the vested interests and the common man-第32节

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to　stand　fast　by　the　principles　of　equity　which　entitle　these　
vested　interests　to　play　fast　and　loose　with　him　and　all　his　
works。　
　　　　The　facts　of　the　case　stand　somewhat　different　as　regards　the　
American　farmer's　gains　from　his　work　as　a　husbandman；　or　from　
the　use　which　he　makes　of　his　land　and　stock　in　farming。　His　
returns　from　his　work　are　notably　scant。　So　much　so　that　it　is　
still　an　open　question　whether；　taken　one　with　another；　the　
American　farmer's　assets　in　land　and　other　equipment　enable　him；　
one　year　with　another；　to　earn　more　than　what　would　count　as　
ordinary　wages　for　the　labor　which　these　assets　enable　him　to　put　
into　his　product。　But　it　is　beyond　question　that　the　common　run　
of　those　American　farmers　who　〃work　their　own　land〃　get　at　the　
best　a　very　modest　return　for　the　use　of　their　land　and　stock；　　
so　scant；　indeed；　that　if　usage　admitted　such　an　expression；　it　
would　be　fair　to　say　that　the　farmer；　considered　as　a　going　
concern；　should　be　credited　with　an　appreciable　item　of　〃negative　
intangible　assets；〃　such　as　habitually　to　reduce　the　net　average　
return　on　his　total　active　assets　appreciably　below　the　ordinary　
rate　of　discount。　His　case；　in　other　words；　is　the　reverse　of　the　
typical　business　concern　of　the　larger　sort；　which　comes　in　for　a　
net　excess　over　ordinary　rates　of　discount　on　its　tangible　
assets；　and　which　is　thereby　enabled　to　write　into　its　accounts　a　
certain　amount　of　intangible　assets；　and　so　come　into　line　as　a　
vested　interest。　The　farmer；　too；　is　caught　in　the　net　of　the　new　
order；　but　his　occupation　does　not　belong　to　that　new　order　of　
business　enterprise　in　which　earning…capacity　habitually　outruns　
the　capitalised　value　of　the　underlying　physical　property。　　
　
　　　　Evidently　the　cleavage　due　to　be　brought　on　by　the　new　order　
in　business　and　industry；　between　the　vested　interests　and　the　
common　man；　has　not　vet　fallen　into　clear　lines；　at　least　not　in　
America。　The　common　man　does　not　know　himself　as　such；　at　least　
not　yet；　and　the　sections　of　the　population　which　go　to　make　up　
the　common　lot　as　contrasted　with　the　vested　interests　have　not　
yet　learned　to　make　common　cause。　The　American　tradition　stands　
in　the　way。　This　tradition　says　that　the　people　of　the　republic　
are　made　up　of　ungraded　masterless　men　who　enjoy　all　the　rights　
and　immunities　of　self…direction；　self…help；　free　bargaining；　and　
equal　opportunity；　quite　after　the　fashion　that　was　sketched　into　
the　great　constituent　documents　of　the　eighteenth　century。　
　　　　Much　doubt　and　some　discontent　is　afoot。　It　is　becoming　
increasingly　evident　that　the　facts　of　everyday　life　under　the　
new　order　do　not　fall　in　with　the　inherited　principles　of　law　and　
custom；　but　the　farmers；　farm　laborers；　factory　hands；　mine　
workmen；　lumber　hands；　and　retail　tradesmen　have　not　come　to　
anything　like　a　realisation　of　that　new　order　of　economic　life　
which　throws　them　in　together　on　one　side　of　a　line　of　division；　
on　the　other　side　of　which　stand　the　vested　interests　and　the　
kept　classes。　They　have　not　yet　come　to　realise　that　all　of　them　
together　have　nothing　to　lose　except　such　things　as　the　vested　
interests　can　quite　legally　and　legitimately　deprive　them　of；　
with　full　sanction　of　law　and　custom　as　it　runs；　so　soon　and　so　
far　as　it　shall　suit　the　convenience　of　the　vested　interests　to　
make　such　a　move。　These　people　of　the　variegated　mass　have　no　
safeguard；　in　fact；　against　the　control　of　their　conditions　of　
life　exercised　by　those　massive　interests　that　move　obscurely　in　
the　background　of　the　market；　except　such　considerations　of　
expediency　as　may　govern　the　manoeuvres　of　those　massive　ones　who　
so　move　obscurely　in　the　background。　That　is　to　say；　the　
conditions　of　life　for　the　variegated　mass　are　determined　by　what　
the　traffic　will　bear；　according　to　the　calculations　of　self…help　
which　guide　the　vested　interests；　all　the　while　that　the　farmers；　
workmen；　consumers；　the　common　lot；　are　still　animated　with　the　
fancy　that　they　have　themselves　something　to　say　in　these　
premises。　
　　　　It　is　otherwise　with　the　vested　interests；　on　the　whole。　They　
take　a　more　perspicuous　view　of　their　own　case　and　of　the　
predicament　of　the　common　man；　the　party　of　the　second　part。　
Whereas　the　variegated　mass　that　makes　up　the　common　lot　have　not　
hitherto　deliberately　taken　sides　together　or　defined　their　own　
attitude　toward　the　established　system　of　law　and　order　and　its　
continuance；　and　so　are　neither　in　the　right　nor　in　the　wrong　as　
regards　this　matter；　the　vested　interests　and　the　kept　classes；　
on　the　other　hand；　have　reached　insight　and　definition　of　what　
they　need；　want；　and　are　entitled　to。　They　have　deliberated　and　
chosen　their　part　in　the　division；　partly　by　interest　and　partly　
by　ingrained　habitual　bent；　no　doubt；　　and　they　are　always　in　
the　right。　They　owe　their　position　and　the　blessings　that　come　of　
it　　free　income　and　social　prerogative　　to　the　continued　
enforcement　of　these　eighteenth…century　principles　of　law　and　
order　under　conditions　created　by　the　twentieth…century　state　of　
the　industrial　arts。　Therefore；　it　is　incumbent　on　them；　in　point　
of　expediency；　to　stand　strongly　for　the　established　order　of　
inalienable　eighteenth…century　rights；　and　they　are　at　the　same　
time　in　the　right；　in　point　of　law　and　morals；　in　so　doing；　since　
what　is　right　in　law　and　morals　is　always　a　question　of　settled　
habit；　and　settled　habit　is　always　a　legacy　out　of　the　past。　To　
take　their　own　part；　therefore；　the　vested　interests　and　the　kept　
classes　have　nothing　more　perplexing　to　do　than　simply　to　follow　
the　leadings　of　their　settled　code　in　all　questions　of　law　and　
order　and　thereby　to　fall　neatly　in　with　the　leading　of　their　own　
pecuniary　advantage；　and　always　and　on　both　counts　to　keep　their　
poise　as　safe　and　sound　citizens　intelligently　abiding　by　the　
good　old　principles　of　right　and　honest　living　which　safeguard　
their　vested　rights。　
　　　　The　common　man　is　not　so　fortunate。　He　cannot　effectually　
take　his　own　part　in　this　difficult　conjuncture　of　circumstances　
without　getting　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　established　run　of　law　
and　morals；　Unless　he　is　content　to　go　on　as　the　party　of　the　
second　part　in　a　traffic　that　is　controlled　by　the　massive　
interests　on　the　footing　of　what　they　consider　that　the　traffic　
will　bear；　he　will　find　himself　in　the　wrong　and　may　even　come　in　
for　the　comfortless　attention　of　the　courts。　Whereas　if　he　makes　
his　peace　with　the　established　run　of　law　and　custom；　and　so　
continues　to　be　rated　as　a　good　man　and　true；　he　will　find　that　
his　livelihood　falls　into　a　dubious　and　increasingly　precarious　
case。　It　is　not　for　nothing　that　he　is　a　common　man。　
　　　　So　caught　in　a　quandary；　it　is　small　wonder　if　the　common　man　
is　somewhat　irresponsible　and　unsteady　in　his　aims　and　conduct；　
so　far　as　touches　industrial　affairs。　A　pious　regard　for　the　
received　code　of　right　and　honest　living　holds　him　to　a　
submissive　quietism；　a　make…believe　of　self…help　and　fair　
dealings；　whereas　the　material　and　pecuniary　circumstances　that　
condition　his　livelihood　under　this　new　order　drive　him　to　fall　
back　on　the　underlying　rule　of　Live　and　Let　Live；　and　to　revise　
the　established　code　of　law　and　custom　to　such　purpose　that　this　
underlying　rule　of　life　shall　be　brought　into　bearing　in　point　of　
fact　as　well　as　in　point　of　legal　formality。　And　the　training　to　
which　the　hard　matter…of…fact　logic　of　the　machine　industry　and　
the　mechanical　organisation　of　life　now　subjects　him；　constantly　
bends　him　to　a　matter…of…fact　outlook；　to　a　rating　of　men　and　
things　in　terms　of　tangible　performance；　and　to　an　ever　slighter　
respect　for　the　traditional　principles　that　have　come　down　from　
the　eighteenth　century。　The　common　man　is　constantly　and　
increasingly　exposed　to　the　risk　of　becoming　an　undesirable　
citizen　in　the　eyes　of　the　votaries　of　law　and　order。　In　other　
words；　vested　rights　to　free　income　are　no　longer　felt　to　be　
secure　in　case　the　common　man　should　take　over　the　direction　of　
affairs。　
　　　　Such　a　vested　right　to　free　income；　that　is　to　say　this　
legitimate　right　of　the　kept　classes　to　their　keep　at　the　cost　of　
the　underlying　community；　does　not　fall　in　with　the　lines　of　that　
mechanistic　outlook　and　mechanistic　logic　which　is　forever　
gaining　ground　as　the　new　order　of　industry　goes　forward。　Such　
free　income；　which　measures　neither　the　investor's　personal　
contribution　to　the　production　of　goods　nor　his　necessary　
consumption　while　engaged　in　industry；　does　not　fit　in　with　that　
mechanistic　reckoning　that　runs　in　terms　of　tangible　performance；　
and　that　grows　ever　increasingly　habitual　and　convincing　with　
every　further　habituation　to　the　new　order　of　things　in　the　
industrial　world。　Vested　perquisites　have　no　place　in　the　new　
scheme　of　things；　hence　the　new　scheme　is　a　menace。　It　is　true；　
the　well　stabilised　principles　of　the　eighteenth　century　still　
continue　to　rate　the　investor　as　a　producer　of　goods；　but　it　is　
equally　true　that　such　a　rating　is　palpable　nonsense　according　to　
the　mechanistic　calculus　of　the　new　order；　brought　into　bearing