Part 17 (1/2)

The State is also subject to the law of Malthus It is continually living beyond its means, it increases in proportion to its means, and draws its support solely, from the substance of the people Woe to the people who are incapable of li the sphere of action of the State

Liberty, private activity, riches, well-being, independence, dignity, depend upon this

There is one circu the services which we ask of the State is _security_ That it uarantee this to us itall individual or collective doer it

Co men to live at the expense of each other, which we have before noticed, this fact suggests a danger patent to all

You will accordingly observe on what an iovernment, has been practiced

If one should ask what service has been rendered the public, and what return has been ypt, Roland, Spain and France, he would be astonished at the enorovernht have believed that the disorder would have ceased as if by enchantovernments is this:

”The people themselves, by their representatives, shall decide as to the nature and extent of the public service and the remuneration for those services”

The tendency to appropriate the property of another, and the desire to defend one's own, are thus brought in contact One ht suppose that the latter would overcome the former assuredly I am convinced that the latter will finally prevail, but we must concede that thus far it has not

Why? For a very siacity; people too little

Governments are skillful They act methodically, consecutively, on a well concerted plan, which is constantly improved by tradition and experience They study men and their passions If they perceive, for instance, that they have warlike instincts, they incite and inflaers through the conduct of diplomats, and then naturally ask for soldiers, sailors, arsenals and fortifications Often they have but the trouble of accepting them Then they have pensions, places, and promotions to offer All this calls for enerous, the government proposes to cure all the ills of huriculture prosperous, to develop e letters and arts, to banish misery, etc All that is necessary is to create offices and to pay public functionaries

In other words, their tactics consist in presenting as actual services things which are but hindrances; then the nation pays, not for being served, but for being subservient Govern half of all the revenues The people are astonished that whileinventions, destined to infinitelyin nued to toil on as painfully as ever, and remain as poor as before

This happens because, while the government manifests so much ability, the people show so little Thus, when they are called upon to choose their agents, those who are to deterovernovernment They entrust the executive poith the determination of the limit of its activity and its requireeois Gentilhomme_, who referred the selection and number of his suits of clothes to his tailor

However, things go from bad to worse, and at last the people open their eyes, not to the remedy, for there is none as yet, but to the evil

Governing is so pleasant a trade that everybody desires to engage in it

Thus the advisers of the people do not cease to say: ”We see your sufferings, and eep over theoverned you”

This period, which usually lasts for some time, is one of rebellions and insurrections When the people are conquered, the expenses of the war are added to their burdens When they conquer, there is a change of those who govern, and the abuses remain

This lasts until the people learn to know and defend their true interests Thus ays coress of public intelligence

Certain nations seeovern their own dignity and energy, would believe theoverned and ad traveled riculture can ress unless the State keeps up experimental farms; that there will presently be no horses if the State has no stables; and that fathers will not have their children educated, or will teach them only immoralities, if the State does not decide what it is proper to learn

In such a country revolutions may rapidly succeed one another, and one set of rulers after another be overturned But the governed are none the less governed at the caprice and mercy of their rulers, until the people see that it is better to leave the greatest possible nuory of those which the parties interested exchange after a fair discussion of the price

We have seen that society is an exchange of services, and should be but an exchange of good and honest ones But we have also proven thatthe relative value of the services they render one another I cannot, indeed, see any other limit to these claims than the free acceptance or free refusal of those to whom these services are offered

Hence it comes that certain atives of this liberty This kind of spoliation is called privilege or in and character

Every one knows that the services which he offers in the general market are the more valued and better paid for, the scarcer they are Each one, then, will ask for the enactment of a law to keep out of the market all who offer services si the chief subject of this volume, I will say little of it here, and will restrict myself to one remark: