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quarter more; and brings in one quarter less; than when entrusted to

private hands。  Consequently if work were withheld from individuals in

order that the State might undertake it the community; when the

accounts came to be balanced; would suffer a loss of one…half。'16'



Now; this is true of all work; whether spiritual or material not only

of agricultural; industrial and commercial products; but; again; of

works of science and of art; of literature and philosophy; of charity;

of education and propaganda。  Not only when driven by egoism; such as

personal interest and vulgar vanity; but also when a disinterested

sentiment is involved; such the discovery of truth; the creation of

beauty; the propagation of a faith; the diffusion of convictions;

religious enthusiasm or natural generosity; love in a broad or a

narrow sense; spanning from one who embraces all humanity to one who

devotes himself wholly to his friends and kindred。  The effect is the

same in both cases; because the cause is the same。  Always; in the

shop directed by the free workman; the motivating force is enormous;

almost infinite; because it is a living spring which flows at all

hours and is inexhaustible。  The mother thinks constantly of her

child; the savant of his science; the artist of his art; the inventor

of his inventions; the philanthropist of his endowments; Faraday of

electricity; Stephenson of his locomotive; Pasteur of his microbes; De

Lesseps of his isthmus; sisters of charity of their poor。  Through

this peculiar concentration of thought; man derives every possible

advantage from human faculties and surroundings; he himself gets to be

a more and more perfect instrument; and; moreover; he fashions others:

with this he daily reduces the friction of the powerful machine which

he controls and of which he is the main wheel; he increases its yield

; he economizes; maintains; repairs and improves it with a capability

and success that nobody questions; in short; he fabricates in a

superior way。  … But this living source; to which the superiority of

the works is due; cannot be separated from the owner and chief; for it

issues from his own affections and deepest sentiments。  It is useless

without him; out of his hands; in the hands of strangers; the fountain

ceases to flow and production stops。  … If; consequently; a good and

large yield is required; he alone must have charge of the mill; he is

the resident owner of it; the one who sets it in motion; the born

engineer; installed and specially designed for that position。  In vain

may attempts be made to turn the stream elsewhere; there simply ensues

a stoppage of the natural issue; a dam barring useful canals; a

haphazard change of current not only without gain; but loss; the

stream subsiding in swamps or undermining the steep banks of a ravine。

At the utmost; the millions of buckets of water; forcibly taken from

private reservoirs; half fill with a good deal of trouble the great

central artificial basin in which the water; low and stagnant; is

never sufficient in quantity or force to move the huge public wheel

that replaces the small private wheels; doing the nation's work。



Thus; even when we only consider men as manufactures; even if we treat

them simply as producers of what is valuable and serviceable; with no

other object in view than to furnish society with supplies and to

benefit the consumers; even though the private domain includes all

enterprises undertaken by private individuals; either singly or

associated together; through personal interests or personal taste;

then this is enough to ensure that all is managed better than the

State could have done; it is by virtue of this that they have devolved

into their hands。  Consequently; in the vast field of labor; they

themselves decide on what they will undertake; they themselves; of

their own authority; set their own limits。  They may therefore enlarge

their own domain to any extent they please; and reduce indefinitely

the domain of the State。  On the contrary; the State cannot pretend to

more than what they leave; as they advance on their common territory

separated by vague frontiers; it is bound to recede and leave the

ground to them; whatever the task is; it should not perform it except

in case of their default; or their prolonged absence; or on proof of

their having abandoned it。



All the rest; therefore falls to the State; first; the offices which

they would never claim; and which they will deliberately leave in its

hands; because they do not have that indispensable instrument; called

armed force。  This force forces assures the protection of the

community against foreign communities; the protection of individuals

against one another; the levying of soldiers; the imposition of taxes;

the execution of the laws; the administration of justice and of the

police。  … Next to this; come matters of which the accomplishment

concerns everybody without directly interesting any one in particular

… the government of unoccupied territory; the administration of

rivers; coasts; forests and public highways; the task of governing

subject countries; the framing of laws; the coinage of money; the

conferring of a civil status; the negotiating in the name of the

community with local and special corporations; departments; communes;

banks; institutions; churches; and universities。  … Add to these;

according to circumstances; sundry optional co…operative services;'17'

such as subsidies granted to institutions of great public utility; for

which private contributions could not suffice; now in the shape of

concessions to corporations for which equivalent obligations are

exacted; and; again; in those hygienic precautions which individuals

fail to take through indifference; so occasionally; such provisional

aid as supports a man; or so stimulates him as to enable him some day

or other to support himself; and; in general; those discreet and

scarcely perceptible interpositions for the time being which prove so

advantageous in the future; like a far…reaching code and other

consistent regulations which; mindful of the liberty of the existing

individual; provide for the welfare of coming generations。  Nothing

beyond that。



Again; in this preparation for future welfare the same principle still

holds。



VII。



Fabrication of social instruments。  … Application of this principle。

… How all kinds of useful laborers are formed。  … Respect for

spontaneous sources; the essential and adequate condition。  …

Obligation of the State to respect these。  … They dry up when it

monopolizes them。  … The aim of patriotism。  … The aim of other

liberal dispositions。  … Impoverishment of all the productive

faculties。  … Destructive effect of the Jacobin system。



Among the precious products; the most precious and important are;

evidently; the animated instruments; namely the men; since they

produce the rest。  The object then; is to fashion men capable of

physical; mental or moral labor; the most energetic; the most

persistent; the most skillful and most productive; now; we already

know the conditions of their formation。  It is essential and

sufficient; that the vivacious sources; described above; should flow

there; on the spot; each through its natural outlet; and under the

control of the owner。  On this condition the jet becomes more

vigorous; for the acquired impetus increases the original outflow; the

producer becomes more and more skillful; since 'practice makes

perfect。' Those around him likewise become better workmen; inasmuch as

they find encouragement in his success and avail themselves of his

discoveries。  … Thus; simply because the State respects; and enforces

respect; for these individual sources in private hands; it develops in

individuals; as well as in those around them; the will and the talent

for producing much and well; the faculty for; and desire to; keep on

producing more and better; in other words; all sorts of energies and

capacities; each of its own kind and in its own place; with all

compatible fullness and efficiency。  Such is the office; and the sole

office; of the State; first in relation to the turbid and frigid

springs issuing from selfishness and self…conceit; whose operations

demand its oversight; and next for still stronger reasons; in relation

to the warm and pure springs whose beneficence is unalloyed; as in the

family affections and private friendships; again; in relation to those

rarer and higher springs; such as the love of beauty; the yearning for

truth; the spirit of association; patriotism and love of mankind; and;

finally; for still stronger reasons; in relation to the two most

sacred and salutary of all springs; conscience which renders will

subject to duty; and honor which makes will the support of justice。

Let the State prevent; as well as abstain from; any interference with

either; let this be its object and nothing more; its abstention is as

necessary as its vigilance。  Let it guard both; and it will see

everywhere growing spontaneously; hourly; each in degree according to

conditions of time and place; the most diligent and most competent

workmen; the agriculturist; the manufacturer; the merchant; the

savant; the artist; the inventor; the propagandist; the husband and

wife; the father and mother; the patriot; the philanthropist and the

sister of charity。



On the contrary; if; like our Jacobins; the State seeks to confiscate

every natural force to its own profit; it seeks to make affection for

itself paramount; if it strives to suppress all other passions and

interests; if it tolerates no other preoccupation than that which

concerns the common weal; if it tries to forcibly convert every member

of society into a Spartan or Jesuit; then; at enormous cost; will it

not only destroy private fountains; and spread devastation over the

entire territory; but it will destroy its own fountain…head。  We honor

the State only for the services it renders to us; and proportionately

to these services and the security it affords us; and to the liberty

which it ensures us under the title of universal benefactor; when it

deliberately wounds us through our dearest interests and most tender

affections; when it goes so far as to attack our honor and conscience;

when it becomes the universal wrong…doer; our affection for it; in the

course of time; turns into hatred。  Let this system be maintained; and

patriotism; exhausted; dries up; and; one by one; all other beneficent

springs; until; finally; nothing is visible over the whole country;

but stagnant pools or overwhelming torrents; inhabited by passive

subjects or depredators。  As in the Roman empire in the fourth

century; in Italy in the seventeenth century; in the Turkish provinces

in our own day; naught remains but an ill…conducted herd of stunted;

torpid creatures; limited to their daily wants and animal instincts;

indifferent to the public welfare and t

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