the moscow census-第16章

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the　city；　to　the　place　where　nothing　is　produced　and　where　every
thing　is　swallowed　up。

The　industrious　poor　man；　who　is　robbed　in　order　that　the　rich　may
possess　this　inexhaustible　ruble；　yearns　for　the　city　in　his　train；
and　there　he　also　takes　to　sharp　practices；　and　either　acquires　for
himself　a　position　in　which　he　can　work　little　and　receive　much；
thereby　rendering　still　more　oppressive　the　situation　of　the　laboring
classes；　or；　not　having　attained　to　such　a　position；　he　goes　to　ruin；
and　falls　into　the　ranks　of　those　cold　and　hungry　inhabitants　of　the
night…lodging　houses；　which　are　being　swelled　with　such　remarkable
rapidity。

I　belong　to　the　class　of　those　people；　who；　by　divers　tricks；　take
from　the　toiling　masses　the　necessaries　of　life；　and　who　have
acquired　for　themselves　these　inexhaustible　rubles；　and　who　lead
these　unfortunates　astray。　　I　desire　to　aid　people；　and　therefore　it
is　clear　that；　first　of　all；　I　must　cease　to　rob　them　as　I　am　doing。
But　I；　by　the　most　complicated；　and　cunning；　and　evil　practices；
which　have　been　heaped　up　for　centuries；　have　acquired　for　myself　the
position　of　an　owner　of　the　inexhaustible　ruble；　that　is　to　say；　one
in　which；　never　working　myself；　I　can　make　hundreds　and　thousands　of
people　toil　for　mewhich　also　I　do；　and　I　imagine　that　I　pity
people；　and　I　wish　to　assist　them。　　I　sit　on　a　man's　neck；　I　weigh
him　down；　and　I　demand　that　he　shall　carry　me；　and　without　descending
from　his　shoulders　I　assure　myself　and　others　that　I　am　very　sorry
for　him；　and　that　I　desire　to　ameliorate　his　condition　by　all
possible　means；　only　not　by　getting　off　of　him。

Surely　this　is　simple　enough。　　If　I　want　to　help　the　poor；　that　is；
to　make　the　poor　no　longer　poor；　I　must　not　produce　poor　people。　　And
I　give；　at　my　own　selection；　to　poor　men　who　have　gone　astray　from
the　path　of　life；　a　ruble；　or　ten　rubles；　or　a　hundred；　and　I　grasp
hundreds　from　people　who　have　not　yet　left　the　path；　and　thereby　I
render　them　poor　also；　and　demoralize　them　to　boot。

This　is　very　simple；　but　it　was　horribly　hard　for　me　to　understand
this　fully　without　compromises　and　reservations；　which　might　serve　to
justify　my　position；　but　it　sufficed　for　me　to　confess　my　guilt；　and
every　thing　which　had　before　seemed　to　me　strange　and　complicated；
and　lacking　in　cleanness；　became　perfectly　comprehensible　and　simple。
But　the　chief　point　was；　that　my　way　of　life；　arising　from　this
interpretation；　became　simple；　clear　and　pleasant；　instead　of
perplexed；　inexplicable　and　full　of　torture　as　before。＇　｛18｝

Who　am　I；　that　I　should　desire　to　help　others？　　I　desire　to　help
people；　and　I；　rising　at　twelve　o'clock　after　a　game　of　vint　｛19｝
with　four　candles；　weak；　exhausted；　demanding　the　aid　of　hundreds　of
people；I　go　to　the　aid　of　whom？　　Of　people　who　rise　at　five
o'clock；　who　sleep　on　planks；　who　nourish　themselves　on　bread　and
cabbage；　who　know　how　to　plough；　to　reap；　to　wield　the　axe；　to　chop；
to　harness；　to　sew；of　people　who　in　strength　and　endurance；　and
skill　and　abstemiousness；　are　a　hundred　times　superior　to　me；and　I
go　to　their　succor！　　What　except　shame　could　I　feel；　when　I　entered
into　communion　with　these　people？　　The　very　weakest　of　them；　a
drunkard；　an　inhabitant　of　the　Rzhanoff　house；　the　one　whom　they　call
〃the　idler；〃　is　a　hundred…fold　more　industrious　than　I；　＇his　balance；
so　to　speak；　that　is　to　say；　the　relation　of　what　he　takes　from
people　and　that　which　they　give　him；　stands　on　a　thousand　times
better　footing　than　my　balance；　if　I　take　into　consideration　what　I
take　from　people　and　what　I　give　to　them。＇　｛18｝

And　these　are　the　people　to　whose　assistance　I　go。　　I　go　to　help　the
poor。　　But　who　is　the　poor　man？　　There　is　no　one　poorer　than　myself。
I　am　a　thoroughly　enervated；　good…for…nothing　parasite；　who　can　only
exist　under　the　most　special　conditions；　who　can　only　exist　when
thousands　of　people　toil　at　the　preservation　of　this　life　which　is
utterly　useless　to　every　one。　　And　I；　that　plant…louse；　which　devours
the　foliage　of　trees；　wish　to　help　the　tree　in　its　growth　and　health；
and　I　wish　to　heal　it。

I　have　passed　my　whole　life　in　this　manner：　　I　eat；　I　talk　and　I
listen；　I　eat；　I　write　or　read；　that　is　to　say；　I　talk　and　listen
again；　I　eat；　I　play；　I　eat；　again　I　talk　and　listen；　I　eat；　and
again　I　go　to　bed；　and　so　each　day　I　can　do　nothing　else；　and　I
understand　how　to　do　nothing　else。　　And　in　order　that　I　may　be　able
to　do　this；　it　is　necessary　that　the　porter；　the　peasant；　the　cook；
male　or　female；　the　footman；　the　coachman；　and　the　laundress；　should
toil　from　morning　till　night；　I　will　not　refer　to　the　labors　of　the
people　which　are　necessary　in　order　that　coachman；　cooks；　male　and
female；　footman；　and　the　rest　should　have　those　implements　and
articles　with　which；　and　over　which；　they　toil　for　my　sake；　axes；
tubs；　brushes；　household　utensils；　furniture；　wax；　blacking；
kerosene；　hay；　wood；　and　beef。　　And　all　these　people　work　hard　all
day　long　and　every　day；　so　that　I　may　be　able　to　talk　and　eat　and
sleep。　　And　I；　this　cripple　of　a　man；　have　imagined　that　I　could　help
others；　and　those　the　very　people　who　support　me！

It　is　not　remarkable　that　I　could　not　help　any　one；　and　that　I　felt
ashamed；　but　the　remarkable　point　is　that　such　an　absurd　idea　could
have　occurred　to　me。　　The　woman　who　served　the　sick　old　man；　helped
him；　the　mistress　of　the　house；　who　cut　a　slice　from　the　bread　which
she　had　won　from　the　soil；　helped　the　beggar；　Semyon；　who　gave　three
kopeks　which　he　had　earned；　helped　the　beggar；　because　those　three
kopeks　actually　represented　his　labor：　　but　I　served　no　one；　I　toiled
for　no　one；　and　I　was　well　aware　that　my　money　did　not　represent　my
labor。



CHAPTER　XVII。　｛20｝



Into　the　delusion　that　I　could　help　others　I　was　led　by　the　fact　that
I　fancied　that　my　money　was　of　the　same　sort　as　Semyon's。　　But　this
was　not　the　case。

A　general　idea　prevails；　that　money　represents　wealth；　but　wealth　is
the　product　of　labor；　and；　therefore；　money　represents　labor。　　But
this　idea　is　as　just　as　that　every　governmental　regulation　is　the
result　of　a　compact　（contrat　social）。

Every　one　likes　to　think　that　money　is　only　a　medium　of　exchange　for
labor。　　I　have　made　shoes；　you　have　raised　grain；　he　has　reared
sheep：　　here；　in　order　that　we　may　the　more　readily　effect　an
exchange；　we　will　institute　money；　which　represents　a　corresponding
quantity　of　labor；　and；　by　means　of　it；　we　will　barter　our　shoes　for
a　breast　of　lamb　and　ten　pounds　of　flour。　　We　will　exchange　our
products　through　the　medium　of　money；　and　the　money　of　each　one　of　us
represents　our　labor。

This　is　perfectly　true；　but　true　only　so　long　as；　in　the　community
where　this　exchange　is　effected；　the　violence　of　one　man　over　the
rest　has　not　made　its　appearance；　not　only　violence　over　the　labors
of　others；　as　happens　in　wars　and　slavery；　but　where　he　exercises　no
violence　for　the　protection　of　the　products　of　their　labor　from
others。　　This　will　be　true　only　in　a　community　whose　members　fully
carry　out　the　Christian　law；　in　a　community　where　men　give　to　him　who
asks；　and　where　he　who　takes　is　not　asked　to　make　restitution。　　But
just　so　soon　as　any　violence　whatever　is　used　in　the　community；　the
significance　of　money　for　its　possessor　loses　its　significance　as　a
representative　of　labor；　and　acquires　the　significance　of　a　right
founded；　not　on　labor；　but　on　violence。

As　soon　as　there　is　war；　and　one　man　has　taken　any　thing　from　any
other　man；　money　can　no　longer　be　always　the　representative　of　labor；
money　received　by　a　warrior　for　the　spoils　of　war；　which　he　sells；
even　if　he　is　the　commander　of　the　warriors；　is　in　no　way　a　product
of　labor；　and　possesses　an　entirely　different　meaning　from　money
received　for　work　on　shoes。　　As　soon　as　there　are　slave…owners　and
slaves；　as　there　always　have　been　throughout　the　whole　world；　it　is
utterly　impossible　to　say　that　money　represents　labor。

Women　have　woven　linen；　sold　it；　and　received　money；　serfs　have　woven
for　their　master；　and　the　master　has　sold　them　and　received　the
money。　　The　money　is　identical　in　both　cases；　but　in　the　one　case　it
is　the　product　of　labor；　in　the　other　the　product　of　violence。　　In
exactly　the　same　way；　a　stranger　or　my　own　father　has　given　me　money；
and　my　father；　when　he　gave　me　that　money；　knew；　and　I　know；　and
everybody　knows；　that　no　one　can　take　this　money　away　from　me；　but　if
it　should　occur　to　any　one　to　take　it　away　from　me；　or　even　not　to
hand　it　over　at　the　date　when　it　was　promised；　the　law　would
intervene　on　my　behalf；　and　would　compel　the　delivery　to　me　of　the
money；　and；　again；　it　is　evident　that　this　money　can　in　no　wise　be
called　the　equivalent　of　labor；　on　a　level　with　the　money　received　by
Semyon　for　chopping　wood。　　So　that　in　any　community　where　there　is
any　thing　that　in　any　manner　whatever　controls　the　labor　of　others；
or　where　violence　hedges　in；　by　means　of　money；　its　possessions　from
others；　there　money　is　no　longer　invariably　the　representative　of
labor。　　In　such　a　community；　it　is　sometimes　the　representative　of
labor；　and　sometimes　of　violence。

Thus　it　would　be　where　only　one　act　of　violence　from　one　man　against
others；　in　the　midst　of　perfectly　free　relations；　should　have　made
its　appearance；　but　now；　when　centuries　of　the　most　varied　deeds　of
violence　have　passed　for　accumulations　of　money；　when　these　deeds　of
violence　are　incessant；　and　merely　alter　their　forms；　when；　as　every
one　admits；　money　accumulated　itself　represents　violence；　when　money；
as　a　representative　of　direct　labor；　forms　but　a　very　small　portion
of　the　money　which　is　derived　from　every　sort　of　violence；to　say
nowadays　that　money　represents　the　labor　of　the　person　who　possesses
it；　is　a　self…evident　error　or　a　deliberate　lie。

It　may　be　said；　that　thus　it　should　be；　it　may　be　said；　that　this　is
desirable；　but　by　no　means　can　it　be　said；　that　thus　it　is。

Money　represents　labor。　　Yes。　　Money　does　represent　labor；　but　whose？
In　our　society　only　in　the　very　rarest；　rarest　of　instances；　does
money　represent　the　labor　of　its　possessor；　but　it　nearly　always
represents　the　labor　of　other　people；　the　past　or　future　labor　of
men；　it　is　a　representative　of　the　obligation　of　others　to　labor；
which　has　been　established　by　force。

Money；　in　its　most　accurate　and　at　the　same　the　simple　application；
is　the　conventional　stamp　which　confers　a　right；　or；　more　correctly；
a　possibility；　of　taking　advantage　of　the　labors　of　other　people。　　In
its　ideal　significance；　money　should　confer　this　right；　or　this
possibility；　only　when　it　serves　as　the　equivalent　of　labor；　and　such
money　might　be　in　a　community　in　which　no　violence　existed。　　But　just
as　soon　as　violence；　that　is　to　say；　the　possibility　of　profiting　by
the　labors　of　others　without　toil　of　one's　own；　exists　in　a
community；　then　that　profiting　by　the　labors　of　other　men　is　also
expressed　by　money；　without　any　distinction　of　the　persons　on　whom
that　violence　is　exercised。

The　landed　proprietor　has　imposed　upon　his　serfs　natural　debts；　a
certain　quantity　of　linen；　grain；　and　cattle；　or　a　corresponding
amount　of　money。　　One　household　has　procured　the　cattle；　but　has　paid
money