gor　and　fertility？　　Exactly　there　lies　the　monopoly　of　the　proprietor；　in　the　fact　that；　though　he　did　not　make　the　implement；　he　asks　pay　for　its　use。　　When　the　Creator　shall　present　himself　and　claim　farm…rent；　we　will　consider　the　matter　with　him；　or　even　when　the　proprietorhis　pretended　representativeshall　exhibit　his　power…of…attorney。
  〃The　proprietor's　service；〃　adds　Say；　〃is　easy；　I　admit。〃
  It　is　a　frank　confession。
  〃But　we　cannot　disregard　it。　　Without　property；　one　farmer　would　contend　with　another　for　the　possession　of　a　field　without　a　proprietor；　and　the　field　would　remain　uncultivated。　。　。　。〃
  Then　the　proprietor's　business　is　to　reconcile　farmers　by　robbing　them。　　O　logic！　　O　justice！　　O　the　marvellous　wisdom　of　economists！　　The　proprietor；　if　they　are　right；　is　like　Perrin…　Dandin　who；　when　summoned　by　two　travellers　to　settle　a　dispute　about　an　oyster；　opened　it；　gobbled　it；　and　said　to　them：
  〃The　Court　awards　you　each　a　shell。〃
  Could　any　thing　worse　be　said　of　property？
  Will　Say　tell　us　why　the　same　farmers；　who；　if　there　were　no　proprietors；　would　contend　with　each　other　for　possession　of　the　soil；　do　not　contend　to…day　with　the　proprietors　for　this　possession？　　Obviously；　because　they　think　them　legitimate　possessors；　and　because　their　respect　for　even　an　imaginary　right　exceeds　their　avarice。　　I　proved；　in　Chapter　II。；　that　possession　is　sufficient；　without　property；　to　maintain　social　order。　　Would　it　be　more　difficult；　then；　to　reconcile　possessors　without　masters　than　tenants　controlled　by　proprietors？　　Would　laboring　men；　who　respectmuch　to　their　own　detrimentthe　pretended　rights　of　the　idler；　violate　the　natural　rights　of　the　producer　and　the　manufacturer？　　What！　if　the　husbandman　forfeited　his　right　to　the　land　as　soon　as　he　ceased　to　occupy　it；　would　he　become　more　covetous？　　And　would　the　impossibility　of　demanding　increase；　of　taxing　another's　labor；　be　a　source　of　quarrels　and　law…suits？　　The　economists　use　singular　logic。　　But　we　are　not　yet　through。　　Admit　that　the　proprietor　is　the　legitimate　master　of　the　land。
  〃The　land　is　an　instrument　of　production；〃　they　say。　　That　is　true。　　But　when；　changing　the　noun　into　an　adjective；　they　alter　the　phrase；　thus；　〃The　land　is　a　productive　instrument；〃　they　make　a　wicked　blunder。
  According　to　Quesnay　and　the　early　economists；　all　production　comes　from　the　land。　　Smith；　Ricardo；　and　de　Tracy；　on　the　contrary；　say　that　labor　is　the　sole　agent　of　production。　　Say；　and　most　of　his　successors；　teach　that　BOTH　land　AND　labor　AND　capital　are　productive。　　The　latter　constitute　the　eclectic　school　of　political　economy。　　The　truth　is；　that　NEITHER　land　NOR　labor　NOR　capital　is　productive。　　Production　results　from　the　co…operation　of　these　three　equally　necessary　elements；　which；　taken　separately；　are　equally　sterile。
  Political　economy；　indeed；　treats　of　the　production；　distribution；　and　consumption　of　wealth　or　values。　　But　of　what　values？　　Of　the　values　produced　by　human　industry；　that　is；　of　the　changes　made　in　matter　by　man；　that　he　may　appropriate　it　to　his　own　use；　and　not　at　all　of　Nature's　spontaneous　productions。　　Man's　labor　consists　in　a　simple　laying　on　of　hands。　　When　he　has　taken　that　trouble；　he　has　produced　a　value。　　Until　then；　the　salt　of　the　sea；　the　water　of　the　springs；　the　grass　of　the　fields；　and　the　trees　of　the　forests　are　to　him　as　if　they　were　not。　　The　sea；　without　the　fisherman　and　his　line；　supplies　no　fish。　　The　forest；　without　the　wood…cutter　and　his　axe；　furnishes　neither　fuel　nor　timber。　　The　meadow；　without　the　mower；　yields　neither　hay　nor　aftermath。　　Nature　is　a　vast　mass　of　material　to　be　cultivated　and　converted　into　products；　but　Nature　produces　nothing　for　herself：　in　the　economical　sense；　her　products；　in　their　relation　to　man；　are　not　yet　products。
  Capital；　tools；　and　machinery　are　likewise　unproductive。　　The　hammer　and　the　anvil；　without　the　blacksmith　and　the　iron；　do　not　forge。　　The　mill；　without　the　miller　and　the　grain；　does　not　grind；　&c。　　Bring　tools　and　raw　material　together；　place　a　plough　and　some　seed　on　fertile　soil；　enter　a　smithy；　light　the　fire；　and　shut　up　the　shop；you　will　produce　nothing。　　The　following　remark　was　made　by　an　economist　who　possessed　more　good　sense　than　most　of　his　fellows：　　〃Say　credits　capital　with　an　active　part　unwarranted　by　its　nature；　left　to　itself；　it　is　an　idle　tool。〃　　（J。　Droz：　Political　Economy。）
  Finally；　labor　and　capital　together；　when　unfortunately　combined；　produce　nothing。　　Plough　a　sandy　desert；　beat　the　water　of　the　rivers；　pass　type　through　a　sieve；you　will　get　neither　wheat；　nor　fish；　nor　books。　　Your　trouble　will　be　as　fruitless　as　was　the　immense　labor　of　the　army　of　Xerxes；　who；　as　Herodotus　says；　with　his　three　million　soldiers；　scourged　the　Hellespont　for　twenty…four　hours；　as　a　punishment　for　having　broken　and　scattered　the　pontoon　bridge　which　the　great　king　had　thrown　across　it。
  Tools　and　capital；　land　and　labor；　considered　individually　and　abstractly；　are　not；　literally　speaking；　productive。　　The　proprietor　who　asks　to　be　rewarded　for　the　use　of　a　tool；　or　the　productive　power　of　his　land；　takes　for　granted；　then；　that　which　is　radically　false；　namely；　that　capital　produces　by　its　own　effort；and；　in　taking　pay　for　this　imaginary　product；　he　literally　receives　something　for　nothing。
  OBJECTION。But　if　the　blacksmith；　the　wheelwright；　all　manufacturers　in　short；　have　a　right　to　the　products　in　return　for　the　implements　which　they　furnish；　and　if　land　is　an　implement　of　production；why　does　not　this　implement　entitle　its　proprietor；　be　his　claim　real　or　imaginary；　to　a　portion　of　the　products；　as　in　the　case　of　the　manufacturers　of　ploughs　and　wagons？
  REPLY。Here　we　touch　the　heart　of　the　question；　the　mystery　of　property；　which　we　must　clear　up；　if　we　would　understand　any　thing　of　the　strange　effects　of　the　right　of　increase。
  He　who　manufactures　or　repairs　the　farmer's　tools　receives　the　price　ONCE；　either　at　the　time　of　delivery；　or　in　several　payments；　and　when　this　price　is　once　paid　to　the　manufacturer；　the　tools　which　he　has　delivered　belong　to　him　no　more。　　Never　does　he　claim　double　payment　for　the　same　tool；　or　the　same　job　of　repairs。　　If　he　annually　shares　in　the　products　of　the　farmer；　it　is　owing　to　the　fact　that　he　annually　makes　something　for　the　farmer。
  The　proprietor；　on　the　contrary；　does　not　yield　his　implement；　eternally　he　is　paid　for　it；　eternally　he　keeps　it。
  In　fact；　the　rent　received　by　the　proprietor　is　not　intended　to　defray　the　expense　of　maintaining　and　repairing　the　implement；　this　expense　is　charged　to　the　borrower；　and　does　not　concern　the　proprietor　except　as　he　is　interested　in　the　preservation　of　the　article。　　If　he　takes　it　upon　himself　to　attend　to　the　repairs；　he　takes　care　that　the　money　which　he　expends　for　this　purpose　is　repaid。
  This　rent　does　not　represent　the　product　of　the　implement；　since　of　itself　the　implement　produces　nothing；　we　have　just　proved　this；　and　we　shall　prove　it　more　clearly　still　by　its　consequences。
  Finally；　this　rent　does　not　represent　the　participation　of　the　proprietor　in　the　production；　since　this　participation　could　consist；　like　that　of　the　blacksmith　and　the　wheelwright；　only　in　the　surrender　of　the　whole　or　a　part　of　his　implement；　in　which　case　he　would　cease　to　be　its　proprietor；　which　would　involve　a　contradiction　of　the　idea　of　property。
  Then；　between　the　proprietor　and　his　tenant　there　is　no　exchange　either　of　values　or　services；　then；　as　our　axiom　says；　farm…rent　is　real　increase；an　extortion　based　solely　upon　fraud　and　violence　on　the　one　hand；　and　weakness　and　ignorance　upon　the　other。　　PRODUCTS　say　the　economists；　ARE　BOUGHT　ONLY　BY　PRODUCTS。　　This　maxim　is　property's　condemnation。　　The　proprietor；　producing　neither　by　his　own　labor　nor　by　his　implement；　and　receiving　products　in　exchange　for　nothing；　is　either　a　parasite　or　a　thief。　　Then；　if　property　can　exist　only　as　a　right；　property　is　impossible。
  COROLLARIES。1。　The　republican　constitution　of　1793；　which　defined　property　as　〃the　right　to　enjoy　the　fruit　of　one's　labor；〃　was　grossly　mistaken。　　It　should　have　said；　〃Property　is　the　right　to　enjoy　and　dispose　at　will　of　another's　goods；the　fruit　of　another's　industry　and　labor。〃
  2。　Every　possessor　of　lands；　houses；　furniture；　machinery；　tools；　money；　&c。；　who　lends　a　thing　for　a　price　exceeding　the　cost　of　repairs　（the　repairs　being　charged　to　the　lender；　and　representing　products　which　he　exchanges　for　other　products）；　is　guilty　of　swindling　and　extortion。　　In　short；　all　rent　received　（nominally　as　damages；　but　really　as　payment　for　a　loan）　is　an　act　of　property；a　robbery。
  HISTORICAL　COMMENT。The　tax　which　a　victorious　nation　levies　upon　a　conquered　nation　is　genuine　farm…rent。　　The　seigniorial　rights　abolished　by　the　Revolution　of　1789；tithes；　mortmain；　statute…labor；　&c。；were　different　forms　of　the　rights　of　property；　and　they　who　under　the　titles　of　nobles；　seigneurs；　prebendaries；　&c。　enjoyed　these　rights；　were　neither　more　nor　less　than　proprietors。　　To　defend　property　to…　day　is　to　condemn　the　Revolution。
  SECOND　PROPOSITION。
  Property　is　impossible　because　wherever　it　exists　Production　costs　more　than　it