xl 
INTRODUCTION. 
appropriate means, it can only be by contravening natural law, 
and owing to certain artificial laws, which allow some to live at 
the expense of others. This appears evident ; but these facts 
are the consequence of private property and the right of 
inheritance, and, until better are found, these institutions are 
indispensable for stimulating industry. What must be dis 
covered is how to bring it about that, according to the desire 
of St. Paul, and conformably to right and the ordinary course 
of nature, the well-being of every individual may be in direct 
ratio to his activity, and in inverse ratio to his idleness. 
Machinery, say the Socialists, should emancipate the 
labourer, and shorten his hours of work. The contrary is 
nearer the fact. Machines enrich those who own them, but 
render harder and more enslaving the task of those whom they 
employ. The larger the capital sunk in the modem factory, 
the more urgent it is that there should be no stoppage of work, 
for, when work stops, interest is eaten up. Formerly night 
brought sleep to all, and Sunday brought rest. Now, on the 
railway, on the steamer, in the mine, the factory, or the office, 
work admits of hardly any truce or intermission. In the words 
of Hamlet : 
‘ ‘ What might be toward, that this sweaty haste 
Doth make the night joint-labourer with the day ? " 
Machinery will not fulfil its promises, nor bring men more 
leisure, until it belongs to the workers who set it in motion. 
On this point Socialists may quote the opinion of J. S. Mill, 
who says : “ It is questionable if all the mechanical inventions 
yet made have lightened the day’s toil of any human being.” 
Socialists maintain that the means of production are already 
great enough to furnish all men with a sufficient competency, 
if only the produce were more evenly divided ; and indeed, if 
the number of things are reckoned up which are either useless 
or superfluous, or even harmful, but which monopolize so large 
a portion of the working hours, it may well be thought that 
were those hours exclusively employed in the creation of useful 
things, there would be enough to satisfy largely the needs of 
all. Inequality gives rise to superfluity and luxury which divert