labour defended against the claims of capital-第3节

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ascertain　which；　with　his　peculiar　knowledge　and　acquirements；
and　with　reference　to　the　wants　of　society；　is　the　best　method　of
labouring；　and　he　can　labour　in　this　manner。　Unless　there　were
this　assurance　there　could　be　no　continuous　thought；　an
invention；　and　no　knowledge　but　that　which　would　be　necessary　for
the　supply　of　our　immediate　animal　wants。　The　weaver；　I　admit；
could　not　complete　his　web；　nor　would　the　shipwright　begin　to
build　his　ship；　unless　he　knew　that　while　he　was　engaged　in　this
labour　he　should　be　able　to　procure　food。　A　merchant　certainly
could　not　set　out　for　South　America　or　the　East　Indies　unless　he
were　confident　that　during　the　period　of　his　absence　he　and　his
family　could　find　subsistence；　and　that　he　would　be　able　at　the
end　of　his　voyage　to　pay　all　the　expenses　he　had　incurred。　It　is
this　assurance；　this　knowledge；　this　confidence　of　obtaining
subsistence　and　reward；　which　enables　and　induces　men　to
undertake　long　and　complicated　operations；　and　the　question　is；
do　men　derive　this　assurance　from　a　stock　of　goods　already
provided　（saved　from　the　produce　of　previous　labour）　and　ready　to
pay　them；　or　from　any　other　source？
　　　　　I　SHALL　ENDEAVOUR　TO　SHOW　THAT　THIS　ASSURANCE　ARISES　FROM　A
GENERAL　PRINCIPLE　IN　THE　CONSTITUTION　OF　MAN；　AND　THAT　THE
EFFECTS　ATTRIBUTED　TO　A　STOCK　OF　COMMODITIES；　UNDER　THE　NAME　OF
CIRCULATING　CAPITAL；　ARE　CAUSED　BY　CO…EXISTING　LABOUR。
　　　　　The　labourer；　the　real　maker　of　any　commodity；　derives　this
assurance　from　a　knowledge　he　has　that　the　person　who　set　him　to
work　will　pay　him；　and　that　with　the　money　he　will　be　able　to　buy
what　he　requires。　He　is　not　in　possession　of　any　stock　of
commodities。　Has　the　person　who　employs　and　pays　him　such　a
stock？　Clearly　not。　Only　a　very　few　capitalists　possess　any　of
those　commodities　which　the　labourers　they　employ　consume。
Farmers　may　have　a　stock　of　corn；　and　merchants　and　shipowners
may　have　a　few　weeks'　or　months'　supply　of　provisions　for　their
seamen；　according　to　the　length　of　the　voyage　they　are　to
undertake；　but；　beyond　this；　no　capitalist　possesses　ready
prepared　the　commodities　which　his　labourers　require。　He
possesses　money；　he　possesses　credit　with　other　capitalists；　he
possesses；　under　the　sanction　of　the　law；　a　power　over　the　labour
of　the　slave…descended　labourer；　but　he　does　not　possess　food　or
clothing。　He　pays　the　labourer　his　money　wages；　and　the
expectation　which　other　labourers　have　of　receiving　part　of　these
wages　or　other　wages；　induces　them　in　the　meantime　to　prepare　the
clothing　and　food　the　labourer　constantly　requires。　Not　to　deal；
however；　in　general　terms　and　abstractions；　doing　which　seems　to
have　led　other　writers　astray；　let　us　descend　to　particulars。
　　　　　A　great　cotton　manufacturer；　we　suppose；　for　example；　a　Sir
Robert　Peel；　or　any　other　of　those　leviathans　who　are　so　anxious
to　retain　their　power　over　us；　and　who；　as　legislators；　either　in
their　own　persons　or　in　the　persons　of　their　sons；　make　the　laws
which　both　calumniate　and　oppress　us；　employs　a　thousand　persons；
whom　he　pays　weekly：　does　he　possess　the　food　and　clothing　ready
prepared　which　these　persons　purchase　and　consume　daily？　Does　he
even　know　whether　the　food　and　clothing　they　receive　are　prepared
and　created？　In　fact；　are　the　food　and　clothing　which　his
labourers　will　consume　prepared　beforehand；　or　are　other
labourers　busily　employed　in　preparing　food　and　clothing　while
his　labourers　are　making　cotton　yarn？　Do　all　the　capitalists　of
Europe　possess　at　this　moment　one　week's　food　and　clothing　for
all　the　labourers　they　employ？
　　　　　Let　us　first　examine　the　question　as　to　food。　One　portion　of
the　food　of　the　people　is　BREAD；　which　is　never　prepared　till
within　a　few　hours　of　the　time　when　it　is　eaten。　The　corn　of
which　the　bread　is　made　must；　of　course；　have　been　grown；　or　one
part　of　the　whole　operation；　and　that　the　longest　part　　that
between　saving　the　seed　and　harvesting　the　ripe　grain；　which　is
necessary　to　the　complete　preparation　of　the　food；　has　been
performed；　but　the　corn　has　afterward　to　be　thrashed；　ground；
sifted；　brought　to　market　and　made　into　bread。　For　the
cotton…spinner　to　be　able　to　attend　only　to　his　peculiar　species
of　industry；　it　is　indispensable　that　other　men　should　be
constantly　engaged　in　completing　this　complicated　process；　every
part　of　it　being　as　necessary　as　the　part　performed　by　the
agriculturist。　The　produce　of　several　of　the　labourers
particularly　of　the　baker；　cannot　be　stored　up。　In　no　case　can
the　material　of　bread；　whether　it　exist　as　corn　or　flour；　be
preserved　without　continual　labour。　The　employer　of　the　working
cotton…spinner　can　have　no　bread　stored　up；　for　there　is　none
prepared；　the　labouring　cotton…spinner　himself　knows　nothing　of
any　stock　of　corn　being　in　existence　from　which　his　bread　can　be
made；　he　knows　that　he　has　always　been　able　to　get　bread　when　he
had　wherewithal　to　buy　it；　and　further　he　does　not　require　to
know。　But　even　if　he　did　know　of　such　a　stock；　he　would　probably
give　up　cotton…spinning　and　take　to　preparing　food；　if　he　did　not
also　know　that　while　he　is　making　cotton　other　labourers　will
till　the　ground；　and　prepare　him　food；　which　he　will　be　able　to
procure　by　making　cotton。　His　conviction　that　he　will　obtain
bread　when　he　requires　it；　and　his　master's　conviction　that　the
money　he　pays　will　enable　him　to　obtain　it；　arise　simply　from　the
fact　that　the　bread　has　always　been　obtained　when　required。
　　　　　Another　article　of　the　labourer's　food　is　milk；　and　milk　is
manufactured；　not　to　speak　irreverently　of　the　operations　of
nature；　twice　a　day。　If　it　be　said　that　the　cattle　to　supply　it
are　already　there　　why；　the　answer　is；　they　require　constant
attention　and　constant　labour；　and　their　food；　through　the
greater　part　of　the　year；　is　of　daily　growth。　The　fields　in　which
they　pasture　require　the　hand　of　man；　and；　though　some　herds　be
drilled　into　the　habits　of　obedience　more　perfect　and　certainly
more　pleasing　to　see　than　the　obedience　of　soldiers；　yet　even
they　require　perpetual　attention；　and　their　milk　must　be　drawn
from　them　twice　a　day。　The　meat；　also；　which　the　labourer　eats　is
not　ready；　even　for　cooking；　till　it　is　on　the　shambles；　and　it
cannot　be　stored　up；　for　it　begins　instantly　to　deteriorate　after
it　is　brought　to　market。　The　cattle　which　are　to　be　slaughtered
require　the　same　sort　of　care　and　attention　as　cows；　and　not　one
particle　of　meat　could　the　cotton…spinner　ever　procure　were　not
the　farmer；　the　grazier　and　the　drover　continually　at　work；
preparing　meat　while　he　is　preparing　cotton。　But　after　the　meat
is　brought　to　market；　it　is　not　even　then　ready　for　consumption。
We　are　not　cannibals；　and　either　our　wives；　or　some　labourer　who
makes　this　his　business；　completes　the　preparation　of　the　meat
only　a　few　hours；　or　even　minutes；　before　it　is　eaten。　Of　the
drink　of　the　labourer；　that　which　is　supplied　by　nature　never
ceases　to　flow。　His　beer　is　prepared　only　so　long　before　it　is
drunk　as　is　necessary　to　have　it　good；　and；　while　the　existing
stock　is　disposing　of；　the　brewer　is　busy　creating　a　fresh
supply。　There　may　probably　be　as　much　tea　imported　at　one　time　as
serves　for　a　few　months；　and；　while　this　stock　is　consuming；
ships　are　continually　arriving　with　more。
　　　　　Now　as　to　clothing。　Some　labourers　buy　ready…made　clothes；
others　order　them　to　be　made　for　them。　There　is；　it　may　be
admitted；　a　small　stock　of　clothing　on　hand；　but　considering　what
enemies　moths　are　to　the　materials　of　which　it　is　made；　only　a
very　small　stock　is　ever　prepared。　The　materials　for　women's
garments　may　be　prepared　a　few　weeks　before　they　are　made　up；　but
the　garments　are　rarely　formed　till　they　are　actually　put　on。
　　　　　　Other　examples　might　be　brought　from　every　branch　of
industry；　if　it　were　necessary　to　examine　each　on　in　detail；　for
in　this　respect　every　labourer　is　similarly　situated。　The　farmer
knows　he　will　be　able　to　get　clothes　when　he　requires　them；　and
the　tailor　knows　he　will　be　able　to　get　food；　but　the　former
knows　nothing　of　any　stored…up　stock　of　clothes；　and　the　latter
nothing　of　any　stored…up　stock　of　provisions。　The　labourer　knows
that　when　he　is　able　to　pay　for　bread；　for　meat　and　for　drink　he
can　procure　them；　but　he　knows　nothing　further；　and　I　have　shown
that　these　are　not　prepared　till　he　needs　them。　As　far　as　food；
drink　and　clothing　are　concerned；　it　is　quite　plain；　then；　that
no　species　of　labourer　depends　on　any　previously　prepared　stock；
for　in　fact　no　such　stock　exists；　but　every　species　of　labourer
does　constantly；　and　at　all　times；　depend　for　his　supplies　on　the
co…existing　labour　of　some　other　labourers。
　　　　　　To　enable　either　the　master　manufacturer　or　the　labourer　to
devote　himself　to　any　particular　occupation；　it　is　only　necessary
that　he　should　possess　　not；　as　political　economists　say；　a
stock　of　commodities；　or　circulating　capital；　but　a　conviction
that　while　he　is　labouring　at　his　particular　occupation　the
things　which　he　does　not　produce　himself　will　be　provided　for
him；　and　that　he　will　be　able　to　procure　them　and　pay　for　them　by
the　produce　of　his　own　labour。　This　conviction　arises；　in　the
first　instance；