Page:Essays on Political Economy (Bastiat).djvu/51

 personal privations on themselves, in order to diminish the sufferings of some of their brethren, this generosity, which, attaches to morality, will be as noble in its principle as useful in its effects. But if, duped by that false philosophy which persons wish so inconsiderately to mingle with economic laws, they take no remunerating labour largely, far from doing good, they will do harm. They will give double wages, it may be. But then, forty-five men will be better provided for, whilst forty-five others will come to augment the number of those who are sinking into the grave. Upon this supposition, it is not the lowering of wages which is the mischief, it is the scarcity of capital. Low wages are not the cause, but the effect of the evil. I may add, that they are to a certain extent the remedy. It acts in this way: it distributes the burden of suffering as much as it can, and saves as many lives as a limited quantity of sustenance permits.

Suppose now, that instead of ten capitalists, there should be a hundred, two hundred, five hundred,&mdash;is it not evident that the condition of the whole population, and, above all, that of the "prolétaires," will be more and more improved? Is it not evident that, apart from every consideration of generosity, they would obtain more work and better pay for it?&mdash;that they themselves will be in a better condition to form capitals, without being able to fix the limits to this ever-increasing facility of realising equality and well-being? Would it