Second Memoir on Pauperism, Post 5

One can then see that the industrial classes will be, independently of general and permanent causes of misery that are already acting upon them, subjected frequently to crises.  It is necessary then to be able to safeguard them against misfortunes that they bring upon themselves as well as those that they cannot help.

The whole question is to know what preventive measures can be used to attenuate these effects.

In my opinion, the problem to solve is the following:
Find a way to give to the industrial laborer, as to the small farmer, the spirit and habits of property ownership

Two principal means present themselves:  the first, and that which seems to be the most effective at first glance, would consist in giving the worker an interest in the company.  This would produce in the industrial classes similar effects as produced by the division of land among the agricultural classes.

It would go beyond the limits of this article to examine all the ways that have been proposed to arrive at this result.

I will content myself to briefly say that these plans for success always run into one of these two obstacles:  for one thing, the entrepreneurial capitalists of industry have nearly all shown themselves to be little inclined to give their workers a proportional share of the profits or to place in the enterprise the little sums that they felt comfortable confiding to them.  I think that in their own interest, they are very wrong in not doing it, but it would neither be just nor useful to oblige them to do it.

Another thing is, when the workers have wanted to bypass the capitalists and associate with each other, pool their funds and direct their own company with the help of a syndicate, they were unable to succeed.  Disorder did not wait to show itself within their association, their agents were untrustworthy, their capital insufficient or without adequate security, their credit almost nonexistent, their commercial relations very limited.  Soon, ruinous competition forced the association to dissolve.  These attempts were often renewed in front of us, especially for the last seven years, but always in vain.

I have been led to believe, nevertheless, that a time is coming when a large number of industries will be able to be run in this manner.  When our workers acquire better knowledge and when the art of forming associations toward the accomplishment of honest, peaceful goals makes progress in our country, when politics does not meddle with industrial associations, and when the government, assured of their object, will not refuse them its benevolence and support, one will see them multiply and prosper.  I think that in democratic times like ours, associations of all kinds will, little by little, replace action by a few powerful individuals.