Part 7 (1/2)

”We answer you:

”You have no longer any right to cite the interest of the consumer For whenever this has been found to compete with that of the producer, you have invariably sacrificed the first You have done this to _encourage labor_, to _increase the demand for labor_ The same reason should now induce you to act in the same manner

”You have yourselves already answered the objection When you were told: The consumer is interested in the free introduction of iron, coal, corn, wheat, cloths, etc, your ansas: Yes, but the producer is interested in their exclusion Thus, also, if the consuht, we, the producers, pray for its interdiction

”You have also said, the producer and the consuains by protection, he will cause the agriculturist to gain also; if agriculture prospers, it opens a oods Thus we, if you confer upon us thethe day, will as a first consequence buy large quantities of tallow, coals, oil, resin, wax, alcohol, silver, iron, bronze, crystal, for the supply of our business; and then we and our nu becoreat, and will beco to the comfort and competency of the workers in every branch of national labor

”Will you say that the light of the sun is a gratuitous gift, and that to repulse gratuitous gifts, is to repulse riches under pretence of encouraging thethem?

”Take care,--you carry the death-blow to your own policy Ren produce, _because_ it was an approach to a gratuitous gift, and _the more in proportion_ as this approach wasthe wishes of other rant our petition there is a much _fuller inducement_ To repulse us, precisely for the reason that our case is a more complete one than any which have preceded it, would be to lay down the following equation: + + =-; in other words, it would be to accumulate absurdity upon absurdity

”Labor and Nature concur in different proportions, according to country and climate, in every article of production The portion of Nature is always gratuitous; that of labor alone regulates the price

”If a Lisbon orange can be sold at half the price of a Parisian one, it is because a natural and gratuitous heat does for the one, what the other only obtains from an artificial and consequently expensive one

”When, therefore, we purchase a Portuguese orange, we ratuitously and half by the right of labor; in other words, at _half price_ compared to those of Paris

”Now it is precisely on account of this _deue in favor of exclusion How, you say, could national labor sustain the co to do, and the last is rid of half the trouble, the sun taking the rest of the business upon hiratuity_ can determine you to check coratuity_ be alleged as a reason for adratuity as hurtful to human labor, you do not _a fortiori_, and with double zeal, reject the full gratuity

”Again, when any article, as coal, iron, cheese, or cloth, con countries with less labor than if we produced it ourselves, the difference in price is a _gratuitous gift_ conferred upon us; and the gift is reater or less It is the quarter, the half, or the three-quarters of the value of the produce, in proportion as the foreign merchant requires the three-quarters, the half, or the quarter of the price It is as complete as possible when the producer offers, as the sun does with light, the whole in free gift The question is, and we put it forratuitous consues of laborious production Choose, but be consistent And does it not argue the greatest inconsistency to check as you do the in manufacture, merely because and even in proportion as their price approaches _zero_, while at the saht of the sun, whose price is during the whole day at _zero_?”

VIII

DISCRIMINATING DUTIES

A poor laborer of Gironde had raised, with the greatest possible care and attention, a nursery of vines, fro a pipe of wine, and forgot, in the joy of his success, that each drop of this precious nectar had cost a drop of sweat to his broill sell it, said he to his wife, and with the proceeds I will buy thread, which will serve you to hter The honest countryian The Belgian said to hiive you fifteen bundles of thread The Englishive you twenty bundles, for we English can spin cheaper than the Belgians But a custoood fellow, ian, but it is lishman What! exclaimed the countryman, you wish me to take fifteen bundles of Brussels thread, when I can have twenty from Manchester? Certainly; do you not see that France would be a loser, if you were to receive twenty bundles instead of fifteen? I can scarcely understand this, said the laborer Nor can I explain it, said the custom-house officer, but there is no doubt of the fact; for deputies, ree that a people is ie coiven quantity of its produce The countryian His daughter received but three-fourths of her _trousseau_; and these good folks are still puzzling themselves to discover how it can happen that people are ruined by receiving four instead of three; and why they are richer with three dozen towels instead of four

IX

WONDERFUL DISCOVERY!

At thisto discover the most economical means of transportation; when, to put theserivers, perfecting stea various systems of traction, atmospheric, hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, etc,--at thisin sincerity and with ardor the solution of this probles in their place of consumption, as near as possible to their price in that of production_”--

I would believea culpable part towards e in which I live, and towards er to keep secret the wonderful discovery which I have just made

I am well aware that the self-illusions of inventors have become proverbial, but I have, nevertheless, thediscovered an infalliblethe produce of the entire world into France, and reciprocally to transport ours, with a very important reduction of price

Infallible! and yet this is but a single one of the advantages ofinvention, which requires neither plans nor devices, neither preparatory studies, nor engineers, nor overner of shi+pwrecks, of explosions, of shocks, of fire, nor of displacement of rails! It can be put into practice without preparation from one day to another!

Finally, and this will, no doubt, recommend it to the public, it will not increase taxes one cent; but the contrary It will not augencies of government officers; but the contrary It will put in hazard the liberty of no one; but the contrary

I have been led to this discovery not from accident, but observation, and I will tell you how

I had this question to determine:

”Why does any article made, for instance, at Brussels, bear an increased price on its arrival at Paris?”

It was immediately evident to me that this was the result of _obstacles_ of various kinds existing between Brussels and Paris First, there is _distance_, which cannot be overcome without trouble and loss of time; and either we must sub them for us Then come rivers, swamps, accidents, heavy and muddy roads; these are so many _difficulties_ to be overcoes built, roads cut and paved, railroads established, etc But all this is costly, and the article transported must bear its portion of the expense There are robbers, too, on the roads, and this necessitates guards, a police, etc