, 1873-12-28

A gift moods ND definition. 1t Is essentially
voluntary aud spontaneous. It depends excl,i.
said to have any right to IL. Without doubt, NOR.
ality and Eoligion mako 1t O duty for mon, oBpe.
oially tho rlch to deprive themselves voluntarily
OF that which thoy, possegs, In favor Of thoir
moral obligation. II 1t woro to DO assortod oil
principle, admitted in prauttce, OF sanctioned by
law. that overy man las right to the property
OF another, the gift would have no morit, charity
anu gratitude would ho no. longer virtues. Do
aldes. auch doctrine would suddenly and unl-
yorsally.
~ ARREST LABOR AND PRODUCTION,
aa sovero cold congea1B wator and susponds ami.
nation, for. who would work II thero was 10 Ion.
ger to DO any connection betwoen labor and the
satisfying Of our wants2 Political economy has
not treated Of gifts.. It has honoo been oonolrt-
cd TINT 1t dsowna tlem md that It Is therefore
sclcnce devoid Of heart. This is q ridiculous
accusation. That ecienco Which treats OF the
had no business to inquire into the conao9uoncea
OF generosity with rospoot to him who receives,
nor into its effects, perhaps still moro precious,
on him who glvos; auoh considerations belong
evidently to the science Of morals. We must
allow tho eotoncos to have limits; above ali, wo
must not acouso them Of donying or unlorvalu-
Ing what thoy look upon as fo1oign to their do
partment.
THE n1ouT OF INHERITANCE.
against Which SO much has boon objected Of
@ato Is one Of the fo1ms Of SIT, and assured.
a. man has produced. ho may CONSUME, ex-
change, Or give; what can l,o more natural thnn
that be ahould give 1t to bis childron7 It Ia this
power, more than any other, which inspires hin,
VIII. with courage to labor and to save. Do yonanow
called In question? because It is imagined tlat
tho property thus transmitted Ia plundorod from
the masses. ,Thia is fatal orror; political
economy demonstrates, III tho most poremptory
htta$' III t4sA
which does no harm to any person whatever,
For that REASON, it mny DO consumed, and, still
more, transmitted, without hui ting any one
but I shall not pursue these reflections, which
do not belong to tho subject .
is the principal department Of political ocono-
my, because it is by far the most frequent
mothod Of tranBmittipg property, according to
the free and voluntary agreements Of tho laws
and effects Of which this science treats.
of, aorvicoa. Tho parties say betweon them.
aolyos, "Giyo me thus aud will giyo you that =
Or, "Do this for me, and nil do that for you."
Il is well to rolnark (for tlis: will throw d now
light on the notion Ct vaIuo), TINT tho second
said, "Do this for mo, and I viii do that tor
Again, whom it is said, "aiyo mo this.
ana p 4. IT, I will & giyo . y9, yor, that" #
Lave we ono ed dsan e ho wa Ssd Sssa Soo g
Tho 1abor is past. inetead Of present but the
exchange ia not tho loss governed by tho COM
pa1atiye valuation Of the two services 60 that
1t Is quito correct to aay TINT the principle =of
ualae ia in tho services rendered and received on
account OF the productions exchanged, rathor
than In productions themselves.
To give an idea OF interest and it's mechanism,
allow mo to mike use Of two or three anecdotes.
But, first, must say a
FEW WORDS UPON CAPITAL.
1FhhrA fp11r fr1a aHin That
capital ia money, md this Is precisely the reason
why they deny it's produotiyeness for,
as ID: Thoro saya dollars are
not endowed With the power Of reproducing
and money are tho aame thing. Before tho dis
coyory Of the precious metals, there wero cari-
talsts III tho world aud venture to eay that ut
that time. as now, everybody was 3 capitalist, to
. What is capital; thena It is composed of
'AiSS f9rstM8f Bf tho materials upon which mon op-
orato when these materials have alreRdy vnluo
communicated by some human effort. which has
tion-wooi, lax, leather, silk, Wood, etc.
Sec0nd-Instrument which arc used for
working-tools, machines, Hhips, carriages, etc.
Third--Provisions which aro consumed during
labor-victnals clothes, houses, etc.
DO unproductiye, and almost. void; yet these
very things have required much work, especially
at first ThiH is tho rcaHon that 30 much yaluo
has been attaohed to the possession Of them,
and also TINT II is perfectly lawful to exchange
and to aol them, to mako aproflt OF them II used,
to gain remuneration from them il lent.
Now for my anecdotes.
THE SAGE OF CORN.
Nnthurin, in other roApects as poor as Job,
and Obliged to earn bis bread by day labor, bo-
owner OF fine pioce Of uncultiyated laud. He
was exceedingly anxious to cultivate it. "Alas !"
said he, " to mako bitches, to raise fences, to
break the SOIL to clear away the brambleB and
stones, to plough It. to SOW It, might bring mo q
Or Tomorrow. It is impossible to sot about
farming it., without previously saving some pro-
Visions for my Subsistence until tho harvest !;
sad ,aH :: knoW, BY experience, that preparatory
aS ho soo Menrn pas oo
content with making thcso reltectionH He
resolved to work by tho day, and to savo aomo-
thing from his wages to buy spade and o sack
Of corn; without which things, be muat givo up
WAS SO active and steady that he soon raw him
solf in possesaion Of the wishedfor sack OF corn.
n sl,a4 tako 1t to tho mill, said he, 'and thon
I shall have enough to live upon till my fold is
covered with rich harvest" Just us he was
him. FIf you will lond mo this Back Of corn,"
saia Jerome, "you will do me great soryice !;
for have some very lucrative work In view,
which cannot possibly undertake, for want OF
], was in the same case" answorod Mathurin,
"and II I haye now secured bread for
several months, it is at tho expense Of my arms
and my stomach. Upon what principle Of JUS
tico can it DO devoted to tho realization Of your
enterprise tnBtead OF mine ?"
You mny we'll bo1iovo the bargain was long
ono. However, 1t WAS finished at length, and on
theRe conditions:
Erst-Jerome promised to give back, Mt the
end Of tho year, q sack Of corn Of the came quail
ity, and Of tho same weight, without missing
single grain. 'I'his clause Is perfectly just"
said he, for without 1t Mathurin would glue,
and not lend"
second.y-He engaged to deliver Jfue pounds
on euery hundred. "This clause ia no less just
than tho other" thought he; "for without it
Methurin would do mo 9. service without COM
ponsation; he would inffut upon himself pri-
Vation--he would renounce his cherished enter
priso7,he would onablo me- to enjoy mine,-he
hts Ravings, and all this gratuitouely. Since he
delays tho cultivation Of lls land, since he ena-
blea me to realise lucrative labor. 1t is quito
natural that should lot him partake. In certain
proportion, Of tho profits which shall gain by
ill., III, u