Part 20 (2/2)

”DEAR MR EDITOR:--You upset all my ideas I preached in favor of free trade, and found it very convenient to put prominently forward the idea of _cheapness_ I went everywhere, saying, ”With free trade, bread, meat, woolens, linen, iron and coal will fall in price” This displeased those who sold, but delighted those who bought Now, you raise a doubt as to whether _cheapness_ is the result of free trade

But if not, of what use is it? What will the people gain, if foreign competition, which may interfere with them in their sales, does not favor them in their purchases?”

MY DEAR FREE TRADER:--Allow us to say that you have but half read the article which provoked your letter We said that free trade acted precisely like roads, canals and railways, like everything which facilitates co which destroys obstacles Its first tendency is to increase the quantity of the article which is relieved from duties, and consequently to lower its price But by increasing, at the sas for which this article is exchanged, it increases the _demand_, and consequently the price rises You ask us what the people will gain

Suppose they have a balance with certain scales, in each one of which they have for their use a certain quantity of the articles which you have enuradually sink, but if an equal quantity of cloth, iron and coal is added in the others, the equilibriu at the bea at the people, we shall see them better fed, clothed and warmed

”DEAR MR EDITOR:--I am a cloth manufacturer, and a protectionist I confess that your article on _dearness_ and _cheapness_ has ledspecious about it, and if well proven, would work my conversion”

MY DEAR PROTECTIONIST:--We say that the end and aiful one--_artificial dearness_ But we do not say that they always realize the hopes of those who initiate them It is certain that they inflict on the consumer all the evils of dearness It is not certain that the producer gets the profit Why? Because if they diminish the supply they also diminish the _deement of this world there is arun causes inordinate ambition to become the prey of a delusion

Pray, notice, sir, that one of the elements of the prosperity of each special branch of industry is the general prosperity The rent of a house is not merely in proportion to what it has cost, but also to the number and means of the tenants Do two houses which are precisely alike necessarily rent for the same sum? Certainly not, if one is in Paris and the other in Lower Brittany Let us never speak of a price without regarding the _conditions_, and let us understand that there is nothing more futile than to try to build the prosperity of the parts on the ruin of the whole This is the attempt of the restrictive system

Coreeable to those who are affected by it Thus we see that in all tiet rid of it We know, and you too, perhaps, a municipal council where the resident n ones Their projectiles are import duties, fines, etc, etc

Now, just think ould have become of Paris, for instance, if this war had been carried on there with success

Suppose that the first shoe out all others, and that the first tailor, the first mason, the first printer, the first watchmaker, the first hair-dresser, the first physician, the first baker, had been equally fortunate Paris would still be a village, with twelve or fifteen hundred inhabitants But it was not thus Each one, except those whom you still keep away, came to make money in this market, and that is precisely what has built it up

It has been a long series of collisions for the enemies of competition, and from one collision after another, Paris has becoeneral prosperity has gained by this, doubtless, but have the shoe by it? For you, this is the question As competitors came, you said: The price of boots will fail Has it been so? No, for if the _supply_ has increased, the _demand_ has increased also

Thus will it be with cloth; therefore let it come in It is true that you will have more competitors, but you will also have more custo nine-tenths of your country the winter of that superior cloth that youlesson to learn If you wish to prosper, let your customers do the same

When this is once known, each one will seek his welfare in the general welfare Then, jealousies between individuals, cities, provinces and nations, will no longer vex the world

VI

TO ARTISANS AND LABORERS

Many papers have attacked me before you Will you not read my defense?

I am not mistrustful When a man writes or speaks, I believe that he thinks what he says

What is the question? To ascertain which is the eous for you, restriction or liberty

I believe that it is liberty; they believe it is restriction; it is for each one to prove his case

Was it necessary to insinuate that we are the agents of England?

You will see how easy recrients of the English, because so_, _free trader_!