A SYNOPSIS 387 



existence and special treatment. Nations, like individuals, are 

 gregarious in tlieir habits, and, if isolated, are apt to develop an 

 amount of morltidity dangerous to their existence. 



It was admittedly wise to turn to account the enormous 

 wealth which this country possessed in its mineral and 

 industrial resources, in the industrial skill of its people, and 

 in its great mercantile marine ; but it was unwise and quite 

 unnecessary to suppose that, in order to accomplish this purpose, 

 it was obligatory to create for it a separate and unique economic 

 existence which is as alien to the economic usage of all civilised 

 States as a tropical orchid is to the uncongenial climate of 

 Lapland. 



The production of mineral wealth, the development of 

 industrialism, and the increase of national trade, could have 

 been carried on quite well side by side with a great agricultural 

 industry ; indeed, this latter industry, if left to its natural line 

 of progression, would have advanced proportionably, and have 

 been conterminous with its sister industries in all progressive 

 movements. That this is true is proved by the single fact that 

 in every civilised country in the world, cxcci^t our own, agri- 

 culture has developed side by side in progressive prosperity 

 with all other industries. 



Great Britain was, then, separated from the community of 

 nations by a band of manufacturer-reformers, and made to 

 undergo a separate existence. She was made to live apart 

 from her sister States in respect to economic usage, and was 

 subjected to a course of treatment so severe and yet so unneces- 

 sary that she has never recovered. This was the fundamental 

 blunder. 



The next monumental en"or was in regarding the unnatural 

 outgrowth of evils, which necessarily resulted from so unnatural 

 a proceeding, as a deep-seated disease requiring high professional 

 skill and scientific knowledge in its treatment, because such an 

 attitude was bound to attract a veritable host of " experts," who 

 would prove as resourceful in their " scientific " remedies as a 

 c[uack doctor with his antidotes, prophylactics, and other un- 

 desirable nostrums. 



In damming the stream of agriculture the people's great 

 source of employment was cut off, and, as a very natural result, 

 the overflow is felt to-day in every profession, trade, and 

 industry, causing congested labour markets, unemployment, 

 poverty, and many other evils which so foolish, so unnatural, 

 and yet so unnecessary an action was bound to produce. 



The obvious course to pursue here was not to treat these 

 results as belonging to a group of inevitable diseases which are 

 as certain to appear in the body politic, from time to time, as 



