what is property- 第44部分

Here　commences　a　new　series　of　phenomena。

Saywho　reasons　with　marvellous　clearness　whenever　he　assails　taxation；　but　who　is　blind　to　the　fact　that　the　proprietor；　as　well　as　the　tax…gatherer；　steals　from　the　tenant；　and　in　the　same　mannersays　in　his　second　letter　to　Malthus：


〃If　the　collector　of　taxes　and　those　who　employ　him　consume　one…　sixth　of　the　products；　they　thereby　compel　the　producers　to　feed；　clothe；　and　support　themselves　on　five…sixths　of　what　they　produce。　　They　admit　this；　but　say　at　the　same　time　that　it　is　possible　for　each　one　to　live　on　five…sixths　of　what　he　produces。

I　admit　that；　if　they　insist　upon　it；　but　I　ask　if　they　believe　that　the　producer　would　live　as　well；　in　case　they　demanded　of　him；　instead　of　one…sixth；　two…sixths；　or　one…third；　of　their　products？　　No；　but　he　would　still　live。　　Then　I　ask　whether　he　would　still　live；　in　case　they　should　rob　him　of　two…　thirds；　。　。　。　then　three…quarters？　　But　I　hear　no　reply。〃


If　the　master　of　the　French　economists　had　been　less　blinded　by　his　proprietary　prejudices；　he　would　have　seen　that　farm…rent　has　precisely　the　same　effect。

Take　a　family　of　peasants　composed　of　six　persons；father；　mother；　and　four　children；living　in　the　country；　and　cultivating　a　small　piece　of　ground。　　Let　us　suppose　that　by　hard　labor　they　manage；　as　the　saying　is；　to　make　both　ends　meet；　that；　having　lodged；　warmed；　clothed；　and　fed　themselves；　they　are　clear　of　debt；　but　have　laid　up　nothing。　　Taking　the　years　together；　they　contrive　to　live。　　If　the　year　is　prosperous；　the　father　drinks　a　little　more　wine；　the　daughters　buy　themselves　a　dress；　the　sons　a　hat；　they　eat　a　little　cheese；　and；　occasionally；　some　meat。　　I　say　that　these　people　are　on　the　road　to　wreck　and　ruin。

For；　by　the　third　corollary　of　our　axiom；　they　owe　to　themselves　the　interest　on　their　own　capital。　　Estimating　this　capital　at　only　eight　thousand　francs　at　two　and　a　half　per　cent。；　there　is　an　annual　interest　of　two　hundred　francs　to　be　paid。　　If；　then；　these　two　hundred　francs；　instead　of　being　subtracted　from　the　gross　product　to　be　saved　and　capitalized；　are　consumed；　there　is　an　annual　deficit　of　two　hundred　francs　in　the　family　assets；　so　that　at　the　end　of　forty　years　these　good　people；　without　suspecting　it；　will　have　eaten　up　their　property　and　become　bankrupt！

This　result　seems　ridiculousit　is　a　sad　reality。

The　conscription　comes。　　What　is　the　conscription？　　An　act　of　property　exercised　over　families　by　the　government　without　warninga　robbery　of　men　and　money。　　The　peasants　do　not　like　to　part　with　their　sons；in　that　I　do　not　think　them　wrong。　　It　is　hard　for　a　young　man　of　twenty　to　gain　any　thing　by　life　in　the　barracks；　unless　he　is　depraved；　he　detests　it。　　You　can　generally　judge　of　a　soldier's　morality　by　his　hatred　of　his　uniform。　　Unfortunate　wretches　or　worthless　scamps；such　is　the　make…up　of　the　French　army。　　This　ought　not　to　be　the　case；but　so　it　is。　　Question　a　hundred　thousand　men；　and　not　one　will　contradict　my　assertion。

Our　peasant；　in　redeeming　his　two　conscripted　sons；　expends　four　thousand　francs；　which　he　borrows　for　that　purpose；　the　interest　on　this；　at　five　per　cent。；　is　two　hundred　francs；a　sum　equal　to　that　referred　to　above。　　If；　up　to　this　time；　the　production　of　the　family；　constantly　balanced　by　its　consumption；　has　been　one　thousand　two　hundred　francs；　or　two　hundred　francs　per　personsin　order　to　pay　this　interest；　either　the　six　laborers　must　produce　as　much　as　seven；　or　must　consume　as　little　as　five。

Curtail　consumption　they　cannothow　can　they　curtail　necessity？　　To　produce　more　is　impossible；　they　can　work　neither　harder　nor　longer。　　Shall　they　take　a　middle　course；　and　consume　five　and　a　half　while　producing　six　and　a　half？　　They　would　soon　find　that　with　the　stomach　there　is　no　compromisethat　beyond　a　certain　degree　of　abstinence　it　is　impossible　to　gothat　strict　necessity　can　be　curtailed　but　little　without　injury　to　the　health；　and；　as　for　increasing　the　product；there　comes　a　storm；　a　drought；　an　epizootic；　and　all　the　hopes　of　the　farmer　are　dashed。　　In　short；　the　rent　will　not　be　paid；　the　interest　will　accumulate；　the　farm　will　be　seized；　and　the　possessor　ejected。

Thus　a　family；　which　lived　in　prosperity　while　it　abstained　from　exercising　the　right　of　property；　falls　into　misery　as　soon　as　the　exercise　of　this　right　becomes　a　necessity。　　Property　requires　of　the　husbandman　the　double　power　of　enlarging　his　land；　and　fertilizing　it　by　a　simple　command。　　While　a　man　is　simply　possessor　of　the　land；　he　finds　in　it　means　of　subsistence；　as　soon　as　he　pretends　to　proprietorship；　it　suffices　him　no　longer。　　Being　able　to　produce　only　that　which　he　consumes；　the　fruit　of　his　labor　is　his　recompense　for　his　troublenothing　is　left　for　the　instrument。

Required　to　pay　what　he　cannot　produce；such　is　the　condition　of　the　tenant　after　the　proprietor　has　retired　from　social　production　in　order　to　speculate　upon　the　labor　of　others　by　new　methods。

Let　us　now　return　to　our　first　hypothesis。

The　nine　hundred　laborers；　sure　that　their　future　production　will　equal　that　of　the　past；　are　quite　surprised；　after　paying　their　farm…rent；　to　find　themselves　poorer　by　one…tenth　than　they　were　the　previous　year。　　In　fact；　this　tenthwhich　was　formerly　produced　and　paid　by　the　proprietor…laborer　who　then　took　part　in　the　production；　and　paid　part　of　thepublic　expensesnow　has　not　been　produced；　and　has　been　paid。　　It　must　then　have　been　taken　from　the　producer's　consumption。　　To　choke　this　inexplicable　deficit；　the　laborer　borrows；　confident　of　his　intention　and　ability　to　return；a　confidence　which　is　shaken　the　following　year　by　a　new　loan；　PLUS　the　interest　on　the　first。　　From　whom　does　he　borrow？　　From　the　proprietor。　　The　proprietor　lends　his　surplus　to　the　laborer；　and　this　surplus；　which　he　ought　to　return；　becomesbeing　lent　at　interesta　new　source　of　profit　to　him。　　Then　debts　increase　indefinitely；　the　proprietor　makes　advances　to　the　producer　who　never　returns　them；　and　the　latter；　constantly　robbed　and　constantly　borrowing　from　the　robbers；　ends　in　bankruptcy；　defrauded　of　all　that　he　had。

Suppose　that　the　proprietorwho　needs　his　tenant　to　furnish　him　with　an　incomethen　releases　him　from　his　debts。　　He　will　thus　do　a　very　benevolent　deed；　which　will　procure　for　him　a　recommendation　in　the　curate's　prayers；　while　the　poor　tenant；　overwhelmed　by　this　unstinted　charity；　and　taught　by　his　catechism　to　pray　for　his　benefactors；　will　promise　to　redouble　his　energy；　and　suffer　new　hardships　that　he　may　discharge　his　debt　to　so　kind　a　master。

This　time　he　takes　precautionary　measures；　he　raises　the　price　of　grains。　　The　manufacturer　does　the　same　with　his　products。　　The　reaction　comes；　and；　after　some　fluctuation；　the　farm…rentwhich　the　tenant　thought　to　put　upon　the　manufacturer's　shouldersbecomes　nearly　balanced。　　So　that；　while　he　is　congratulating　himself　upon　his　success；　he　finds　himself　again　impoverished；　but　to　an　extent　somewhat　smaller　than　before。　　For　the　rise　having　been　general；　the　proprietor　suffers　with　the　rest；　so　that　the　laborers；　instead　of　being　poorer　by　one…tenth；　lose　only　nine…hundredths。　　But　always　it　is　a　debt　which　necessitates　a　loan；　the　payment　of　interest；　economy；　and　fasting。　　Fasting　for　the　nine…hundredths　which　ought　not　to　be　paid；　and　are　paid；　fasting　for　the　redemption　of　debts；　fasting　to　pay　the　interest　on　them。　　Let　the　crop　fail；　and　the　fasting　becomes　starvation。　　They　say；　〃IT　IS　NECESSARY　TO　WORK　MORE。〃　　That　means；　obviously；　that　IT　IS　NECESSARY　TO　PRODUCE　MORE。　　By　what　conditions　is　production　effected？　　By　the　combined　action　of　labor；　capital；　and　land。　　As　for　the　labor；　the　tenant　undertakes　to　furnish　it；　but　capital　is　formed　only　by　economy。　　Now；　if　the　tenant　could　accumulate　any　thing；　he　would　pay　his　debts。　　But　granting　that　he　has　plenty　of　capital；　of　what　use　would　it　be　to　him　if　the　extent　of　the　land　which　he　cultivates　always　remained　the　same？　　He　needs　to　enlarge　his　farm。

Will　it　be　said；　finally；　that　he　must　work　harder　and　to　better　advantage？　　But；　in　our　estimation　of　farm…rent；　we　have　assumed　the　highest　possible　average　of　production。　　Were　it　not　the　highest；　the　proprietor　would　increase　the　farm…rent。　　Is　not　this　the　way　in　which　the　large　landed　proprietors　have　gradually　raised　their　rents；　as　fast　as　they　have　ascertained　by　the　increase　in　population　and　the　development　of　industry　how　much　society　can　produce　from　their　property？　　The　proprietor　is　a　foreigner　to　society；　but；　like　the　vulture；　his　eyes　fixed　upon　his　prey；　he　holds　himself　ready　to　pounce　upon　and　devour　it。

The　facts　to　which　we　have　called　attention；　in　a　community　of　one　thousand　persons；　are　reproduced　on　a　large　scale　in　every　nation　and　wherever　human　beings　live；　but　with　infinite　variations　and　in　innumerable　forms；　which　it　is　no　part　of　my　intention　to　describe。

In　fine；　propertyafter　having　robbed　the　laborer　by　usury　murders　him　slowly　by　starvation。　　Now；　without　robbery　and　murder；　property　cannot　exist；　with　robbery　and　murder；　it　soon　dies　for　want　of　support。　　Therefore　it　is　impossible。


FIFTH　PROPOSITION。


Property　is　impossible；　because；　if　it　e