What Is Free Trade? - An Adaptation of Frederic Bastiat's "Sophismes Éconimiques" Designed for the American Reader by Frédéric Bastiat
page 72 of 142 (50%)
page 72 of 142 (50%)
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having discovered an infallible means of bringing produce from all
parts of the world into the United States, and reciprocally to transport ours, with a very important reduction of price. Infallible! and yet this is but a single one of the advantages of my astonishing invention, which requires neither plans nor devices, neither preparatory studies, nor engineers, nor machinists, nor capital, nor stockholders, nor governmental assistance! There is no danger of shipwrecks, of explosions, of shocks of fire, nor of displacement of rails! It can be put into practice without preparation almost any day we think proper! Finally: and this will, no doubt, recommend it to the public, it will not increase the Budget one cent; but the contrary. It will not augment the number of office-holders, nor the exigencies of State; but the contrary. It will put in hazard the liberty of no one; but on the contrary, it will secure to each a greater freedom. I have been led to this discovery, not from accident, but from observation, and I will tell you how. I had this question to determine: "Why does any article made, for instance, at Montreal, bear an increased price on its arrival at New York?" It was immediately evident to me that this was the result of _obstacles_ of various kinds existing between Montreal and New York. First, there is _distance_, which cannot be overcome without trouble and loss of time; and either we must submit to these troubles and |
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