tive ability, which now have the principal and more direct influence over labor, are not common to average humanity, but exist in efficient form only in a minority. The capitalistic system, as Marx says truly, rose out of the ruins of the feudal system; but to say that is merely to say this-that as one set of qualities ceased to be of primary importance to society, and a new set of qualities found a field for their exercise, one oligarchy, which was founded on the possession of the former, declined, and a new oligarchy, which was founded on the possession of the latter, arose. And what are these latter qualitiesthose qualities that go to make up productive ability to-day? It is a wide question, and a full answer to it is-in this place at least-impossible; but some of the qualities it is easy enough to indicate. The most obvious are of course scientific and inventive genius, and if we consider for a moment the parts played by them it will help considerably in clearing our ideas upon the subject. It has been constantly observed, and the observation may have already occurred to the reader, that inventors and men of science, whatever their influence on production, are remarkable not for the greatness but for the smallness of the material benefits they have secured for themselves; and they may thus seem unfortunate examples to choose of the way in which ability enters into and increases values. Mere scientific discovery, however, and mere invention, have in themselves no influence on production at all. To give them any influence they have to be practically applied; and the ability that applies them is very different from the ability that initiates them. Sometimes the two may reside in the same person; but constantly, perhaps usually, this is not so. In the former case, when the inventor or the discoverer is a practical man also, with one eye peering into the mysterious secrets of Nature, and the other fixed on some possible factory chimney, then this man's ability may be properly called productive; and when his factory becomes a reality, affects the exchange value of whatever commodities he manufactures. If, on the other hand, the discoverer or the inventor is a discoverer and inventor merely, content with the joy and the ex citement of discovering, or absorbed in the religious or philosophical thoughts that are suggested by it, such a man no doubt has his reward; but it does not come in the form of the exchange value of commodities. He either does not care, or he is not able to apply his discoveries to production, and thus so far as he is concerned, nothing is produced by them. The whole matter is briefly expressed in the fact that it is impossible to patent an idea. In the case then of a discoverer or an inventor of this kind, the results of his ability, to be connected with production at all, have first to be appropriated by ability which is of a quite different order, and resides usually in men of a widely different character. This latter kind of ability is compounded of various ingredients, and some scientific knowledge and ingenuity are usually to be found among them; but along with these, and even more important, are such qualities as a shrewd knowledge of men, an absence of shyness or sensibility, and above all an efficient spirit of enterprise, and dogged and dauntless perseverance. In other words, productive ability resides as much in character and temperament as it does in intellectual power; and though it may often coexist with refinement, cultivation, generosity, and a high order of intellect, it may perfectly well exist, and continually does exist, without them. I shall in my next article illustrate this subject by examples, which will give what I have said a more definite meaning, and will place before the reader in their most obvious and indubitable light the great facts with regard to productive energy, that the main history of industrial progress is the history of the development not of labor but of ability; that all products or commodities beyond a certain minimum are lit erally produced, made, created, by ability itself; and that this ability has been and is the property and the monopoly of a minority, which though fluctuating in its composition and its numbers, remains a minority always and constantly profits by the exercise of the said ability, because it always remains a thing which is within certain limits uncommunicated and incommunicable. But the scope of my observations will not end here. It might well seem, from what I have said thus far, that the science "Abandon ye all hope who enter here." My own belief and meaning, however, are in reality widely different. I said just now that productive ability-the one growing and progressive element in production-resided in a minority, and was, within limits, incommunicable. I used the saving phrase within limits advisedly. I purpose to point out that, to a certain degree, so long as ability is encouraged, developed, and drawn out by surrounding circumstances, and given requisite freedom for its exercise, labor as labor is able, and will be able, to assimilate a portion of this living ability into itself, and legitimately claim and appropriate a portion of the growing values produced by it. But it is utterly impossible to understand the basis of these prospects, and the means by which they may be realized, unless we first fully recognize the part played by the minority. In other words, the science of the progress of the many must be founded on the science of the functions performed by the few. V. THE LEISURED RICH. Having said thus much as to the direction and management of labor, and the way in which labor is, as it were, impregnated by Ability, I must now refer briefly, before concluding this article, to those of the rich who, whatever ability may be latent in them, certainly do not apply it in any way to production, and do not derive their incomes from any ex ercise of it. These men and their incomes form for the Socialistic economists the central object of attack in our existing civilization, and for many who are not Socialists they form a perplexing riddle. Their position, however, as I shall point out more fully hereafter, is explicable from two distinct points of view. No doubt, if we accepted the Socialistic formula, and regard capital as congealed, crystallized, or fossilized labor, those who live on the interest of capital, without even taking any part in the management of it, have all the appearance, as the Socialists say they have, of so many licensed robbers. The moment, however, we realize, with regard to productive energy, that labor is only a part of it, and the least productive part, and that its growing, its progressive element is not labor but ability, capital is presented to us in a wholly new light, as congealed ability, not as congealed labor; as the congealed contriv ance, ingenuity, and enterprise of the few, not as the congealed muscular exercise of the many. When the matter is placed in this light the question of robbery is not, indeed, dismissed, but it becomes a question between different parties. It is no longer a question between the idle rich and the industrious poor, but between the idle rich and the active rich. It is a question, not between the few and the many, but between two sections of the few. When, however, we have proceeded thus far we shall be led to see that this body, this clique, this ring, which is spoken of as the few or as the rich, is, despite the various elements that compose it, as a source of productive energy, a single organic whole.-Fortnightly Review. These words were, when the will was read, The flatter'd legatee blush'd red II. Most often such remembrances Which should have mourn'd the giver of it, For its own sake, to bless the donor, Which might have been (nay, more, may be) IV. So in the case the ring he put. "How's this? Oh, I perceive," he cried, 64 Those stupid diamonds are the cause! And, but for them, the ring would slide Into its indicated place As smoothly as a lady draws Her glove on, making no grimace. Of jewellers everywhere to stick Little sharp-corner'd stones like this With penknife, then, and tweezers, rifling Were proud of being precious stones, Of serving at the monarch's side. V. These gems about their business sent And shuts not, 'spite of all his squeezing. The ring itself now bids defiance To every pressure-still needs easing, Coaxing, or forcing to compliance And yet the cause seems, after all (Tho' that but makes it twice as teasing), The merest trifle. Tho' so small, The slender circlet 's just too wide VI. And, as unwise altho' sincere Which still, tho' bruised and wrenched, refused In vain he forced it and abused, Till... crack! In twain the hinges fly. The precious case, to whose renown He sacrificed its poor contents, Breaks in his hand. The carpet, strown With splinters, to his gaze presents While he his indignation vents VII. Thou, in whose heart the vacant place Some inconvenient curve perplex thee? |