Cakruthees. — Un J////'s Fuiirth FandametiUd Theorem resiiectiivj Capital. 33 



himself to produce others and to obtain those he wants by trade, but it is 

 practically his wealth that is employed in their production. 



If a benevolent capitalist wishes to benefit the working classes he can- 

 not do so b}^ giving away his wealth in charity ; he only reduces the poor 

 rates and thus benefits his wealthy neighbours. He cannot do so by em- 

 ploj'ing labour in work, the produce of Avhich is not to be enjoyed by the 

 YV^orking classes themselves. He has but one path open to him, and that is 

 to devote his wealth to the production of those commodities which labour- 

 ing men generally use, and to give those commodities to workmen, not in 

 alms, but in exchange for labour, which is to be employed in pro- 

 ducing a still larger stock of the same. In other words, he must become a 

 manufacturer and must conduct his business so as to make it pay. If he 

 conducts it so as to lose money he is wasting the wealth entrusted to him 

 and might as well buy velvet at once ; the effect on the working classes 

 would be the same. 



If he makes money by his business he will become still richer and he 

 must at last get rid of his wealth in some way. How is he to do it ? 

 Wealth is like the genius which had to be kept constantly employed or it 

 would destroy its master. Unless it is constantly and properly employed 

 its owner becomes a public enemy, and if it is properly employed it will 

 perpetually increase, and make its owner's responsibility still greater. It is 

 almost impossible to get rid of wealth without doing harm. One way 

 would be to gradually turn it into gold and to throw the gold into the sea. 

 There would be no destruction of wealth more than there would be in 

 throwing so many smaU pieces of paper away, and even less, for the 

 " proper cost " of gold as a medium of exchange is absolutely nothing; 

 the ownership only of it would be transferred to all other owners of money 

 in the world. This would be therefore giving the wealth principally to the 

 rich, and it would, by increasing the exchange value of gold, be an incentive 

 to further gold mining, a most wasteful expenditure of labour ; it would also 

 increase the national debt, and is, on the whole, not to be recommended. 

 Another plan would be to gradually invest it in the national debt and pre- 

 sent it to the nation. This would benefit rich and poor and is probably 

 the best means open to a man who having done his share of labour had 

 earned and wished to enjoy the leisure which an old man should have. 



A younger man possessed of the requisite energy and knowledge could 

 do still better. He might by engaging lecturers and by other means suc- 

 ceed in impressing on the working classes the vast benefit, even in a merely 

 material way, which education would give to then- children, and he might, 

 to some extent, pay the expenses of thek education ; he might get 

 museums, libraries, and other educational institutions estabhshed ; forward 



D 



