FIFTH　PROPOSITION。
  Property　is　impossible；　because；　if　it　exists；　Society　devours　itself。
  When　the　ass　is　too　heavily　loaded；　he　lies　down；　man　always　moves　on。　　Upon　this　indomitable　courage；　the　proprietorwell　knowing　that　it　existsbases　his　hopes　of　speculation。　　The　free　laborer　produces　ten；　for　me；　thinks　the　proprietor；　he　will　produce　twelve。
  Indeed；before　consenting　to　the　confiscation　of　his　fields；　before　bidding　farewell　to　the　paternal　roof；the　peasant；　whose　story　we　have　just　told；　makes　a　desperate　effort；　he　leases　new　land；　he　will　sow　one…third　more；　and；　taking　half　of　this　new　product　for　himself；　he　will　harvest　an　additional　sixth；　and　thereby　pay　his　rent。　　What　an　evil！　　To　add　one…sixth　to　his　production；　the　farmer　must　add；　not　one…sixth；　but　two…sixths　to　his　labor。　　At　such　a　price；　he　pays　a　farm…rent　which　in　God's　eyes　he　does　not　owe。
  The　tenant's　example　is　followed　by　the　manufacturer。　　The　former　tills　more　land；　and　dispossesses　his　neighbors；　the　latter　lowers　the　price　of　his　merchandise；　and　endeavors　to　monopolize　its　manufacture　and　sale；　and　to　crush　out　his　competitors。　　To　satisfy　property；　the　laborer　must　first　produce　beyond　his　needs。　　Then；　he　must　produce　beyond　his　strength；　for；　by　the　withdrawal　of　laborers　who　become　proprietors；　the　one　always　follows　from　the　other。　　But　to　produce　beyond　his　strength　and　needs；　he　must　invade　the　production　of　another；　and　consequently　diminish　the　number　of　producers。　　Thus　the　proprietorafter　having　lessened　production　by　stepping　outsidelessens　it　still　further　by　encouraging　the　monopoly　of　labor。　　Let　us　calculate　it。
  The　laborer's　deficit；　after　paying　his　rent；　being；　as　we　have　seen；　one…tenth；　he　tries　to　increase　his　production　by　this　amount。　　He　sees　no　way　of　accomplishing　this　save　by　increasing　his　labor：　this　also　he　does。　　The　discontent　of　the　proprietors　who　have　not　received　the　full　amount　of　their　rent；　the　advantageous　offers　and　promises　made　them　by　other　farmers；　whom　they　suppose　more　diligent；　more　industrious；　and　more　reliable；　the　secret　plots　and　intrigues；all　these　give　rise　to　a　movement　for　the　re…division　of　labor；　and　the　elimination　of　a　certain　number　of　producers。　　Out　of　nine　hundred；　ninety　will　be　ejected；　that　the　production　of　the　others　may　be　increased　one…　tenth。　　But　will　the　total　product　be　increased？　　Not　in　the　least：　there　will　be　eight　hundred　and　ten　laborers　producing　as　nine　hundred；　while；　to　accomplish　their　purpose；　they　would　have　to　produce　as　one　thousand。　　Now；　it　having　been　proved　that　farm…rent　is　proportional　to　the　landed　capital　instead　of　to　labor；　and　that　it　never　diminishes；　the　debts　must　continue　as　in　the　past；　while　the　labor　has　increased。　　Here；　then；　we　have　a　society　which　is　continually　decimating　itself；　and　which　would　destroy　itself；　did　not　the　periodical　occurrence　of　failures；　bankruptcies；　and　political　and　economical　catastrophes　re…establish　equilibrium；　and　distract　attention　from　the　real　causes　of　the　universal　distress。
  The　monopoly　of　land　and　capital　is　followed　by　economical　processes　which　also　result　in　throwing　laborers　out　of　employment。　　Interest　being　a　constant　burden　upon　the　shoulders　of　the　farmer　and　the　manufacturer；　they　exclaim；　each　speaking　for　himself；　〃I　should　have　the　means　wherewith　to　pay　my　rent　and　interest；　had　I　not　to　pay　so　many　hands。〃　　Then　those　admirable　inventions；　intended　to　assure　the　easy　and　speedy　performance　of　labor；　become　so　many　infernal　machines　which　kill　laborers　by　thousands。
  〃A　few　years　ago；　the　Countess　of　Strafford　ejected　fifteen　thousand　persons　from　her　estate；　who；　as　tenants；　added　to　its　value。　　This　act　of　private　administration　was　repeated　in　1820；　by　another　large　Scotch　proprietor；　towards　six　hundred　tenants　and　their　families。〃Tissot：　on　Suicide　and　Revolt。
  _　　_The　author　whom　I　quote；　and　who　has　written　eloquent　words　concerning　the　revolutionary　spirit　which　prevails　in　modern　society；　does　not　say　whether　he　would　have　disapproved　of　a　revolt　on　the　part　of　these　exiles。　　For　myself；　I　avow　boldly　that　in　my　eyes　it　would　have　been　the　first　of　rights；　and　the　holiest　of　duties；　and　all　that　I　desire　to…day　is　that　my　profession　of　faith　be　understood。
  Society　devours　itself；1。　By　the　violent　and　periodical　sacrifice　of　laborers：　this　we　have　just　seen；　and　shall　see　again；　2。　By　the　stoppage　of　the　producer's　consumption　caused　by　property。　　These　two　modes　of　suicide　are　at　first　simultaneous；　but　soon　the　first　is　given　additional　force　by　the　second；　famine　uniting　with　usury　to　render　labor　at　once　more　necessary　and　more　scarce。
  By　the　principles　of　commerce　and　political　economy；　that　an　industrial　enterprise　may　be　successful；　its　product　must　furnish；1。　The　interest　on　the　capital　employed；　2。　Means　for　the　preservation　of　this　capital；　3。　The　wages　of　all　the　employees　and　contractors。　　Further；　as　large　a　profit　as　possible　must　be　realized。
  The　financial　shrewdness　and　rapacity　of　property　is　worthy　of　admiration。　　Each　different　name　which　increase　takes　affords　the　proprietor　an　opportunity　to　receive　it；1。　In　the　form　of　interest；　2。　In　the　form　of　profit。　　For；　it　says；　a　part　of　the　income　derived　from　manufactures　consists　of　interest　on　the　capital　employed。　　If　one　hundred　thousand　francs　have　been　invested　in　a　manufacturing　enterprise；　and　in　a　year's　time　five　thousand　francs　have　been　received　therefrom　in　addition　to　the　expenses；　there　has　been　no　profit；　but　only　interest　on　the　capital。　　Now；　the　proprietor　is　not　a　man　to　labor　for　nothing。　　Like　the　lion　in　the　fable；　he　gets　paid　in　each　of　his　capacities；　so　that；　after　he　has　been　served；　nothing　is　left　for　his　associates。
  _Ego　primam　tollo；　nominor　quia　leo。　　　　　　　　　　　Secundam　quia　sum　fortis　tribuctis　mihi。　　　　　　　　　　　Tum　quia　plus　valeo；　me　sequetur　tertia。　　　　　　　　　　　Malo　adficietur；　si　quis　quartam　tetigerit。_
  I　know　nothing　prettier　than　this　fable。
  〃I　am　the　contractor。　　I　take　the　first　share。　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am　the　laborer；　I　take　the　second。　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am　the　capitalist；　I　take　the　third。　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am　the　proprietor；　I　take　the　whole。〃
  In　four　lines；　Phaedrus　has　summed　up　all　the　forms　of　property。
  I　say　that　this　interest；　all　the　more　then　this　profit；　is　impossible。
  What　are　laborers　in　relation　to　each　other？　　So　many　members　of　a　large　industrial　society；　to　each　of　whom　is　assigned　a　certain　portion　of　the　general　production；　by　the　principle　of　the　division　of　labor　and　functions。　　Suppose；　first；　that　this　society　is　composed　of　but　three　individuals；　a　cattle…raiser；　a　tanner；　and　a　shoemaker。　　The　social　industry；　then；　is　that　of　shoemaking。　　If　I　should　ask　what　ought　to　be　each　producer's　share　of　the　social　product；　the　first　schoolboy　whom　I　should　meet　would　answer；　by　a　rule　of　commerce　and　association；　that　it　should　be　one…third。　　But　it　is　not　our　duty　here　to　balance　the　rights　of　laborers　conventionally　associated：　we　have　to　prove　that；　whether　associated　or　not；　our　three　workers　are　obliged　to　act　as　if　they　were；　that；　whether　they　will　or　no；　they　are　associated　by　the　force　of　things；　by　mathematical　necessity。
  Three　processes　are　required　in　the　manufacture　of　shoes；the　rearing　of　cattle；　the　preparation　of　their　hides；　and　the　cutting　and　sewing。　　If　the　hide；　on　leaving　the　farmer's　stable；　is　worth　one；　it　is　worth　two　on　leaving　the　tanner's　pit；　and　three　on　leaving　the　shoemaker's　shop。　　Each　laborer　has　produced　a　portion　of　the　utility；　so　that；　by　adding　all　these　portions　together；　we　get　the　value　of　the　article。　　To　obtain　any　quantity　whatever　of　this　article；　each　producer　must　pay；　then；　first　for　his　own　labor；　and　second　for　the　labor　of　the　other　producers。　　Thus；　to　obtain　as　many　shoes　as　can　be　made　from　ten　hides；　the　farmer　will　give　thirty　raw　hides；　and　the　tanner　twenty　tanned　hides。　　For；　the　shoes　that　are　made　from　ten　hides　are　worth　thirty　raw　hides；　in　consequence　of　the　extra　labor　bestowed　upon　them；　just　as　twenty　tanned　hides　are　worth　thirty　raw　hides；　on　account　of　the　tanner's　labor。　　But　if　the　shoemaker　demands　thirty…three　in　the　farmer's　product；　or　twenty…two　in　the　tanner's；　for　ten　in　his　own；　there　will　be　no　exchange；　for；　if　there　were；　the　farmer　and　the　tanner；　after　having　paid　the　shoemaker　ten　for　his　labor；　would　have　to　pay　eleven　for　that　which　they　had　themselves　sold　for　ten；which；　of　course；　would　be　impossible。＇1＇
  ＇1＇　　There　is　an　error　in　the　author's　calculation　here；　but　the　translator；　feeling　sure　that　the　reader　will　understand　Proudhon's　meaning；　prefers　not　to　alter　his　figures。　Translator。
  Well；　this　is　precisely　what　happens　whenever　an　emolument　of　any　kind　is　received；　be　it　called　revenue；　farm…rent；　interest；　or　profit。　　In　the　little　community　of　which　we　are　speaking；　if　the　shoemakerin　order　to　procure　tools；　buy　a　stock　of　leather；　and　support　himself　until　he　receives　something　from　his　investment　borrows　money　at　interest；　it　is　clear　that　to　pay　this　interest　he　will　have　to　make　a　profit　off　the　tanner　and　the　farmer。　　But　as　this　profit　is　impossible　unless　fraud　is　used；　the