Chapter XXXIII - Sixth Century Political Economy HOWEVER, I made a dead set at him, and e!ore the !

irst third o! the dinner "as reached, I had him happy a#ain$ It "as easy to do -- in a country o! ran%s and castes$ &ou see, in a country "here they ha'e ran%s and castes, a man isn(t e'er a man, he is only part o! a man, he can(t e'er #et his !ull #ro"th$ &ou pro'e your superiority o'er him in station, or ran%, or !ortune, and that(s the end o! it -- he %nuc%les do"n$ &ou can(t insult him a!ter that$ )o, I don(t mean *uite that+ o! course you C,) insult him, I only mean it(s di!!icult+ and so, unless you('e #ot a lot o! useless time on your hands it doesn(t pay to try$ I had the smith(s re'erence no", ecause I "as apparently immensely prosperous and rich+ I could ha'e had his adoration i! I had had some little #imcrac% title o! no ility$ ,nd not only his, ut any commoner(s in the land, thou#h he "ere the mi#htiest production o! all the a#es, in intellect, "orth, and character, and I an%rupt in all three$ -his "as to remain so, as lon# as En#land should exist in the earth$ With the spirit o! prophecy upon me, I could loo% into the !uture and see her erect statues and monuments to her unspea%a le .eor#es and other royal and no le clothes-horses, and lea'e unhonored the creators o! this "orld -- a!ter .od -- .uten ur#, Watt, ,r%"ri#ht, Whitney, /orse, Stephenson, 0ell$ -he %in# #ot his car#o a oard, and then, the tal% not turnin# upon attle, con*uest, or iron-clad duel, he dulled do"n to dro"siness and "ent o!! to ta%e a nap$ /rs$ /arco cleared the ta le, placed the eer %e# handy, and "ent a"ay to eat her dinner o! lea'in#s in hum le pri'acy, and the rest o! us soon dri!ted into matters near and dear to the hearts o! our sort -- usi ness and "a#es, o! course$ ,t a !irst #lance, thin#s appeared to e exceedin# prosperous in this little tri utary %in#dom -- "hose lord "as 1in# 0a#dema#us -- as compared "ith the state o! thin#s in my o"n re#ion$ -hey had the 2protection2 system in !ull !orce here, "hereas "e "ere "or%in# alon# do"n to"ard !ree-trade, y easy sta#es, and "ere no" a out hal! "ay$ 0e!ore lon#, 3o"ley and I 445"ere doin# all the tal%in#, the others hun#rily listenin#$ 3o"ley "armed to his "or%, snu!!ed an ad'anta#e in the air, and e#an to put *uestions "hich he considered pretty a"%"ard ones !or me, and they did ha'e somethin# o! that loo%6 2In your country, rother, "hat is the "a#e o! a master aili!!, master hind, carter, shepherd, s"ine herd72 2-"enty-!i'e milrays a day+ that is to say, a *uarter o! a cent$ -he smith(s !ace eamed "ith 8oy$ He said6 2With us they are allo"ed the dou le o! it9 ,nd "hat may a mechanic #et -- carpenter, dau er, mason, painter, lac%smith, "heel"ri#ht, and the li%e72 2On the a'era#e, !i!ty milrays+ hal! a cent a day$2 2Ho-ho9 With us they are allo"ed a hundred9 With us any #ood mechanic is allo"ed a cent a day9 I count out the tailor, ut not the others -- they are all allo"ed a cent a day, and in dri'in# times they

#et more -- yes, up to a hundred and ten and e'en !i!teen milrays a day$ I('e paid a hundred and !i!teen my sel!, "ithin the "ee%$ (Rah !or protection -- to Sheol "ith !ree-trade92 ,nd his !ace shone upon the company li%e a sun urst$ 0ut I didn(t scare at all$ I ri##ed up my pile-dri'er, and allo"ed mysel! !i!teen minutes to dri'e him into the earth -- dri'e him ,:: in -dri'e him in till not e'en the cur'e o! his s%ull should sho" a o'e #round$ Here is the "ay I started in on him$ I as%ed6 2What do you pay a pound !or salt72 2, hundred milrays$2 2We pay !orty$ What do you pay !or ee! and mutton -- "hen you uy it72 -hat "as a neat hit+ it made the color come$ 2It 'arieth some"hat, ut not much+ one may say ;5 milrays the pound$2 2WE pay <<$ What do you pay !or e##s72 2=i!ty milrays the do>en$2 2We pay 4?$ What do you pay !or eer72 2It costeth us @ AB4 milrays the pint$2 2We #et it !or C+ 45 ottles !or a cent$ What do you pay !or "heat72 2,t the rate o! D?? milrays the ushel$2 2We pay C??$ What do you pay !or a man(s to" linen suit72 2-hirteen cents$2 2We pay E$ What do you pay !or a stu!! #o"n !or the "i!e o! the la orer or the mechanic72 2We pay @$C$?$2 2Well, o ser'e the di!!erence6 you pay ei#ht cents and !our mills, "e pay only !our cents$2 I prepared no" to soc% it to him$ l 44Esaid6 2:oo% here, dear !riend, WH,-(S 0ECO/E O= &OFR HI.H W,.ES &OF WERE 0R,..I). SO ,0OF- , =EW /I)F-ES ,.O72 -- and I loo%ed around on the company "ith placid satis!action, !or I had slipped up on him #radually and tied him hand and !oot, you see, "ithout his e'er noticin# that he "as ein# tied at all$ 2What(s ecome o! those no le hi#h "a#es o! yours7 -- I seem to ha'e %noc%ed the stu!!in# all out o! them, it appears to me$2 0ut i! you "ill elie'e me, he merely loo%ed sur prised, that is all9 he didn(t #rasp the situation at all, didn(t %no" he had "al%ed into a trap, didn(t disco'er that he "as I) a trap$ I could ha'e shot him, !rom sheer 'exation$ With cloudy eye and a stru##lin# in tellect he !etched this out6 2/arry, I seem not to understand$ It is PROVE3 that our "a#es e dou le thine+ ho" then may it e that thou(st %noc%ed there!rom the stu!!in#7 -- an miscall not the "onderly "ord, this ein# the !irst time under #race and pro'idence o! .od it hath een #ranted me to hear it$2 Well, I "as stunned+ partly "ith this unloo%ed-!or stupidity on his part, and partly ecause his !ello"s so mani!estly sided "ith him and "ere o! his mind -- i! you mi#ht call it mind$ /y position "as simple enou#h, plain enou#h+ ho" could it e'er e simpli!ied

more7 Ho"e'er, I must try6 2Why, loo% here, rother 3o"ley, don(t you see7 &our "a#es are merely hi#her than ours in ),/E, not in =,C-$2 2Hear him9 -hey are the 3OF0:E -- ye ha'e con !essed it yoursel!$2 2&es-yes, I don(t deny that at all$ 0ut that(s #ot nothin# to do "ith it+ the ,/OF)- o! the "a#es in mere coins, "ith meanin#less names attached to them to %no" them y, has #ot nothin# to do "ith it$ -he thin# is, ho" much can you 0F& "ith your "a#es7 -- that(s the idea$ While it is true that "ith you a #ood mechanic is allo"ed a out three dollars and a hal! a year, and "ith us only a out a dollar and se'enty-!i'e --2 2-here -- ye(re con!essin# it a#ain, ye(re con!ess in# it a#ain92 2Con!ound it, I('e ne'er denied it, I tell you9 What I say is this$ With us H,:= a dollar uys more than a 3O::,R uys "ith you -- and -HERE=ORE it stands to reason and the commonest %ind o! common-sense, that our "a#es are HI.HER than yours$2 He loo%ed da>ed, and said, despairin#ly6 2Verily, I cannot ma%e it out$ &e('e 8ust said ours are the hi#her, and "ith the same reath ye ta%e it ac%$2 2Oh, #reat Scott, isn(t it possi le to #et such a simple thin# 44;throu#h your head7 )o" loo% here -- let me illustrate$ We pay !our cents !or a "oman(s stu!! #o"n, you pay @$C$?, "hich is !our mills more than 3OF0:E$ What do you allo" a la orin# "oman "ho "or%s on a !arm72 2-"o mills a day$2 2Very #ood+ "e allo" ut hal! as much+ "e pay her only a tenth o! a cent a day+ and --2 2,#ain ye(re con! --2 2Wait9 )o", you see, the thin# is 'ery simple+ this time you(ll understand it$ =or instance, it ta%es your "oman C4 days to earn her #o"n, at 4 mills a day -- ; "ee%s( "or%+ ut ours earns hers in !orty days -- t"o days SHOR- o! ; "ee%s$ &our "oman has a #o"n, and her "hole se'en "ee%s "a#es are #one+ ours has a #o"n, and t"o days( "a#es le!t, to uy somethin# else "ith$ -here -- )OW you understand it92 He loo%ed -- "ell, he merely loo%ed du ious, it(s the most I can say+ so did the others$ I "aited -- to let the thin# "or%$ 3o"ley spo%e at last -- and e trayed the !act that he actually hadn(t #otten a"ay !rom his rooted and #rounded superstitions yet$ He said, "ith a tri!le o! hesitancy6 20ut -- ut -- ye cannot !ail to #rant that t"o mills a day is etter than one$2 Shuc%s9 Well, o! course, I hated to #i'e it up$ So I chanced another !lyer6 2:et us suppose a case$ Suppose one o! your 8our neymen #oes out and uys the !ollo"in# articles6 2-he lot "ill cost him <4 cents$ It ta%es him <4 "or%in# days to earn the money -- 5 "ee%s and 4 days$ :et him come to us and "or% <4 days at H,:= the "a#es+ he can uy all those thin#s !or a

shade under AC AB4 cents+ they "ill cost him a shade under 4D days( "or%, and he "ill ha'e a out hal! a "ee%(s "a#es o'er$ Carry it throu#h the year+ he "ould sa'e nearly a "ee%(s "a#es e'ery t"o months, &OFR man nothin#+ thus sa'in# !i'e or six "ee%s( "a#es in a year, your man not a cent$ )OW I rec%on you understand that (hi#h "a#es( and (lo" "a#es( are phrases that don(t mean anythin# in the "orld until you !ind out "hich o! them "ill 0F& the most92 It "as a crusher$ 0ut, alas9 it didn(t crush$ )o, I had to #i'e it up$ What those people 'alued "as HI.H W,.ES+ it didn(t seem to e a matter o! any conse*uence to them "hether the hi#h "a#es "ould uy anythin# or not$ -hey stood !or 2protection,2 and s"ore y it, "hich "as reasona le enou#h, ecause interested parties had #ulled them into the notion that it "as protection "hich had 44@created their hi#h "a#es$ I pro'ed to them that in a *uarter o! a century their "a#es had ad'anced ut <? per cent$, "hile the cost o! li'in# had #one up A??+ and that "ith us, in a shorter time, "a#es had ad 'anced C? per cent$ "hile the cost o! li'in# had #one steadily do"n$ 0ut it didn(t do any #ood$ )othin# could unseat their stran#e elie!s$ Well, I "as smartin# under a sense o! de!eat$ Fn deser'ed de!eat, ut "hat o! that7 -hat didn(t so!ten the smart any$ ,nd to thin% o! the circumstances9 the !irst statesman o! the a#e, the capa lest man, the est-in!ormed man in the entire "orld, the lo!tiest un cro"ned head that had mo'ed throu#h the clouds o! any political !irmament !or centuries, sittin# here ap parently de!eated in ar#ument y an i#norant country lac%smith9 ,nd I could see that those others "ere sorry !or me -- "hich made me lush till I could smell my "his%ers scorchin#$ Put yoursel! in my place+ !eel as mean as I did, as ashamed as I !elt -- "ouldn(t &OF ha'e struc% elo" the elt to #et e'en7 &es, you "ould+ it is simply human nature$ Well, that is "hat I did$ I am not tryin# to 8usti!y it+ I(m only sayin# that I "as mad, and ,)&0O3& "ould ha'e done it$ Well, "hen I ma%e up my mind to hit a man, I don(t plan out a lo'e-tap+ no, that isn(t my "ay+ as lon# as I(m #oin# to hit him at all, I(m #oin# to hit him a li!ter$ ,nd I don(t 8ump at him all o! a sudden, and ris% ma%in# a lunderin# hal!-"ay usiness o! it+ no, I #et a"ay o!! yonder to one side, and "or% up on him #radually, so that he ne'er suspects that I(m #oin# to hit him at all+ and y and y, all in a !lash, he(s !lat on his ac%, and he can(t tell !or the li!e o! him ho" it all happened$ -hat is the "ay I "ent !or rother 3o"ley$ I started to tal%in# la>y and com !orta le, as i! I "as 8ust tal%in# to pass the time+ and the oldest man in the "orld couldn(t ha'e ta%en the earin#s o! my startin# place and #uessed "here I "as #oin# to !etch up6 20oys, there(s a #ood many curious thin#s a out la", and custom, and usa#e, and all that sort o! thin#, "hen you come to loo% at it+ yes, and a out the dri!t and pro#ress o! human opinion and mo'ement, too$ -here are "ritten la"s -- they perish+ ut there are also un"ritten la"s -- -HE& are eternal$ -a%e the un "ritten

la" o! "a#es6 it says they('e #ot to ad'ance, little y little, strai#ht throu#h the centuries$ ,nd notice ho" it "or%s$ We %no" "hat "a#es are no", here and there and yonder+ "e stri%e an a'era#e, and say that(s the "a#es o! to-day$ We %no" "hat the "a#es "ere a hundred years a#o, and "hat they "ere t"o hundred years a#o+ that(s as !ar ac% as "e can #et, ut it su!!ices to #i'e us the la" o! pro#ress, the measure and rate o! the periodical au#mentation+ and 44Dso, "ithout a document to help us, "e can come pretty close to determinin# "hat the "a#es "ere three and !our and !i'e hundred years a#o$ .ood, so !ar$ 3o "e stop there7 )o$ We stop loo%in# ac%"ard+ "e !ace around and apply the la" to the !uture$ /y !riends, I can tell you "hat people(s "a#es are #oin# to e at any date in the !uture you "ant to %no", !or hundreds and hundreds o! years$2 2What, #oodman, "hat92 2&es$ In se'en hundred years "a#es "ill ha'e risen to six times "hat they are no", here in your re#ion, and !arm hands "ill e allo"ed < cents a day, and mechanics E$2 2I "ould(t I mi#ht die no" and li'e then92 inter rupted Smu#, the "heel"ri#ht, "ith a !ine a'aricious #lo" in his eye$ 2,nd that isn(t all+ they(ll #et their oard esides -- such as it is6 it "on(t loat them$ -"o hundred and !i!ty years later -- pay attention no" -- a mechanic(s "a#es "ill e -- mind you, this is la", not #uess"or%+ a mechanic(s "a#es "ill then e -WE)-& cents a day92 -here "as a #eneral #asp o! a"ed astonishment, 3ic%on the mason murmured, "ith raised eyes and hands6 2/ore than three "ee%s( pay !or one day(s "or%92 2Riches9 -- o! a truth, yes, riches92 muttered /arco, his reath comin# *uic% and short, "ith ex citement$ 2Wa#es "ill %eep on risin#, little y little, little y little, as steadily as a tree #ro"s, and at the end o! three hundred and !orty years more there(ll e at least O)E country "here the mechanic(s a'era#e "a#e "ill e -WO HF)3RE3 cents a day92 It %noc%ed them a solutely dum 9 )ot a man o! them could #et his reath !or up"ards o! t"o minutes$ -hen the coal- urner said prayer!ully6 2/i#ht I ut li'e to see it92 2It is the income o! an earl92 said Smu#$ 2,n earl, say ye72 said 3o"ley+ 2ye could say more than that and spea% no lie+ there(s no earl in the realm o! 0a#dema#us that hath an income li%e to that$ Income o! an earl -- m!9 it(s the income o! an an#el92 2)o", then, that is "hat is #oin# to happen as re #ards "a#es$ In that remote day, that man "ill earn, "ith O)E "ee%(s "or%, that ill o! #oods "hich it ta%es you up"ards o! =I=-& "ee%s to earn no"$ Some other pretty surprisin# thin#s are #oin# to happen, too$ 0rother 3o"ley, "ho is it that determines, e'ery sprin#, "hat the particular "a#e o! each %ind o! mechanic, la orer, and ser'ant shall e !or that year72