518 THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION. 



and in the aggregate is impossible. The contrary opinion 

 will be held only by those who will regret the discovery of 

 the steam engine, the spinning-jenny, and the sewing and 

 threshing machines, and who believe that while mankind 

 have the skill to devise methods of increased production 

 they have no capacity to provide for the distribution of the 

 products of industry. 



u Production is the sole and only source of wealth, 

 and in fact is but another name for wealth. Over-produc- 

 tion must therefore mean superabundant wealth, and the 

 idea that either superabundant wealth or the facilities for 

 producing it can be the inciting cause of rapidly spreading 

 poverty is repugnant to the common sense of mankind. 

 All reputable authorities concur in treating the idea as the 

 idlest of fancies, and wholly unworthy of serious notice. " 

 Report of Silver Commission, pages ///, 118. 



It would seem useless to continue the discussion of 

 this branch of our subject further. To say that over-pro- 

 duction is the cause of "hard times, " is to say that the 

 people are too industrious; that they could make a better 

 living if they did not work so hard; that they have raised 

 so much they are starving to death, and manufacturing so 

 many clothes that they are compelled to go naked. It is 

 a little strange that those who claim that the law of supply 

 and demand alone fix the price of products and attribute 

 low prices to over-production, are frequently heard to make 

 use of that other common expression, 4 ( there are none so far 

 from market as those who have nothing to sell," and the 

 author has himself heard a speaker attribute the u hard 

 times ' ' to both causes in the same speech. 



