hensive. The first
generalization to be made consists in applying the law, not to single
articles, but to consumers' wealth in all its forms. The richer man
becomes, the less can his wealth do for him. Not only a series of goods
that are all alike, but a succession of units of wealth itself, with no
such limitation, on its forms, becomes less and less useful per unit.
Give to a man not coats, but 'dollars,' one after another, and the
utility of the last will still be less than that of any other. The
early dollars feed, clothe and shelter the man, but the last one finds
it hard to do anything for him."[29]

By this law successive deposits of immigrants and successive gains in
the American population are reducing the valuation of men for religious,
moral and educational use. The first man in any historic experience is
of infinite value. The first American, Columbus, will be famous forever,
but not because of any talents or enterprises of his. As a matter of
fact he blundered in discovering America and died ignorant of the feat
he had actually accomplished. But because he was the first white man on
a new continent he had infinite historical value. When the early
Europeans were increased to ten or to one thousand each of them entered
into fame, though men like John Smith were commonplace enough in their
performances. Their fame is measurable, but still great. When the number
of Americans was increased to eight millions everyone thought himself a
great citizen, the founder of a family and a potential millionaire.
Those were still the days of exceptional personality. The type of man in
those times was the landowner, the pioneer and the statesman. But now
there are ninety million Americans, all the valuable lands are assigned,
all the best positions are filled, every job is taken, and ten million
of the population are concerned about the problem of daily bread. These
ten million people are the marginal Americans. They are breadwinners,
and the breadwinner is the unit of value on whom the standard of
American social and religious life is measured. So far as there can be
an American type on whom policies in public life are measured, that type
is today the breadwinner. In the city the breadwinner is a working man
or an immigrant. In the country the marginal man is the tenant farmer;
or a working farmer, though he be the owner. The marginal man represents
the value of all men in the community.

The law of diminishing returns work