The Socialism of to-day

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 835096955

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-28834

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Laveleye, Émile de

Title:: The Socialism of to-day

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Field & Tuer

Year of publication:: 1884

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XLIV, 331 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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FERDINAND LASSALLE. 71 back does not exist in large enterprises operating in hundreds of thousands, because the salaries of the directors form only a small fraction of the total transactions ; but co-operative societies, founded on the savings of working men, would almost always be very small undertakings. These objections, inherent to the co-operative system, were clearly pointed out even by its partisans at the debates of the working men’s congress, which met in Paris in October, 1876 ; at the same time a remarkable progress in the economic education of the French labouring classes was put beyond a doubt. Thus the congress at once admitted the payment of interest and even a dividend upon capital, thus abandoning the chimera, so long cherished, of gratuitous credit. Citizen Nicaise, reporter to the sixth commission, uttered some very sensible words on this head : “ Cabet’s maxim, from each according to his strength., to each according to his needs, does not suit us because it is unjust If I must work, I who am sober and industrious, for him whose laziness is as great as his appetite is enormous, I should be tempted, unless I were a saint, to conceal my power of working in order to satisfy that desire of better living which is inherent in human nature. Saint-Simon, in the midst of errors which do not here concern Us, enunciated a far superior principle : To each individual according to his capacity, 'to each capacity according to its works. We accept this rule.” The principle upon which Louis Blanc wished to found the co-operative factory is here distinctly repudiated, while the efficacy of individual interest as an in centive to action is placed in a clear light. That is the necessary foundation of all economic work, of all administra tion, and of all political organization. Everywhere human affairs will be well or ill carried on, in proportion as the responsibility of each is well or ill defined. “ We believe that we shall be more in unison with the general opinion of working men,” continued Citizen Nicaise, “in founding our associations upon the principle of paying interest and even dividends upon capital. If the savings of the working men do not find an advantageous investment in the associations, they will continue to take a direction more to their interest, and the

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