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第24章

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perhaps more accurately still in the Septuagint; 〃hoopoe;〃 a bird



connected typically with the power of riches by many traditions;



of which that of its petition for a crest of gold is perhaps the



most interesting。 The 〃Birds〃 of Aristophanes; in which its part



is principal; are full of them; note especially the



〃fortification of the air with baked bricks; like Babylon;〃 I。



550; and; again; compare the Plutus of Dante; who (to show the



influence of riches in destroying the reason) is the only one of



the powers of the Inferno who cannot speak intelligibly and also



the cowardliest; he is not merely quelled or restrained; but



literally 〃collapses〃 at a word; the sudden and helpless



operation of mercantile panic being all told in the brief



metaphor; 〃as the sails; swollen with the wind; fall; when the



mast breaks。〃







29。 The value of raw material; which has; indeed; to be deducted



from the price of the labour; is not contemplated in the passages



referred to; Mr。 Mill having fallen into the mistake solely by



pursuing the collateral results of the payment of wages to



middlemen。 He says〃 The consumer does not; with his own funds;



pay the weaver for his day's work。 〃Pardon me; the consumer of



the velvet pays the weaver with his own funds as much as he pays



the gardener。 He pays; probably; an intermediate ship…owner;



velvet merchant; and shopman; pays carriage money; shop rent;



damage money; time money; and care money; all these are above and



beside the velvet price; (just as the wages of a head gardener



would be above the grass price)。 but the velvet is as much



produced by the consumer's capital; though he does not pay for it



till six months after production; as the grass is produced by his



capital; though he does not pay the man who mowed and rolled it



on Monday; till Saturday afternoon。 I do not know if Mr。 Mill's



conclusion;  〃the capital cannot be dispensed with; the



purchasers can 〃 (p。 98); has yet been reduced to practice in the



City on any large scale。 







30。 Which; observe; is the precise opposite of the one under



examination。 The hardware theory required us to discharge our



gardeners and engage manufacturers; the velvet theory requires us



to discharge our manufacturers and engage gardeners。 







31。 It is one very awful form of the operation of wealth in



Europe that it is entirely capitalists' wealth which supports



unjust wars。 Just wars do not need so much money to support them;



for most of the men who wage such; wage them gratis; but for an



unjust war; men's bodies and souls have both to be bought; and



the best tools of war for them besides; which makes such war



costly to the maximum; not to speak of the cost of base fear; and



angry suspicion; between nations which have not grace nor honesty



enough in all their multitudes to buy an hour's peace of mind



with: as; at present; France and England; purchasing of each



other ten millions sterling worth of consternation annually; (a



remarkably light crop; half thorns and half aspen leaves; 



sown; reaped; and granaried by the 〃science〃 of the modern



political economist; teaching covetousness instead of truth。) And



all unjust war being supportable; if not by pillage of the enemy;



only by loans from capitalists; these loans are repaid by



subsequent taxation of the people; who appear to have no will in



the matter; the capitalists' will being the primary root of the



war; but its real root is the covetousness of the whole nation;



rendering it incapable of faith; frankness; or justice; and



bringing about; therefore; in due time; his own separate loss and



punishment to each person。 







32。 〃In all reasoning about prices; the proviso must be



understood; 'supposing all parties to take care of their own



interest。'〃  Mill; III。 i。 5。 







33。 James v。 4。 Observe; in these statements I am not talking up;



nor countenancing one whit; the common socialist idea of division



of property; division of property is its destruction; and with it



the destruction of all hope; all industry; and all justice: it is



simply chaos a chaos towards which the believers in modern



political economy are fast tending; and from which I am striving



to save them。 The rich man does not keep back meat from the poor



by retaining his riches; but by basely using them。 Riches are a



form of strength; and a strong man does not injure others by



keeping his strength; but by using it injuriously。 The socialist;



seeing a strong man oppress a weak one; cries out。  〃Break the



strong man's arms。〃 but I say; 〃Teach him to use them to better



purpose。〃 The fortitude and intelligence which acquire riches are



intended; by the Giver of both; not to scatter; nor to give away;



but to employ those riches in the service of mankind; in other



words; in the redemption of the erring and aid of the weak 



that is to say; there is first to be the work to gain money; then



the Sabbath of use for it  the Sabbath; whose law is; not to



lose life; but to save。 It is continually the fault or the folly



of the poor that they are poor; as it is usually a child's fault



if it falls into a pond; and a cripple's weakness that slips at a



crossing; nevertheless; most passers  by would pull the child



out; or help up the cripple。 Put it at the worst; that all the



poor of the world are but disobedient children; or careless



cripples; and that all rich people are wise and strong; and you



will see at once that neither is the socialist right in desiring



to make everybody poor; powerless; and foolish as he is himself;



nor the rich man right in leaving the children in the mire。 







34。 The quantity of life is the same in both cases; but it is



differently allotted。







35。 The proper offices of middle…men; namely; overseers (or



authoritative workmen); conveyancers (merchants; sailors; retail



dealers; &c。); and order…takers (persons employed to receive



directions from the consumer); must; of course; be examined



before I can enter farther into the question of just payment of



the first producer。 But I have not spoken of them in these



introductory papers; because the evils attendant on the abuse of



such intermediate functions result not from any alleged principle



of modern political economy; but from private carelessness or



iniquity。 









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