182 STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL chap. 



commerce ; and, fourthly, that it would be systematically 

 evaded, and is therefore impracticable. 



As to its complexity, I reply that it would really be the 

 most simple of all tariffs, since it would be determined by 

 a single self-adjusting principle. The fact that the various 

 lists of duties imposed by foreign nations would be lengthy, 

 is really of no importance whatever. When alphabetically 

 arranged, it is not more difficult to find one item among a 

 thousand than it is among five hundred. It may also be 

 said that we could not ascertain in many cases what the 

 foreign duties really are, owing to the complications 

 introduced by bounties, drawbacks, and various kinds of 

 imposts distinct from the nominal import duty. But if 

 we could not precisely estimate the amount of protection 

 afforded in every case, Ave certainly could do so approxi- 

 mately ; and we might trust to our consuls and our custom- 

 house officials to arrive at a sufficiently accurate 

 estimate. 



If my proposal should not at first satisfy the present 

 demand of our manufacturers for reciprocity, I am sorry 

 for it ; but that does not in the least affect the proposal 

 itself, which has to be judged by the rules of logic, 

 common sense, and expediency. I put it forward as being 

 strictly in accordance with the essential spirit of free 

 trade ; as a principle of action which has nothing in 

 common with protection in any form, since its whole 

 purport and effect is to neutralise all attempts at a 

 protectionist j^olicy by other countries. Argument and 

 example have alike foiled to influence them, but a check- 

 mate of this kind may have a different result. 



As to the third objection I maintain, that commerce 

 exists, or ought to exist, for the good of the nation, not 

 the nation for the good of commerce. If I have shown 

 that the system of strict and detailed reciprocity here 

 proposed would give us the most important of the benefits 

 and blessings of free trade, and would thus be for the 

 advantage of our entire industrial population, I need not 

 concern myself to show that a section of the community 

 which may have gained by the present false and one-sided 

 policy will suffer no inconvenience should that policy be 



