Resurrection, Leo Tolstoy [top 5 books to read .txt] 📗

“We should divide it up equally, so much for every man,” said the oven-builder, quickly raising and lowering his brows.

“How else? Of course, so much per man,” said the good-natured lame man with the white strips of linen round his legs.

Everyone confirmed this statement, considering it satisfactory.

“So much per man? Then are the servants attached to the house also to have a share?” Nekhlúdoff asked.

“Oh, no,” said the ex-soldier, trying to appear bold and merry. But the tall, reasonable man would not agree with him.

“If one is to divide, all must share alike,” he said, in his deep bass, after a little consideration.

“It can’t be done,” said Nekhlúdoff, who had already prepared his reply. “If all are to share alike, then those who do not work themselves⁠—do not plough⁠—will sell their shares to the rich. The rich will again get at the land. Those who live by working the land will multiply, and land will again be scarce. Then the rich will again get those who need land into their power.”

“Just so,” quickly said the ex-soldier.

“Forbid to sell the land; let only him who ploughs it have it,” angrily interrupted the oven-builder.

To this Nekhlúdoff replied that it was impossible to know who was ploughing for himself and who for another.

The tall, reasonable man proposed that an arrangement be made so that they should all plough communally, and those who ploughed should get the produce and those who did not should get nothing.

To this communistic project Nekhlúdoff had also an answer ready. He said that for such an arrangement it would be necessary that all should have ploughs, and that all the horses should be alike, so that none should be left behind, and that ploughs and horses and all the implements would have to be communal property, and that in order to get that, all the people would have to agree.

“Our people could not be made to agree in a lifetime,” said the cross old man.

“We should have regular fights,” said the white-bearded old man with the laughing eyes. “So that the thing is not as simple as it looks,” said Nekhlúdoff, “and this is a thing not only we but many have been considering. There is an American, Henry George. This is what he has thought out, and I agree with him.”

“Why, you are the master, and you give it as you like. What’s it to you? The power is yours,” said the cross old man.

This confused Nekhlúdoff, but he was pleased to see that not he alone was dissatisfied with this interruption.

“You wait a bit, Uncle Simon; let him tell us about it,” said the reasonable man, in his imposing bass.

This emboldened Nekhlúdoff, and he began to explain Henry George’s single-tax system. “The earth is no man’s; it is God’s,” he began.

“Just so; that it is,” several voices replied.

“The land is common to all. All have the same right to it, but there is good land and bad land, and everyone would like to take the good land. How is one to do in order to get it justly divided? In this way: he that will use the good land must pay those who have got no land the value of the land he uses,” Nekhlúdoff went on, answering his own question. “As it would be difficult to say who should pay whom, and money is needed for communal use, it should be arranged that he who uses the good land should pay the amount of the value of his land to the commune for its needs. Then everyone would share equally. If you want to use land pay for it⁠—more for the good, less for the bad land. If you do not wish to use land, don’t pay anything, and those who use the land will pay the taxes and the communal expenses for you.”

“Well, he had a head, this George,” said the oven-builder, moving his brows. “He who has good land must pay more.”

“If only the payment is according to our strength,” said the tall man with the bass voice, evidently foreseeing how the matter would end.

“The payment should be not too high and not too low. If it is too high it will not get paid, and there will be a loss; and if it is too low it will be bought and sold. There would be a trading in land. This is what I wished to arrange among you here.”

“That is just, that is right; yes, that would do,” said the peasants.

“He has a head, this George,” said the broad-shouldered old man with the curls. “See what he has invented.”

“Well, then, how would it be if I wished to take some land?” asked the smiling foreman.

“If there is an allotment to spare, take it and work it,” said Nekhlúdoff.

“What do you want it for? You have sufficient as it is,” said the old man with the laughing eyes.

With this the conference ended.

Nekhlúdoff repeated his offer, and advised the men to talk it over with the rest of the commune and to return with the answer.

The peasants said they would talk it over and bring an answer, and left in a state of excitement. Their loud talk was audible as they went along the road, and up to late in the night the sound of voices came along the river from the village.

The next day the peasants did not go to work, but spent it in considering the landlord’s offer. The commune was divided into two parties⁠—one which regarded the offer as a profitable one to themselves and saw no danger in agreeing with it, and another which suspected and feared the offer it did not understand. On the third day, however, all agreed, and some were sent to Nekhlúdoff to accept his offer. They were influenced in their decision by the explanation some of the old men gave of the landlord’s conduct, which did away with all fear of deceit. They thought the gentleman had begun to consider his