what is property- 第42部分

If　the　laborer's　wages　will　not　purchase　his　product；　it　follows　that　the　product　is　not　made　for　the　producer。　　For　whom；　then；　is　it　intended？　　For　the　richer　consumer；　that　is；　for　only　a　fraction　of　society。　　But　when　the　whole　society　labors；　it　produces　for　the　whole　society。　　If；　then；　only　a　part　of　society　consumes；　sooner　or　later　a　part　of　society　will　be　idle。　　Now；　idleness　is　death；　as　well　for　the　laborer　as　for　the　proprietor。

This　conclusion　is　inevitable。

The　most　distressing　spectacle　imaginable　is　the　sight　of　producers　resisting　and　struggling　against　this　mathematical　necessity；　this　power　of　figures　to　which　their　prejudices　blind　them。

If　one　hundred　thousand　printers　can　furnish　reading…matter　enough　for　thirty…four　millions　of　men；　and　if　the　price　of　books　is　so　high　that　only　one…third　of　that　number　can　afford　to　buy　them；　it　is　clear　that　these　one　hundred　thousand　printers　will　produce　three　times　as　much　as　the　booksellers　can　sell。　　That　the　products　of　the　laborers　may　never　exceed　the　demands　of　the　consumers；　the　laborers　must　either　rest　two　days　out　of　three；　or；　separating　into　three　groups；　relieve　each　other　three　times　a　week；　month；　or　quarter；　that　is；　during　two…thirds　of　their　life　they　must　not　live。　　But　industry；　under　the　influence　of　property；　does　not　proceed　with　such　regularity。　　It　endeavors　to　produce　a　great　deal　in　a　short　time；　because　the　greater　the　amount　of　products；　and　the　shorter　the　time　of　production；　the　less　each　product　costs。　　As　soon　as　a　demand　begins　to　be　felt；　the　factories　fill　up；　and　everybody　goes　to　work。　　Then　business　is　lively；　and　both　governors　and　governed　rejoice。　　But　the　more　they　work　to…day；　the　more　idle　will　they　be　hereafter；　the　more　they　laugh；　the　more　they　shall　weep。　　Under　the　rule　of　property；　the　flowers　of　industry　are　woven　into　none　but　funeral　wreaths。　　The　laborer　digs　his　own　grave。

If　the　factory　stops　running；　the　manufacturer　has　to　pay　interest　on　his　capital　the　same　as　before。　　He　naturally　tries；　then；　to　continue　production　by　lessening　expenses。　　Then　comes　the　lowering　of　wages；　the　introduction　of　machinery；　the　employment　of　women　and　children　to　do　the　work　of　men；　bad　workmen；　and　wretched　work。　　They　still　produce；　because　the　decreased　cost　creates　a　larger　market；　but　they　do　not　produce　long；　because；　the　cheapness　being　due　to　the　quantity　and　rapidity　of　production；　the　productive　power　tends　more　than　ever　to　outstrip　consumption。　　It　is　when　laborers；　whose　wages　are　scarcely　sufficient　to　support　them　from　one　day　to　another；　are　thrown　out　of　work；　that　the　consequences　of　the　principle　of　property　become　most　frightful。　　They　have　not　been　able　to　economize；　they　have　made　no　savings；　they　have　accumulated　no　capital　whatever　to　support　them　even　one　day　more。　　Today　the　factory　is　closed。　　To…morrow　the　people　starve　in　the　streets。　　Day　after　tomorrow　they　will　either　die　in　the　hospital；　or　eat　in　the　jail。

And　still　new　misfortunes　come　to　complicate　this　terrible　situation。　　In　consequence　of　the　cessation　of　business；　and　the　extreme　cheapness　of　merchandise；　the　manufacturer　finds　it　impossible　to　pay　the　interest　on　his　borrowed　capital；　whereupon　his　frightened　creditors　hasten　to　withdraw　their　funds。　　Production　is　suspended；　and　labor　comes　to　a　standstill。　　Then　people　are　astonished　to　see　capital　desert　commerce；　and　throw　itself　upon　the　Stock　Exchange；　and　I　once　heard　M。　Blanqui　bitterly　lamenting　the　blind　ignorance　of　capitalists。　　The　cause　of　this　movement　of　capital　is　very　simple；　but　for　that　very　reason　an　economist　could　not　understand　it；　or　rather　must　not　explain　it。　　The　cause　lies　solely　in　COMPETITION。

I　mean　by　competition；　not　only　the　rivalry　between　two　parties　engaged　in　the　same　business；　but　the　general　and　simultaneous　effort　of　all　kinds　of　business　to　get　ahead　of　each　other。　　This　effort　is　to…day　so　strong；　that　the　price　of　merchandise　scarcely　covers　the　cost　of　production　and　distribution；　so　that；　the　wages　of　all　laborers　being　lessened；　nothing　remains；　not　even　interest　for　the　capitalists。

The　primary　cause　of　commercial　and　industrial　stagnations　is；　then；　interest　on　capital；that　interest　which　the　ancients　with　one　accord　branded　with　the　name　of　usury；　whenever　it　was　paid　for　the　use　of　money；　but　which　they　did　not　dare　to　condemn　in　the　forms　of　house…rent；　farm…rent；　or　profit：　as　if　the　nature　of　the　thing　lent　could　ever　warrant　a　charge　for　the　lending；　that　is；　robbery。

In　proportion　to　the　increase　received　by　the　capitalist　will　be　the　frequency　and　intensity　of　commercial　crises；the　first　being　given；　we　always　can　determine　the　two　others；　and　vice　versa。　　Do　you　wish　to　know　the　regulator　of　a　society？　　Ascertain　the　amount　of　active　capital；　that　is；　the　capital　bearing　interest；　and　the　legal　rate　of　this　interest。　　The　course　of　events　will　be　a　series　of　overturns；　whose　number　and　violence　will　be　proportional　to　the　activity　of　capital。

In　1839；　the　number　of　failures　in　Paris　alone　was　one　thousand　and　sixty…four。　　This　proportion　was　kept　up　in　the　early　months　of　1840；　and；　as　I　write　these　lines；　the　crisis　is　not　yet　ended。　　It　is　said；　further；　that　the　number　of　houses　which　have　wound　up　their　business　is　greater　than　the　number　of　declared　failures。　　By　this　flood；　we　may　judge　of　the　waterspout's　power　of　suction。

The　decimation　of　society　is　now　imperceptible　and　permanent；　now　periodical　and　violent；　it　depends　upon　the　course　which　property　takes。　　In　a　country　where　the　property　is　pretty　evenly　distributed；　and　where　little　business　is　done；the　rights　and　claims　of　each　being　balanced　by　those　of　others；the　power　of　invasion　is　destroyed。　　Thereit　may　be　truly　saidproperty　does　not　exist；　since　the　right　of　increase　is　scarcely　exercised　at　all。　　The　condition　of　the　laborersas　regards　security　of　lifeis　almost　the　same　as　if　absolute　equality　prevailed　among　them。　　They　are　deprived　of　all　the　advantages　of　full　and　free　association；　but　their　existence　is　not　endangered　in　the　least。　　With　the　exception　of　a　few　isolated　victims　of　the　right　of　propertyof　this　misfortune　whose　primary　cause　no　one　perceivesthe　society　appears　to　rest　calmly　in　the　bosom　of　this　sort　of　equality。　　But　have　a　care；　it　is　balanced　on　the　edge　of　a　sword：　at　the　slightest　shock；　it　will　fall　and　meet　with　death！

Ordinarily；　the　whirlpool　of　property　localizes　itself。　　On　the　one　hand；　farm…rent　stops　at　a　certain　point；　on　the　other；　in　consequence　of　competition　and　over…production；　the　price　of　manufactured　goods　does　not　rise；so　that　the　condition　of　the　peasant　varies　but　little；　and　depends　mainly　on　the　seasons。　　The　devouring　action　of　property　bears；　then；　principally　upon　business。　　We　commonly　say　COMMERCIAL　CRISES；　not　AGRICULTURAL　CRISES；　because；　while　the　farmer　is　eaten　up　slowly　by　the　right　of　increase；　the　manufacturer　is　swallowed　at　a　single　mouthful。　　This　leads　to　the　cessation　of　business；　the　destruction　of　fortunes；　and　the　inactivity　of　the　working　people；　who　die　one　after　another　on　the　highways；　and　in　the　hospitals；　prisons；　and　galleys。

To　sum　up　this　proposition：

Property　sells　products　to　the　laborer　for　more　than　it　pays　him　for　them；　therefore　it　is　impossible。


APPENDIX　TO　THE　FIFTH　PROPOSITION。


I。　Certain　reformers；　and　even　the　most　of　the　publicistswho；　though　belonging　to　no　particular　school；　busy　themselves　in　devising　means　for　the　amelioration　of　the　lot　of　the　poorer　and　more　numerous　classlay　much　stress　now…a…days　on　a　better　organization　of　labor。　　The　disciples　of　Fourier；　especially；　never　stop　shouting；　〃ON　TO　THE　PHALANX！〃　declaiming　in　the　same　breath　against　the　foolishness　and　absurdity　of　other　sects。

They　consist　of　half…a…dozen　incomparable　geniuses　who　have　discovered　that　FIVE　AND　FOUR　MAKE　NINE；　TAKE　TWO　AWAY；　AND　NINE　REMAIN；and　who　weep　over　the　blindness　of　France；　who　refuses　to　believe　in　this　astonishing　arithmetic。＇1＇

＇1＇　Fourier；　having　to　multiply　a　whole　number　by　a　fraction；　never　failed；　they　say；　to　obtain　a　product　much　greater　than　the　multiplicand。　　He　affirmed　that　under　his　system　of　harmony　the　mercury　would　solidify　when　the　temperature　was　above　zero。　　He　might　as　well　have　said　that　the　Harmonians　would　make　burning　ice。　　I　once　asked　an　intelligent　phalansterian　what　he　thought　of　such　physics。　　〃I　do　not　know；〃　he　answered；　〃but　I　believe。〃　　And　yet　the　same　man　disbelieved　in　the　doctrine　of　the　Real　Presence。　　




In　fact；　the　Fourierists　proclaim　themselves；　on　the　one　hand；　defenders　of　property；　of　the　right　of　increase；　which　they　have　thus　formulated：　　TO　EACH　ACCORDING　TO　HIS　CAPITAL；　HIS　LABOR；　AND　HIS　SKILL。　　On　the　other　hand；　they　wish　the　workingman　to　come　into　the　enjoyment　of　all　the　wealth　of　society；　that　is；　abridging　the　expression；into　the　undivided　enjoyment　of　his　own　product。　　Is　not　this　like　saying　to　the　workingman；　〃Labor；　you　shall　have　three　francs　per　day；　you　shall　live　on　fifty…five　sous；　you　shall　give　the　rest　to　the　proprietor；　and　thus　you　will　consume　three　francs〃？

If　the　above　speech　is　not　an　exact　epitome　of　Charles　Fourier's　system；　I　will　subscribe　to　the　whole　phalansterian　folly　with　a　pen　dipped　in　my　own　blood。

Of　what　use　is　it　to　reform　industry　and　agriculture；of　what　use；　indeed；　to　labor　at　all；if　property　is　maintained；　and　labor　can　never　meet　its　expenses？　　Without　the　abolition　of　property；　the　organization　of　labor　is　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　delusion。　　If　production　should　be　quadrupled；a　thing　which　does　not　seem　to　me　at　all　impossible；it　would　be　labor　lost：　if　the　additional　product　was　not　consumed；　it　would　be　of　no　value；　and　the　proprietor　would　decline　to　receive　it　as　interest；　if　it　was　consumed；　all　the　disadvantages　of　property　would　reappear。　　It　must　be　confessed　that　the　theory　of　passional　attraction　is　gravely　at　fault　in　this　particular；　and　that　Fourier；　when　he　tried　to　harmonize　the　PASSION　for　property；a　bad　passion；　whatever　he　may　say　to　the　contrary；　blocked　his　own　chariot…wheels。

The　absurdity　of　the　phalansterian　economy　is　so　gross；　that　many　people　suspect　Fourier；　in　spite　of　all　the　homage　pa