366 BRITAIN FOR THE BRITON 



of the economical position of the British people. These statistics 

 clearly prove that none of these evils liave happened to other 

 conntries by growinL,^ their own corn, which " The Free-trade 

 Movement" postulates for Great Britain, nor have they — put 

 hack their progress. On the contrary, they have progressed more 

 than we have, and the British public will determine if there is 

 the slightest warrant for the position assumed by the writer of 

 the work in question. 



It has been conclusively proved by the position of other 

 countries that " to he self-sujficinf/ rt.s regards food " is not to 

 put back national progress, and, this being so, no man, whether 

 lie approaches so grave a matter from a purely party point of 

 view for the sole purpose of catching votes, or from the less 

 sordid point of view of the scientific student, as the writer 

 of " The Free-trade Movement " appears to have done, can 

 ever plead justification for misleading the people. He either 

 knows what he is doing, or he does not know. If he knows and 

 gives out to tlie world that which is not true, he wilfully deceives. 

 If he does not know and yet sows an untruth, he may escape 

 the charge of wilful deception, but he can never be exonerated 

 for the mischief done. In the case we are considering it appears 

 that the writer of " The Free-trade Movement," while doubtless 

 believing in the conclusions which were forced upon him after 

 a long study of the subject, gave to the world certain " beliefs " 

 which it would appear were established on so unstable a basis 

 as to be easily overturned the moment they came in contact 

 with the solid structure of living truth. 



A Network of Fallacies 



Indeed, it would appear that the arguments arrived at in 

 " The Free-trade Movement," such as they are, are founded on 

 a veritable network of fallacies, or on that still more dangerous 

 quality — half truths. Tennyson truly said — 



" A lie that is all a lie may be met with and fought outright, 

 But a lie that is half a truth is a harder matter to flight." 



*&' 



In every chapter of " The Free-trade Movement " a number 

 of economic conclusions are arrived at which, while at first 

 sight, being apparently convincing and, indeed, almost unassail- 

 able as ahstract principles — are, nevertheless, utterly fallacious 

 in most cases when reduced to their proper denomination, namely 

 — concrete examj^les hased wpon common-sense pri7iciples and the 

 everyday requirements of the people. A few of these airy economi- 

 cal bubbles have been pricked in these pages, but as the book 

 we are quoting from is full of economic theorems and dicta, 



