what is property-第56章

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ingle　hair　over　the　head　of　the　unfortunate　husbandman？　　The　expenses　of　seizure　will　be　much　less；　it　is　said；　but　will　the　interest　on　the　borrowed　capital　be　less　exorbitant？　　For；　after　all；　it　is　interest　which　impoverishes　the　peasant　and　leads　to　his　expropriation。　　That　the　law　may　be　in　harmony　with　its　principle；　that　it　may　be　truly　inspired　by　that　spirit　of　justice　for　which　it　is　commended；　it　mustwhile　facilitating　expropriationlower　the　legal　price　of　money。　　Otherwise；　the　reform　concerning　mortgages　is　but　a　trap　set　for　small　proprietors；a　legislative　trick。

Lower　interest　on　money！　　But；　as　we　have　just　seen；　that　is　to　limit　property。　　Here；　sir；　you　shall　make　your　own　defence。　　More　than　once；　in　your　learned　lectures；　I　have　heard　you　deplore　the　precipitancy　of　the　Chambers；　who；　without　previous　study　and　without　profound　knowledge　of　the　subject；　voted　almost　unanimously　to　maintain　the　statutes　and　privileges　of　the　Bank。　　Now　these　privileges；　these　statutes；　this　vote　of　the　Chambers；　mean　simply　this；that　the　market　price　of　specie；　at　five　or　six　per　cent。；　is　not　too　high；　and　that　the　conditions　of　exchange；　discount；　and　circulation；　which　generally　double　this　interest；　are　none　too　severe。　　So　the　government　thinks。　　M。　Blanquia　professor　of　political　economy；　paid　by　the　State　maintains　the　contrary；　and　pretends　to　demonstrate；　by　decisive　arguments；　the　necessity　of　a　reform。　　Who；　then；　best　understands　the　interests　of　property；the　State；　or　M。　Blanqui？

If　specie　could　be　borrowed　at　half　the　present　rate；　the　revenues　from　all　sorts　of　property　would　soon　be　reduced　one…　half　also。　　For　example：　when　it　costs　less　to　build　a　house　than　to　hire　one；　when　it　is　cheaper　to　clear　a　field　than　to　procure　one　already　cleared；　competition　inevitably　leads　to　a　reduction　of　house　and　farm…rents；　since　the　surest　way　to　depreciate　active　capital　is　to　increase　its　amount。　　But　it　is　a　law　of　political　economy　that　an　increase　of　production　augments　the　mass　of　available　capital；　consequently　tends　to　raise　wages；　and　finally　to　annihilate　interest。　　Then；　proprietors　are　interested　in　maintaining　the　statutes　and　privileges　of　the　Bank；　then；　a　reform　in　this　matter　would　compromise　the　right　of　increase；　then；　the　peers　and　deputies　are　better　informed　than　Professor　Blanqui。

But　these　same　deputies；so　jealous　of　their　privileges　whenever　the　equalizing　effects　of　a　reform　are　within　their　intellectual　horizon；what　did　they　do　a　few　days　before　they　passed　the　law　concerning　judicial　sales？　　They　formed　a　conspiracy　against　property！　　Their　law　to　regulate　the　labor　of　children　in　factories　will；　without　doubt；　prevent　the　manufacturer　from　compelling　a　child　to　labor　more　than　so　many　hours　a　day；　but　it　will　not　force　him　to　increase　the　pay　of　the　child；　nor　that　of　its　father。　　To…day；　in　the　interest　of　health；　we　diminish　the　subsistence　of　the　poor；　to…morrow　it　will　be　necessary　to　protect　them　by　fixing　their　MINIMUM　wages。　　But　to　fix　their　minimum　wages　is　to　compel　the　proprietor；　is　to　force　the　master　to　accept　his　workman　as　an　associate；　which　interferes　with　freedom　and　makes　mutual　insurance　obligatory。　　Once　entered　upon　this　path；　we　never　shall　stop。　　Little　by　little　the　government　will　become　manufacturer；　commission…merchant；　and　retail　dealer。

It　will　be　the　sole　proprietor。　　Why；　at　all　epochs；　have　the　ministers　of　State　been　so　reluctant　to　meddle　with　the　question　of　wages？　　Why　have　they　always　refused　to　interfere　between　the　master　and　the　workman？　　Because　they　knew　the　touchy　and　jealous　nature　of　property；　and；　regarding　it　as　the　principle　of　all　civilization；　felt　that　to　meddle　with　it　would　be　to　unsettle　the　very　foundations　of　society。　　Sad　condition　of　the　proprietary　regime；one　of　inability　to　exercise　charity　without　violating　justice！＇1＇

＇1＇　　The　emperor　Nicholas　has　just　compelled　all　the　manufacturers　in　his　empire　to　maintain；　at　their　own　expense；　within　their　establishments；　small　hospitals　for　the　reception　of　sick　workmen；the　number　of　beds　in　each　being　proportional　to　the　number　of　laborers　in　the　factory。　　〃You　profit　by　man's　labor；〃　the　Czar　could　have　said　to　his　proprietors；　〃you　shall　be　responsible　for　man's　life。〃　　M。　Blanqui　has　said　that　such　a　measure　could　not　succeed　in　France。　　It　would　be　an　attack　upon　property；a　thing　hardly　conceivable　even　in　Russia；　Scythia；　or　among　the　Cossacks；　but　among　us；　the　oldest　sons　of　civilization！　。　。　。　　I　fear　very　much　that　this　quality　of　age　may　prove　in　the　end　a　mark　of　decrepitude。




And；　sir；　this　fatal　consequence　which　necessity　forces　upon　the　State　is　no　mere　imagination。　　Even　now　the　legislative　power　is　asked；　no　longer　simply　to　regulate　the　government　of　factories；　but　to　create　factories　itself。　　Listen　to　the　millions　of　voices　shouting　on　all　hands　for　THE　ORGANISATION　OF　LABOR；　THE　CREATION　OF　NATIONAL　WORKSHOPS！　　The　whole　laboring　class　is　agitated：　it　has　its　journals；　organs；　and　representatives。　　To　guarantee　labor　to　the　workingman；　to　balance　production　with　sale；　to　harmonize　industrial　proprietors；　it　advocates　to…day　as　a　sovereign　remedyone　sole　head；　one　national　wardenship；　one　huge　manufacturing　company。　　For；　sir；　all　this　is　included　in　the　idea　of　national　workshops。　　On　this　subject　I　wish　to　quote；　as　proof；　the　views　of　an　illustrious　economist；　a　brilliant　mind；　a　progressive　intellect；　an　enthusiastic　soul；　a　true　patriot；　and　yet　an　official　defender　of　the　right　of　property。＇1＇

＇1＇　Course　of　M。　Blanqui。　　Lecture　of　Nov。　27；1840。




The　honorable　professor　of　the　Conservatory　proposes　then；

1。　TO　CHECK　THE　CONTINUAL　EMIGRATION　OF　LABORERS　FROM　THE　COUNTRY　INTO　THE　CITIES。

But；　to　keep　the　peasant　in　his　village；　his　residence　there　must　be　made　endurable：　to　be　just　to　all；　the　proletaire　of　the　country　must　be　treated　as　well　as　the　proletaire　of　the　city。　　Reform　is　needed；　then；　on　farms　as　well　as　in　factories；　and；　when　the　government　enters　the　workshop；　the　government　must　seize　the　plough！　　What　becomes；　during　this　progressive　invasion；　of　independent　cultivation；　exclusive　domain；　property？

2。　TO　FIX　FOR　EACH　PROFESSION　A　MODERATE　SALARY；　VARYING　WITH　TIME　AND　PLACE　AND　BASED　UPON　CERTAIN　DATA。

The　object　of　this　measure　would　be　to　secure　to　laborers　their　subsistence；　and　to　proprietors　their　profits；　while　obliging　the　latter　to　sacrifice　from　motives　of　prudence；　if　for　no　other　reason；　a　portion　of　their　income。　　Now；　I　say；　that　this　portion；　in　the　long　run；　would　swell　until　at　last　there　would　be　an　equality　of　enjoyment　between　the　proletaire　and　the　proprietor。　　For；　as　we　have　had　occasion　to　remark　several　times　already；　the　interest　of　the　capitalistin　other　words　the　increase　of　the　idlertends；　on　account　of　the　power　of　labor；　the　multiplication　of　products　and　exchanges；　to　continually　diminish；　and；　by　constant　reduction；　to　disappear。　　So　that；　in　the　society　proposed　by　M。　Blanqui；　equality　would　not　be　realized　at　first；　but　would　exist　potentially；　since　property；　though　outwardly　seeming　to　be　industrial　feudality；　being　no　longer　a　principle　of　exclusion　and　encroachment；　but　only　a　privilege　of　division；　would　not　be　slow；　thanks　to　the　intellectual　and　political　emancipation　of　the　proletariat；　in　passing　into　absolute　equality；as　absolute　at　least　as　any　thing　can　be　on　this　earth。

I　omit；　for　the　sake　of　brevity；　the　numerous　considerations　which　the　professor　adduces　in　support　of　what　he　calls；　too　modestly　in　my　opinion；　his　Utopia。　　They　would　serve　only　to　prove　beyond　all　question　that；　of　all　the　charlatans　of　radicalism　who　fatigue　the　public　ear；　no　one　approaches；　for　depth　and　clearness　of　thought；　the　audacious　M。　Blanqui。

3。　NATIONAL　WORKSHOPS　SHOULD　BE　IN　OPERATION　ONLY　DURING　PERIODS　OF　STAGNATION　IN　ORDINARY　INDUSTRIES；　AT　SUCH　TIMES　THEY　SHOULD　BE　OPENED　AS　VAST　OUTLETS　TO　THE　FLOOD　OF　THE　LABORING　POPULATION。

But；　sir；　the　stoppage　of　private　industry　is　the　result　of　over…　production；　and　insufficient　markets。　　If；　then；　production　continues　in　the　national　workshops；　how　will　the　crisis　be　terminated？　　Undoubtedly；　by　the　general　depreciation　of　merchandise；　and；　in　the　last　analysis；　by　the　conversion　of　private　workshops　into　national　workshops。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　government　will　need　capital　with　which　to　pay　its　workmen；　now；　how　will　this　capital　be　obtained？　　By　taxation。　　And　upon　what　will　the　tax　be　levied？　　Upon　property。　　Then　you　will　have　proprietary　industry　sustaining　against　itself；　and　at　its　own　expense；　another　industry　with　which　it　cannot　compete。　　What；　think　you；　will　become；　in　this　fatal　circle；　of　the　possibility　of　profit；in　a　word；　of　property？

Thank　Heaven！　equality　of　conditions　is　taught　in　the　public　schools；　let　us　fear　revolutions　no　longer。　　The　most　implacable　enemy　of　property　could　not；　if　he　wished　to　destroy　it；　go　to　work　in　a　wiser　and　more　effective　way。　　Courage；　then；　ministers；　deputies；　economists！　make　haste　to　seize　this　glorious　initiative；　let　the　watchwords　of　equality；　uttered　from　the　heights　of　science　and　power；　be　repeated　in　the　midst　of　the　people；　let　them　thrill　the　breasts　of　the　proletaires；　and　carry　dismay　into　the　ranks　of　the　last　representatives　of　privilege！

The　tendency　of　society　in　favor　of　compelling　proprietors　to　support　national　workshops　and　public　manufactories　is　so　strong　that　for　several　years；　under　the　name　of　ELECTORAL　REFORM；　it　has　been　exclusively　the　question　of　the　day。　　What　is；　after　all；　this　electoral　reform　which　the　people　grasp　at；　as　if　it　were　a　bait；　and　which　so　many　ambitious　persons　either　call　for　or　denounce？　　It　is　the　acknowledgment　of　the　right　of　the　masses　to　a　voice　in　the　assessment　of　taxes；　and　the　making　of　the　laws；　which　laws；　aiming　always　at　the　protection　of　material　interests；　affect；　in　a　greater　or　less　degree；　all　questions　of　taxation　or　wages。　　Now　the　people；　instructed　long　since　by　their　journals；　their　dramas；＇1＇　and　their　songs；＇2＇　know　to…day　that　taxation；　to　be　equitably　divided；　must　be　graduated；　and　must　be　borne　mainly　by　the　rich；that　it　must　be　levied　upon　luxuries；　&c。　　And　be　sure　that　the　people；　once　in　the　majority　in　the　Chamber；　will　not　fail　to　apply　these　lessons。　　Already　we　have　a　minister　of　public　works。　　National　workshops　will　follow；　and　soon；　as　a　consequence；　the　excess　of　the　proprietor's　revenue　over　the　workingman's　wages　will　be　swallowed　up　in　the　coffers　of　the　laborers　of　the　State。　　Do　you　not　see　that　in　this　way　property　is　gradually　reduced；　as　nobility　was　formerly；　to　a　nominal　title；　to　a　distinction　purely　honorary　in　its　nature？

＇1＇　　In　〃Mazaniello；〃　the　Neapolitan　fisherman　demands；　amid　the　applause　of　the　galleries；　that　a　tax　be　levied　upon　luxuries。

　　　　　　　　　　　＇2＇　_Seme　le　champ；　proletaire；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　C'est　l　l'oisif　　qui　recoltera_。




Either　the　electoral　reform　will　fail　to　accomplish　that　which　is　hoped　from　it；　and　will　disappoint　its　innumerable　partisans；　or　else　it　will　inevitably　result　in　a　transformation　of　the　absolute　right　under　which　we　live　into　a　right　of　possession；　that　is；　that　while；　at　present；　property　makes　the　elector；　after　this　r