　in　such　a　way　that　
the　rule　of　Live　and　Let　Live　is　no　longer　completely　safeguarded　
by　maintaining　these　rights　in　the　shape　given　them　in　the　
eighteenth　century；　　or　at　least　there　are　large　sections　of　
the　people　in　these　civilised　countries　who　are　beginning　to　
think　so；　which　is　just　as　good　for　practical　purposes。　Things　
have　changed　in　such　a　way　since　that　time；　that　the　ownership　of　
property　in　large　holdings　now　controls　the　nation's　industry；　
and　therefore　it　controls　the　conditions　of　life　for　those　who　
are　or　wish　to　be　engaged　in　industry；　at　the　same　time　that　the　
same　ownership　of　large　wealth　controls　the　markets　and　thereby　
controls　the　conditions　of　life　for　those　who　have　to　resort　to　
the　markets　to　sell　or　to　buy。　In　other　words；　it　has　come　to　
pass　with　the　change　of　circumstances　that　the　rule　of　Live　and　
Let　Live　now　waits　on　the　discretion　of　the　owners　of　large　
wealth。　In　fact；　those　thoughtful　men　in　the　eighteenth　century　
who　made　so　much　of　these　constituent　principles　of　the　modern　
point　of　view　did　not　contemplate　anything　like　the　system　of　
large　wealth；　large…scale　industry；　and　large…scale　commerce　and　
credit　which　prevails　today。　They　did　not　foresee　the　new　order　
in　industry　and　business；　and　the　system　of　rights　and　
obligations　which　they　installed；　therefore；　made　no　provision　
for　the　new　order　of　things　that　has　come　on　since　their　time。　
　　　　The　new　order　has　brought　the　machine　industry；　corporation　
finance；　big　business；　and　the　world　market；　Under　this　new　order　
in　business　and　industry；　business　controls　industry。　Invested　
wealth　in　large　holdings　controls　the　country's　industrial　
system；　directly　by　ownership　of　the　plant；　as　in　the　mechanical　
industries；　or　indirectly　through　the　market；　as　in　farming。　So　
that　the　population　of　these　civilised　countries　now　falls　into　
two　main　classes：　those　who　own　wealth　invested　in　large　holdings　
and　who　thereby　control　the　conditions　of　life　for　the　rest；　and　
those　who　do　not　own　wealth　in　sufficiently　large　holdings；　and　
whose　conditions　of　life　are　therefore　controlled　by　these　
others。　It　is　a　division；　not　between　those　who　have　something　
and　those　who　have　nothing　　as　many　socialists　would　be　
inclined　to　describe　it　　but　between　those　who　own　wealth　
enough　to　make　it　count；　and　those　who　do　not。　
　　　　And　all　the　while　the　scale　on　which　the　control　of　industry　
and　the　market　is　exercised　goes　on　increasing；　from　which　it　
follows　that　what　was　large　enough　for　assured　independence　
yesterday　is　no　longer　large　enough　for　tomorrow。　Seen　from　
another　direction；　it　is　at　the　same　time　a　division　between　
those　who　live　on　free　income　and　those　who　live　by　work；　　a　
division　between　the　kept　classes　and　the　underlying　community　
from　which　their　keep　is　drawn。　It　is　sometimes　spoken　of　in　this　
bearing　　particularly　by　certain　socialists　　as　a　division　
between　those　who　do　no　useful　work　and　those　who　do；　but　this　
would　be　a　hasty　generalisation；　since　not　a　few　of　those　persons　
who　have　no　assured　free　income　also　do　no　work　that　is　of　
material　use；　as　e。g。；　menial　servants。　But　the　gravest　
significance　of　this　cleavage　that　so　runs　through　the　population　
of　the　advanced　industrial　countries　lies　in　the　fact　that　it　is　
a　division　between　the　vested　interests　and　the　common　man。　It　is　
a　division　between　those　who　control　the　conditions　of　work　and　
the　rate　and　volume　of　output　and　to　whom　the　net　output　of　
industry　goes　as　free　income；　on　the　one　hand；　and　those　others　
who　have　the　work　to　do　and　to　whom　a　livelihood　is　allowed　by　
these　persons　in　control；　on　the　other　hand。　In　point　of　numbers　
it　is　a　very　uneven　division；　of　course。　
　　　　A　vested　interest　is　a　legitimate　right　to　get　something　for　
nothing；　usually　a　prescriptive　right　to　an　income　which　is　
secured　by　controlling　the　traffic　at　one　point　or　another。　The　
owners　of　such　a　prescriptive　right　are　also　spoken　of　as　a　
vested　interest。　Such　persons　make　up　what　are　called　the　kept　
classes。　But　the　kept　classes　also　comprise　many　persons　who　are　
entitled　to　a　free　income　on　other　grounds　than　their　ownership　
and　control　of　industry　or　the　market；　as；　e。g。；　landlords　and　
other　persons　classed　as　〃gentry；〃　the　clergy；　the　Crown　　where　
there　is　a　Crown　　and　its　agents；　civil　and　military。　
Contrasted　with　these　classes　who　make　up　the　vested　interests；　
and　who　derive　an　income　from　the　established　order　of　ownership　
and　privilege；　is　the　common　man。　He　is　common　in　the　respect　
that　he　is　not　vested　with　such　a　prescriptive　right　to　get　
something　for　nothing。　And　he　is　called　common　because　such　is　
the　common　lot　of　men　under　the　new　order　of　business　and　
industry；　and　such　will　continue　（increasingly）　to　be　the　common　
lot　so　long　as　the　enlightened　principles　of　secure　ownership　and　
self…help　handed　down　from　the　eighteenth　century　continue　to　
rule　human　affairs　by　help　of　the　new　order　of　industry。　
　　　　The　kept　classes；　whose　free　income　is　secured　to　them　by　the　
legitimate　rights　of　the　vested　interests；　are　less　numerous　than　
the　common　man　　less　numerous　by　some　ninety…five　per　cent　or　
thereabouts　　and　less　serviceable　to　the　comm