the moscow census-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


but　who　only　arrayed　himself　in　costly　garments；　and　ate　and　drank
daintily；　and　who　lost　his　soul　thereby；　and　of　poor　Lazarus；　who　had
done　nothing　good；　but　who　was　saved　merely　because　he　was　poor。

This　theory　was　sufficiently　familiar　to　me；　but　the　false　teachings
of　the　world　had　so　obscured　it　that　it　had　become　for　me　a　theory　in
the　sense　which　people　are　fond　of　attributing　to　that　term；　that　is
to　say；　empty　words。　　But　as　soon　as　I　had　succeeded　in　destroying　in
my　consciousness　the　sophisms　of　worldly　teaching；　theory　conformed
to　practice；　and　the　truth　with　regard　to　my　life　and　to　the　life　of
the　people　about　me　became　its　conclusion。

I　understood　that　man；　besides　life　for　his　own　personal　good；　is
unavoidably　bound　to　serve　the　good　of　others　also；　that；　if　we　take
an　illustration　from　the　animal　kingdom；as　some　people　are　fond　of
doing；　defending　violence　and　conflict　by　the　conflict　for　existence
in　the　animal　kingdom；the　illustration　must　be　taken　from
gregarious　animals；　like　bees；　that　consequently　man；　not　to　mention
the　love　to　his　neighbor　incumbent　on　him；　is　called　upon；　both　by
reason　and　by　his　nature；　to　serve　other　people　and　the　common　good
of　humanity。　　I　comprehended　that　the　natural　law　of　man　is　that
according　to　which　only　he　can　fulfil　destiny；　and　therefore　be
happy。　　I　understood　that　this　law　has　been　and　is　broken　hereby；
that　people　get　rid　of　labor　by　force　（like　the　robber　bees）；　make
use　of　the　toil　of　others；　directing　this　toil；　not　to　the　common
weal；　but　to　the　private　satisfaction　of　swift…growing　desires；　and；
precisely　as　in　the　case　of　the　robber　bees；　they　perish　in
consequence。　　＇I　understood　that　the　original　form　of　this
disinclination　for　the　law　is　the　brutal　violence　against　weaker
individuals；　against　women；　wars　and　imprisonments；　whose　sequel　is
slavery；　and　also　the　present　reign　of　money。　　I　understood　that
money　is　the　impersonal　and　concealed　enslavement　of　the　poor。　　And；
once　having　perceived　the　significance　of　money　as　slavery；　I　could
not　but　hate　it；　nor　refrain　from　doing　all　in　my　power　to　free
myself　from　it。＇　｛21｝

When　I　was　a　slave…owner；　and　comprehended　the　immorality　of　my
position；　I　tried　to　escape　from　it。　　My　escape　consisted　in　this；
that　I；　regarding　it　as　immoral；　tried　to　exercise　my　rights　as
slave…owner　as　little　as　possible；　but　to　live；　and　to　allow　other
people　to　live；　as　though　that　right　did　not　exist。　　And　I　cannot
refrain　from　doing　the　same　thing　now　in　reference　to　the　present
form　of　slavery；exercising　my　right　to　the　labor　of　others　as
little　as　possible；　i。e。；　hiring　and　purchasing　as　little　as
possible。

The　root　of　every　slavery　is　the　use　of　the　labor　of　others；　and
hence；　the　compelling　others　to　it　is　founded　indifferently　on　my
right　to　the　slave；　or　on　my　possession　of　money　which　is
indispensable　to　him。　　If　I　really　do　not　approve；　and　if　I　regard　as
an　evil；　the　employment　of　the　labor　of　others；　then　I　shall　use
neither　my　right　nor　my　money　for　that　purpose；　I　shall　not　compel
others　to　toil　for　me；　but　I　shall　endeavor　to　free　them　from　the
labor　which　they　have　performed　for　me；　as　far　as　possible；　either　by
doing　without　this　labor　or　by　performing　it　for　myself。

And　this　very　simple　and　unavoidable　deduction　enters　into　all　the
details　of　my　life；　effects　a　total　change　in　it；　and　at　one　blow
releases　me　from　those　moral　sufferings　which　I　have　undergone　at　the
sight　of　the　sufferings　and　the　vice　of　the　people；　and　instantly
annihilates　all　three　causes　of　my　inability　to　aid　the　poor；　which　I
had　encountered　while　seeking　the　cause　of　my　lack　of　success。

The　first　cause　was　the　herding　of　the　people　in　towns；　and　the
absorption　there　of　the　wealth　of　the　country。　　All　that　a　man　needs
is　to　understand　how　every　hiring　or　purchase　is　a　handle　to
extortion　from　the　poor；　and　that　therefore　he　must　abstain　from
them；　and　must　try　to　fulfil　his　own　requirements；　and　not　a　single
man　will　then　quit　the　country；　where　all　wants　can　be　satisfied
without　money；　for　the　city；　where　it　is　necessary　to　buy　every
thing：　　and　in　the　country　he　will　be　in　a　position　to　help　the
needy；　as　has　been　my　own　experience　and　the　experience　of　every　one
else。

The　second　cause　is　the　estrangement　of　the　rich　from　the　poor。　　A
man　needs　but　to　refrain　from　buying；　from　hiring；　and；　disdaining　no
sort　of　work；　to　satisfy　his　requirements　himself；　and　the　former
estrangement　will　immediately　be　annihilated；　and　the　man；　having
rejected　luxury　and　the　services　of　others；　will　amalgamate　with　the
mass　of　the　working　people；　and；　standing　shoulder　to　shoulder　with
the　working　people；　he　can　help　them。

The　third　cause　was　shame；　founded　on　a　consciousness　of　immorality
in　my　owning　that　money　with　which　I　desired　to　help　people。　　All
that　is　required　is：　　to　understand　the　significance　of　money　as
impersonal　slavery；　which　it　has　acquired　among　us；　in　order　to
escape　for　the　future　from　falling　into　the　error　according　to　which
money；　though　evil　in　itself；　can　be　an　instrument　of　good；　and　in
order　to　refrain　from　acquiring　money；　and　to　rid　one's　self　of　it　in
order　to　be　in　a　position　to　do　good　to　people；　that　is；　to　bestow　on
them　one's　labor；　and　not　the　labor　of　another。



CHAPTER　XIX。



＇I　saw　that　money　is　the　cause　of　suffering　and　vice　among　the
people；　and　that；　if　I　desired　to　help　people；　the　first　thing　that
was　required　of　me　was　not　to　create　those　unfortunates　whom　I　wished
to　assist。

I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　man　who　does　not　love　vice　and　the
suffering　of　the　people　should　not　make　use　of　money；　thus　presenting
an　inducement　to　extortion　from　the　poor；　by　forcing　them　to　work　for
him；　and　that；　in　order　not　to　make　use　of　the　toil　of　others；　he
must　demand　as　little　from　others　as　possible；　and　work　as　much　as
possible　himself。＇　｛22｝

By　dint　of　a　long　course　of　reasoning；　I　came　to　this　inevitable
conclusion；　which　was　drawn　thousands　of　years　ago　by　the　Chinese　in
the　saying；　〃If　there　is　one　idle　man；　there　is　another　dying　with
hunger　to　offset　him。

＇Then　what　are　we　to　do？　　John　the　Baptist　gave　the　answer　to　this
very　question　two　thousand　years　ago。　　And　when　the　people　asked　him；
〃What　are　we　to　do？〃　he　said；　〃Let　him　that　hath　two　garments　impart
to　him　that　hath　none；　and　let　him　that　hath　meat　do　the　same。〃　　What
is　the　meaning　of　giving　away　one　garment　out　of　two；　and　half　of
one's　food？　　It　means　giving　to　others　every　superfluity；　and
thenceforth　taking　nothing　superfluous　from　people。

This　expedient；　which　furnishes　such　perfect　satisfaction　to　the
moral　feelings；　kept　my　eyes　fast　bound；　and　binds　all　our　eyes；　and
we　do　not　see　it；　but　gaze　aside。

This　is　precisely　like　a　personage　on　the　stage；　who　had　entered　a
long　time　since；　and　all　the　spectators　see　him；　and　it　is　obvious
that　the　actors　cannot　help　seeing　him；　but　the　point　on　the　stage
lies　in　the　acting　characters　pretending　not　to　see　him；　and　in
suffering　from　his　absence。＇　｛23｝

Thus　we；　in　our　efforts　to　recover　from　our　social　diseases；　search
in　all　quarters；　governmental　and　anti…governmental；　and　in
scientific　and　in　philanthropic　superstitions；　and　we　do　not　see　what
is　perfectly　visible　to　every　eye。

For　the　man　who　really　suffers　from　the　sufferings　of　the　people　who
surround　us；　there　exists　the　very　plainest；　simplest；　and　easiest
means；　the　only　possible　one　for　the　cure　of　the　evil　about　us；　and
for　the　acquisition　of　a　consciousness　of　the　legitimacy　of　his　life；
the　one　given　by　John　the　Baptist；　and　confirmed　by　Christ：　　not　to
have　more　than　one　garment；　and　not　to　have　money。　　And　not　to　have
any　money；　means；　not　to　employ　the　labor　of　others；　and　hence；　first
of　all；　to　do　with　our　own　hands　every　thing　that　we　can　possibly　do。

This　is　so　clear　and　simple！　　But　it　is　clear　and　simple　when　the
requirements　are　simple。　　I　live　in　the　country。　　I　lie　on　the　oven；
and　I　order　my　debtor；　my　neighbor；　to　chop　wood　and　light　my　fire。
It　is　very　clear　that　I　am　lazy；　and　that　I　tear　my　neighbor　away
from　his　affairs；　and　I　shall　feel　mortified；　and　I　shall　find　it
tiresome　to　lie　still　all　the　time；　and　I　shall　go　and　split　my　wood
for　myself。

But　the　delusion　of　slavery　of　all　descriptions　lies　so　far　back；　so
much　of　artificial　exaction　has　sprung　up　upon　it；　so　many　people；
accustomed　in　different　degrees　to　these　habits；　are　interwoven　with
each　other；　enervated　people；　spoiled　for　generations；　and　such
complicated　delusions　and　justifications　for　their　luxury　and
idleness　have　been　devised　by　people；　that　it　is　far　from　being　so
easy　for　a　man　who　stands　at　the　summit　of　the　ladder　of　idle　people
to　understand　his　sin；　as　it　is　for　the　peasant　who　has　made　his
neighbor　build　his　fire。

It　is　terribly　difficult　for　people　at　the　top　of　this　ladder　to
understand　what　is　required　of　them。　　＇Their　heads　are　turned　by　the
height　of　this　ladder　of　lies；　upon　which　they　find　themselves　when　a
place　on　the　ground　is　offered　to　them；　to　which　they　must　descend　in
order　to　begin　to　live；　not　yet　well；　but　no　longer　cruelly；
inhumanly；　for　this　reason；　this　clear　and　simple　truth　appears
strange　to　these　people。　　For　the　man　with　ten　servants；　liveries；
coachmen；　cooks；　pictures；　pianofortes；　that　will　infallibly　appear
strange；　and　even　ridiculous；　which　is　the　simplest；　the　first　act
ofI　will　not　say　every　good　manbut　of　every　man　who　is　not
wicked：　　to　cut　his　own　wood　with　which　his　food　is　cooked；　and　with
which　he　warms　himself；　to　himself　clean　those　boots　with　which　he
has　heedlessly　stepped　in　the　mire；　to　himself　fetch　that　water　with
which　he　preserves　his　cleanliness；　and　to　carry　out　that　dirty　water
in　which　he　has　washed　himself。＇　｛24｝

But；　besides　the　remoteness　of　people　from　the　truth；　there　is
another　cause　which　prevents　people　from　seeing　the　obligation　for
them　of　the　simplest　and　most　natural　personal；　physical　labor　for
themselves：　　this　is　the　complication；　the　inextricability　of　the
conditions；　the　advantage　of　all　the　people　who　are　bound　together
among　themselves　by　money；　in　which　the　rich　man　lives：　　My　luxurious
life　feeds　people。　　What　would　become　of　my　old　valet　if　I　were　to
discharge　him？　　What！　we　must　all　do　every　thing　necessary；make　our
clothes　and　hew　wood？　。　。　。　　And　how　about　the　division　of　labor？〃

＇This　morning　I　stepped　out　into　the　corridor　where　the　fires　were
being　built。　　A　peasant　was　making　a　fire　in　the　stove　which　warms　my
son's　room。　　I　went　in；　the　latter　was　asleep。　　It　was　eleven　o'clock
in　the　morning。　　To…day　is　a　holiday：　　there　is　some　excuse；　there
are　no　lessons。

The　smooth…skinned；　eighteen…year…old　youth；　with　a　beard；　who　had
eaten　his　fill　on　the　preceding　evening；　sleeps　until　eleven　o'clock。
But　the　peasant　of　his　age　had　been　up　at　dawn；　and　had　got　through　a
quantity　of　work；　and　was　attending　to　his　tenth　stove；　while　the
former　slept。　　〃The　peasant　shall　not　make　the　fire　in　his　stove　to
warm　that　smooth；　lazy　body　of　his！〃　I　thought。　　But　I　immediately
recollected　that　this　stove　also　warmed　the　room　of　the　housekeeper；
a　woman　forty　years　of　age；　w