2  52  THE  SOC/AL/SM  OE  TO-DAY.
tion  of  associations  of  capitalists,  those  of  labourers  being  alone
permitted  ;  and  competition  of  the  community  itself  with  individual ­
  trading.  The  chief  measure  of  the  latter  species  consisted ­
  in  the  limitation  of  the  right  of  hereditary  succession  to
the  direct  line  (the  power  of  making  a  will  being  preserved),  the
diversion  to  the  public  use  of  all  other  successions  ab  intestate,
and  the  imposition  of  a  heavy  tax  on  all  testamentary
successions.
By  means  of  all  these  measures  taken  together,  society
would  put  into  practice  the  principles  of  liberty,  equality,  and
fraternity,  and,  at  the  same  time,  would  render  impossible  all
“exploitation”  of  labour  by  private  capital.
The  disciples  of  Colins  assert  that  in  such  a  social  system
there  would  be  complete  harmony  between  intelligence  and
property.  All  would  have  an  inalienable  share  in  the  land  ;
all  would  at  least  have  the  necessaries  of  life,  would  enjoy  some
leisure,  and  would  possess  the  intellectual  and  material  means
of  happiness  on  earth.  A  society,  thus  founded  on  principles
unquestionably  just,  need  not  fear  the  freest  examination.
Being  conformable  to  reason,  and  guaranteeing  to  each  individual ­
  the  maximum  of  well-being  compatible  with  his  nature,
if  any  of  its  members  should  be  miserable,  he  would  have  but
himself  to  blame.  Who,  then,  would  dream  of  overthrowing  a
system  which  would  injure  nobody  and  would  give  satisfaction
to  all  ?
Although  the  disciples  of  Colins  have  succeeded  in  giving
some  precision  to  the  idea  of  Collectivism,  there  are  many
points  in  their  system,  and  those  the  most  important,  which
remain  obscure.  The  land  and  part  of  the  capital  are  to
belong  to  “the  collectivity;”  but  what  part  of  the  capital  is
to  be  collective,  and  what  is  the  collectivity—the  Commune,
the  State,  or  the  human  race  ?  The  farms  in  the  country
districts  are  to  be  let  for  thirty  years.  Very  good;  that  would
be  to  apply  generally  what  the  State  does  at  present  in  Prussia,
for  example,  where  it  possesses  numerous  domains,  which  it
lets  on  the  best  terms  in  the  interest,  first,  of  good  husbandry,
and,  secondly,  of  the  public  treasury.  But  how  are  mines,
manufactures  of  all  kinds,  and  railways  to  be  managed?