The record-union., 1895-06-22

maud for them. When a large amount
of capital has been gathered and organizes
for doing a specific work, the principle of
the life of that capital is having that
work to do. Suppose that in the time of
active railway construction in a given
country large plant for making rails has
come into existence. When the roads
which it was built to supply are COM
pleted, the original occupation of this
capital appears to be gone. Itmust now
be transformed at loss, or lie idle at a
loss, or those who act for it must become
instrumental in creating a demand for
its products elsewhere. Thus the ex-
istence of such plants in England, called
into being by strong domestic de-
mand for rails, becomes force in
extending the railway systems of other
countries. The managers may, rather
than allow the capital to lie idle or be
transformed, agree to terms which make
the building of railways profitable in
Russia or the Argentine Republic. Thus
the capital organized for the construction
OF rails and the equipment of railways
becomes permanent missionary of rail-
way civilization. The same thing is true
of the enormous amounts of capital
organized for the construction of sewing
machines. If certain nations are supplied
so that there might be naturally falling
Off IN the demand, this must not be,
otherwise the value of the plant is dimin-
ished; hence other people must be made
to demand sewing machines. Thus the
missionary force of the capital involved
IN the making OF the, machines has carried
them to the four quarters of the earth.
They may be found in huts in Mexico,
where the dwelling itself and all else that
it contains is not Of half the value of the
machine. These are only instances of
the aggressive force of largo masses OF
organized capital. prompted by the in
stinct OF fself-preservation in the organiza-
ton.
The capital that has gone into Mexican
railways is subject to the same law. 1t
cannot be passive; it must be reforming
agency. The people among whom the
roads have boon constructed, whether
they have hitherto felt the need of them
or not must feel the need of them. 1t is
not question of greater or less happi-
ness-the railway has come and COM
manded other forms of life, and millions
of capital depend on this command being
obeyed, and it will be obeyed. Men may
not, hitherto, have wished to go to Mexi-
co; they Will be made to wish this thing
especially. The ordinary man or the
poor peon who has never left his
native valley will be indifferent at
first. His mind is not easily in
famed. There will gradually be
awakened in him desire to see the
great city, and the great city will inspire
in him the wish for things he has never
possessed. His wants will be Increased;
he will feel the necessity of work; con-
tinuous work will make him man; and
the railway will bring TO him for his
earnings things of which he never
dreamed. What nobody wanted at first
will at last be demanded by every body;
and organized capital in the form of rail-
ways will have succeeded in creating de-
mands for its services by the compensa-
ton for which it may be maintained and
increased. How far this revolution has
been actually accomplished here may be-
worthy of later consideration.
BERNARD MOSES.