olitical order must make itself manifest。
It has been said； in speaking of the blindness and obstinacy of the passions； that； if man had any thing to gain by denying the truths of arithmetic； he would find some means of unsettling their certainty： here is an opportunity to try this curious experiment。 I attack property； no longer with its own maxims； but with arithmetic。 Let the proprietors prepare to verify my figures； for； if unfortunately for them the figures prove accurate； the proprietors are lost。
In proving the impossibility of property； I complete the proof of its injustice。 In fact；
That which is JUST must be USEFUL；
That which is useful must be TRUE；
That which is true must be POSSIBLE；
Therefore； every thing which is impossible is untrue； useless； unjust。 Then；a priori；we may judge of the justice of any thing by its possibility； so that if the thing were absolutely impossible； it would be absolutely unjust。
PROPERTY IS PHYSICALLY AND MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE。
DEMONSTRATION。
AXIOM。Property is the Right of Increase claimed by the Proprietor over any thing which he has stamped as his own。
This proposition is purely an axiom； because；
1。 It is not a definition； since it does not express all that is included in the right of propertythe right of sale； of exchange； of gift； the right to transform； to alter； to consume； to destroy； to use and abuse； &c。 All these rights are so many different powers of property； which we may consider separately； but which we disregard here； that we may devote all our attention to this single one；the right of increase。
2。 It is universally admitted。 No one can deny it without denying the facts； without being instantly belied by universal custom。
3。 It is self…evident； since property is always accompanied （either actually or potentially） by the fact which this axiom expresses； and through this fact； mainly； property manifests； establishes； and asserts itself。
4。 Finally； its negation involves a contradiction。 The right of increase is really an inherent right； so essential a part of property； that； in its absence； property is null and void。
OBSERVATIONS。Increase receives different names according to the thing by which it is yielded： if by land； FARM…RENT； if by houses and furniture； RENT； if by life…investments； REVENUE； if by money； INTEREST； if by exchange； ADVANTAGE； GAIN； PROFIT （three things which must not be confounded with the wages or legitimate price of labor）。
Increasea sort of royal prerogative； of tangible and consumable homageis due to the proprietor on account of his nominal and metaphysical occupancy。 His seal is set upon the thing； that is enough to prevent any one else from occupying it without HIS permission。
This permission to use his things the proprietor may； if he chooses； freely grant。 Commonly he sells it。 This sale is really a stellionate and an extortion； but by the legal fiction of the right of property； this same sale； severely punished； we know not why； in other cases； is a source of profit and value to the proprietor。
The amount demanded by the proprietor； in payment for this permission； is expressed in monetary terms by the dividend which the supposed product yields in nature。 So that； by the right of increase； the proprietor reaps and does not plough； gleans and does not till； consumes and does not produce； enjoys and does not labor。 Very different from the idols of the Psalmist are the gods of property： the former had hands and felt not； the latter； on the contrary； _manus habent et palpabunt_。 _ _The right of increase is conferred in a very mysterious and supernatural manner。 The inauguration of a proprietor is accompanied by the awful ceremonies of an ancient initiation。 First； comes the CONSECRATION of the article； a consecration which makes known to all that they must offer up a suitable sacrifice to the proprietor； whenever they wish； by his permission obtained and signed； to use his article。
Second； comes the ANATHEMA； which prohibitsexcept on the conditions aforesaidall persons from touching the article； even in the proprietor's absence； and pronounces every violator of property sacrilegious； infamous； amenable to the secular power； and deserving of being handed over to it。
Finally； the DEDICATION； which enables the proprietor or patron saintthe god chosen to watch over the articleto inhabit it mentally； like a divinity in his sanctuary。 By means of this dedication； the substance of the articleso to speakbecomes converted into the person of the proprietor； who is regarded as ever present in its form。
This is exactly the doctrine of the writers on jurisprudence。 〃Property；〃 says Toullier； 〃is a MORAL QUALITY inherent in a thing； AN ACTUAL BOND which fastens it to the proprietor； and which cannot be broken save by his act。〃 Locke humbly doubted whether God could make matter INTELLIGENT。 Toullier asserts that the proprietor renders it MORAL。 How much does he lack of being a God？ These are by no means exaggerations。
PROPERTY IS THE RIGHT OF INCREASE； that is； the power to produce without labor。 Now； to produce without labor is to make something from nothing； in short； to create。 Surely it is no more difficult to do this than to moralize matter。 The jurists are right； then； in applying to proprietors this passage from the Scriptures；_Ego dixi： Dii estis et filii Excelsi omnes_；〃I have said； Ye are gods； and all of you are children of the Most High。〃
PROPERTY IS THE RIGHT OF INCREASE。 To us this axiom shall be like the name of the beast in the Apocalypse；a name in which is hidden the complete explanation of the whole mystery of this beast。 It was known that he who should solve the mystery of this name would obtain a knowledge of the whole prophecy； and would succeed in mastering the beast。 Well！ by the most careful interpretation of our axiom we shall kill the sphinx of property。
Starting from this eminently characteristic factthe RIGHT OF INCREASEwe shall pursue the old serpent through his coils； we shall count the murderous entwinings of this frightful taenia； whose head； with its thousand suckers； is always hidden from the sword of its most violent enemies； though abandoning to them immense fragments of its body。 It requires something more than courage to subdue this monster。 It was written that it should not die until a proletaire； armed with a magic wand； had fought with it。
COROLLARIES。1。 THE AMOUNT OF INCREASE IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE THING INCREASED。 Whatever be the rate of interest；whether it rise to three； five； or ten per cent。； or fall to one…half； one… fourth； one…tenth；it does not matter； the law of increase remains the same。 The law is as follows：
All capitalthe cash value of which can be estimatedmay be considered as a term in an arithmetical series which progresses in the ratio of one hundred； and the revenue yielded by this capital as the corresponding term of another arithmetical series which progresses in a ratio equal to the rate of interest。 Thus； a capital of five hundred francs being the fifth term of the arithmetical progression whose ratio is one hundred； its revenue at three per cent。 will be indicated by the fifth term of the arithmetical progression whose ratio is three：
100 。 200 。 300 。 400 。 500。 3 。 6 。 9 。 12 。 15。
An acquaintance with this sort of LOGARITHMStables of which； calculated to a very high degree； are possessed by proprietors will give us the key to the most puzzling problems； and cause us to experience a series of surprises。
By this LOGARITHMIC theory of the right of increase； a piece of property； together with its income； may be defined as A NUMBER WHOSE LOGARITHM IS EQUAL TO THE SUM OF ITS UNITS DIVIDED BY ONE HUNDRED； AND MULTIPLIED BY THE RATE OF INTEREST。 For instance； a house valued at one hundred thousand francs； and leased at five per cent。； yields a revenue of five thousand francs； according to the formula 100；000 x 5 / 100 = five thousand。 Vice versa； a piece of land which yields； at two and a half per cent。； a revenue of three thousand francs is worth one hundred and twenty thousand francs； according to this other formula； 3；000 x 100 / 2 1/2 = one hundred and twenty thousand。
In the first case； the ratio of the progression which marks the increase of interest is five； in the second； it is two and a half。
OBSERVATION。The forms of increase known as farm…rent； income； and interest are paid annually； rent is paid by the week； the month； or the year； profits and gains are paid at the time of exchange。 Thus； the amount of increase is proportional both to the thing increased； and the time during which it increases； in other words； usury grows like a cancer_foenus serpit sicut cancer_。
2。 THE INCREASE PAID TO THE PROPRIETOR BY THE OCCUPANT IS A DEAD LOSS TO THE LATTER。 For if the proprietor owed； in exchange for the increase which he receives； some thing more than the permission which he grants； his right of property would not be perfecthe would not possess _jure optimo； jure perfecto；_ that is； he would not be in reality a proprietor。 Then； all which passes from the hands of the occupant into those of the proprietor in the name of increase； and as the price of th