While the price of sale being seven francs, foreign iron could not obtain a market at eight.
In these two systems the principle is the same; the effect is the same.
There is but this single difference; in the first case the expense of protection is paid by a part, in the second by the whole of the community.
I frankly confess my preference for the second system, which I regard as more just, more economical and more legal.

More just, because, if society wishes to give bounties to some of its members, the whole community ought to contribute; more economical, because it would banish many difficulties, and save the expenses of collection; more legal, lastly, because the public would see clearly into the operation, and know what was required of it.
But if the protective system had taken this form, would it not have been laughable enough to hear it said, "We pay heavy taxes for the army, the navy, the judiciary, the public works, the schools, the public debt, etc.

These amount to more than a thousand million.

It would therefore be desirable that the State should take another thousand million, to relieve the poor iron manufacturers; or the suffering stockholders of coal mines; or those unfortunate lumber dealers, or the useful codfishery." This, it must be perceived, by an attentive investigation, is the result of the Sophism in question.

In vain, gentlemen, are all your efforts; you cannot _give money_ to one without taking it from another.