labour defended against the claims of capital-第3章

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actually　receives。　He　also　attributes　to　capital　power　of
accumulation。　This　power　or　tendency　to　accumulate；　he　adds；　is
not　so　great　as　the　tendency　of　population　to　augment　　and　on
the　difference　between　these　two　tendencies　he　and　other　authors
have　erected　a　theory　of　society　which　places　poor　Mother　Nature
in　no　favourable　light。
　　　　　Without　troubling　myself　to　quote　more　passages　from　these
authors；　or　to　transcribe　the　opinion　of　other　writers；　I　shall
proceed　to　examine　the　effects　of　capital；　and　I　shall　begin　with
circulating　capital。　Mr　M'Culloch　says；　〃without　circulating
capital；〃　meaning　the　food　the　labourer　consumes；　and　the
clothing　he　wears；　〃the　labourer　never　could　engage　in　any
undertaking　which　did　not　yield　an　almost　immediate　return。〃
Afterwards　he　says；　〃that　division　of　labour　is　a　consequence　of
previous　accumulation　of　capital；〃　and　quotes　the　following
passage　from　Dr　Smith；　as　a　proper　expression　for　his　own
opinions：
　　　　　〃Before　labour　can　be　divided；　'a　stock　of　goods　of
different　kinds　must　be　stored　up　somewhere；　sufficient　to
maintain　the　labourer；　and　to　supply　him　with　tools　for　carrying
on　his　work。　A　weaver；　for　example；　could　not　apply　himself
entirely　to　his　peculiar　business；　unless　there　was　beforehand
stored　up　somewhere；　either　in　his　own　possession；　or　in　that　of
some　other　person；　a　stock　sufficient　for　his　maintenance；　and
for　supplying　him　with　the　materials　and　implements　required　to
carry　on　his　work；　till　he　has　not　only　completed；　but　sold　his
web。　This　accumulation　must　evidently　be　previous　to　his　applying
himself　for　so　long　a　time　to　a　peculiar　business。'〃
　　　　　The　only　advantage　of　circulating　capital　is　that　by　it　the
labourer　is　enabled；　he　being　assured　of　his　present　subsistence；
to　direct　his　power　to　the　greatest　advantage。　He　has　time　to
learn　an　art；　and　his　labour　is　rendered　more　productive　when
directed　by　skill。　Being　assured　of　immediate　subsistence；　he　can
ascertain　which；　with　his　peculiar　knowledge　and　acquirements；
and　with　reference　to　the　wants　of　society；　is　the　best　method　of
labouring；　and　he　can　labour　in　this　manner。　Unless　there　were
this　assurance　there　could　be　no　continuous　thought；　an
invention；　and　no　knowledge　but　that　which　would　be　necessary　for
the　supply　of　our　immediate　animal　wants。　The　weaver；　I　admit；
could　not　complete　his　web；　nor　would　the　shipwright　begin　to
build　his　ship；　unless　he　knew　that　while　he　was　engaged　in　this
labour　he　should　be　able　to　procure　food。　A　merchant　certainly
could　not　set　out　for　South　America　or　the　East　Indies　unless　he
were　confident　that　during　the　period　of　his　absence　he　and　his
family　could　find　subsistence；　and　that　he　would　be　able　at　the
end　of　his　voyage　to　pay　all　the　expenses　he　had　incurred。　It　is
this　assurance；　this　knowledge；　this　confidence　of　obtaining
subsistence　and　reward；　which　enables　and　induces　men　to
undertake　long　and　complicated　operations；　and　the　question　is；
do　men　derive　this　assurance　from　a　stock　of　goods　already
provided　（saved　from　the　produce　of　previous　labour）　and　ready　to
pay　them；　or　from　any　other　source？
　　　　　I　SHALL　ENDEAVOUR　TO　SHOW　THAT　THIS　ASSURANCE　ARISES　FROM　A
GENERAL　PRINCIPLE　IN　THE　CONSTITUTION　OF　MAN；　AND　THAT　THE
EFFECTS　ATTRIBUTED　TO　A　STOCK　OF　COMMODITIES；　UNDER　THE　NAME　OF
CIRCULATING　CAPITAL；　ARE　CAUSED　BY　CO…EXISTING　LABOUR。
　　　　　The　labourer；　the　real　maker　of　any　commodity；　derives　this
assurance　from　a　knowledge　he　has　that　the　person　who　set　him　to
work　will　pay　him；　and　that　with　the　money　he　will　be　able　to　buy
what　he　requires。　He　is　not　in　possession　of　any　stock　of
commodities。　Has　the　person　who　employs　and　pays　him　such　a
stock？　Clearly　not。　Only　a　very　few　capitalists　possess　any　of
those　commodities　which　the　labourers　they　employ　consume。
Farmers　may　have　a　stock　of　corn；　and　merchants　and　shipowners
may　have　a　few　weeks'　or　months'　supply　of　provisions　for　their
seamen；　according　to　the　length　of　the　voyage　they　are　to
undertake；　but；　beyond　this；　no　capitalist　possesses　ready
prepared　the　commodities　which　his　labourers　require。　He
possesses　money；　he　possesses　credit　with　other　capitalists；　he
possesses；　under　the　sanction　of　the　law；　a　power　over　the　labour
of　the　slave…descended　labourer；　but　he　does　not　possess　food　or
clothing。　He　pays　the　labourer　his　money　wages；　and　the
expectation　which　other　labourers　have　of　receiving　part　of　these
wages　or　other　wages；　induces　them　in　the　meantime　to　prepare　the
clothing　and　food　the　labourer　constantly　requires。　Not　to　deal；
however；　in　general　terms　and　abstractions；　doing　which　seems　to
have　led　other　writers　astray；　let　us　descend　to　particulars。
　　　　　A　great　cotton　manufacturer；　we　suppose；　for　example；　a　Sir
Robert　Peel；　or　any　other　of　those　leviathans　who　are　so　anxious
to　retain　their　power　over　us；　and　who；　as　legislators；　either　in
their　own　persons　or　in　the　persons　of　their　sons；　make　the　laws
which　both　calumniate　and　oppress　us；　employs　a　thousand　persons；
whom　he　pays　weekly：　does　he　possess　the　food　and　clothing　ready
prepared　which　these　persons　purchase　and　consume　daily？　Does　he
even　know　whether　the　food　and　clothing　they　receive　are　prepared
and　created？　In　fact；　are　the　food　and　clothing　which　his
labourers　will　consume　prepared　beforehand；　or　are　other
labourers　busily　employed　in　preparing　food　and　clothing　while
his　labourers　are　making　cotton　yarn？　Do　all　the　capitalists　of
Europe　possess　at　this　moment　one　week's　food　and　clothing　for
all　the　labourers　they　employ？
　　　　　Let　us　first　examine　the　question　as　to　food。　One　portion　of
the　food　of　the　people　is　BREAD；　which　is　never　prepared　till
within　a　few　hours　of　the　time　when　it　is　eaten。　The　corn　of
which　the　bread　is　made　must；　of　course；　have　been　grown；　or　one
part　of　the　whole　operation；　and　that　the　longest　part　　that
between　saving　the　seed　and　harvesting　the　ripe　grain；　which　is
necessary　to　the　complete　preparation　of　the　food；　has　been
performed；　but　the　corn　has　afterward　to　be　thrashed；　ground；
sifted；　brought　to　market　and　made　into　bread。　For　the
cotton…spinner　to　be　able　to　attend　only　to　his　peculiar　species
of　industry；　it　is　indispensable　that　other　men　should　be
constantly　engaged　in　completing　this　complicated　process；　every
part　of　it　being　as　necessary　as　the　part　performed　by　the
agriculturist。　The　produce　of　several　of　the　labourers
particularly　of　the　baker；　cannot　be　stored　up。　In　no　case　can
the　material　of　bread；　whether　it　exist　as　corn　or　flour；　be
preserved　without　continual　labour。　The　employer　of　the　working
cotton…spinner　can　have　no　bread　stored　up；　for　there　is　none
prepared；　the　labouring　cotton…spinner　himself　knows　nothing　of
any　stock　of　corn　being　in　existence　from　which　his　bread　can　be
made；　he　knows　that　he　has　always　been　able　to　get　bread　when　he
had　wherewithal　to　buy　it；　and　further　he　does　not　require　to
know。　But　even　if　he　did　know　of　such　a　stock；　he　would　probably
give　up　cotton…spinning　and　take　to　preparing　food；　if　he　did　not
also　know　that　while　he　is　making　cotton　other　labourers　will
till　the　ground；　and　prepare　him　food；　which　he　will　be　able　to
procure　by　making　cotton。　His　conviction　that　he　will　obtain
bread　when　he　requires　it；　and　his　master's　conviction　that　the
money　he　pays　will　enable　him　to　obtain　it；　arise　simply　from　the
fact　that　the　bread　has　always　been　obtained　when　required。
　　　　　Another　article　of　the　labourer's　food　is　milk；　and　milk　is
manufactured；　not　to　speak　irreverently　of　the　operations　of
nature；　twice　a　day。　If　it　be　said　that　the　cattle　to　supply　it
are　already　there　　why；　the　answer　is；　they　require　constant
attention　and　constant　labour；　and　their　food；　through　the
greater　part　of　the　year；　is　of　daily　growth。　The　fields　in　which
they　pasture　require　the　hand　of　man；　and；　though　some　herds　be
drilled　into　the　habits　of　obedience　more　perfect　and　certainly
more　pleasing　to　see　than　the　obedience　of　soldiers；　yet　even
they　require　perpetual　attention；　and　their　milk　must　be　drawn
from　them　twice　a　day。　The　meat；　also；　which　the　labourer　eats　is
not　ready；　even　for　cooking；　till　it　is　on　the