78 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



opportunities for other pleasurable gratifications of the senses 

 widely differ. And therefore the question, Why do different in- 

 dividuals obtain from the totality of effort different proportions 

 of benefit ? 



The reply is suggested by the actions of men in primeval bar- 

 ter. "When man first learned that, by yielding a portion of the 

 result of his efforts for the benefit of another in return for a por- 

 tion of the benefit of the result achieved by that other, increased 

 benefit could be obtained for himself, he naturally yielded only 

 so much of benefit as would bring him greater benefit in return, 

 and so also with the other. Each yielded as little and obtained 

 as much as he could. In that intricate intertwining of effort that 

 characterizes the civilization of to-day that primeval principle of 

 exchange holds good. The wage of the laborer and servant, or 

 the salary of the clerk, as a rule, is as little as can be paid for 

 the work which each performs ; likewise with the fees of the phy- 

 sician, lawyer, writer, painter ; and, as a rule, the least considera- 

 tion for which commodities can be obtained is the price that is 

 paid for them. And likewise laborer, servant, clerk, musician, 

 lawyer, writer, or painter, as a rule, endeavors to obtain the high- 

 est price for his services or the result of his efforts, and the mer- 

 chant the highest price for his commodities. And this basis, 

 which seems to be of unmixed selfishness, is the only basis that 

 will lead to ultimate justice to all. 



For if A produces the same quantity, quality, and result of 

 work as B, and receives greater wages, salary, fees, or profits in 

 return therefor, he is able to obtain from the efforts of others 

 a greater proportion than B of all that contributes to the well- 

 being of himself and of his family. That is, in return for equal 

 contributions to the totality of effort A receives more than B, 

 which is manifestly unjust. If there can be obtained from C, D, 

 E, or F the same quantity, quality, and result of work as is ob- 

 tained from B and for the same reward as is paid to B, society, as 

 a whole, by paying to A a greater reward than it pays to B, C, 

 D, E, or F, diminishes the totality of effort by the amount of ef- 

 fort that B, C, D, E, or F would produce in return for the differ- 

 ence between the reward paid to A and that paid to B, C, D, E, 

 or F for the same result. If, however, society can not obtain 

 from C, D, E, or F, or any other source, the same quantity, qual- 

 ity, and result of work as it obtains from B except for a reward 

 equal to that paid to A, and it needs a greater amount of such 

 work than can be produced by B it is obliged to avail itself of all 

 or a portion of the efforts of A, C, D, E, and F. If it continues to 

 obtain results from B equal to the result obtained from either A, 

 C, D, E, or F for less reward than is paid to A, C, D, E, or F, B by 

 reason of the discrimination has a grievance which is not ad- 



