Taking Five And Returning Four Is Not

It Is Not True That The Legislator Has Absolute Power Over Our Persons And Property, Since They Pre-exist, And His Work Is Only To Secure Them From Injury. It Is Not True That The Mission Of The Law Is To Regulate Our Consciences, Our Ideas, Our Will, Our Education, Our Sentiments, Our Works, Our Exchanges, Our Gifts, Our Enjoyments. Its Mission Is To Prevent The Rights Of One From Interfering With Those Of Another, In Any One Of These Things.

If You Wish To Prosper, Let Your Customer Prosper. When People Have Learned This Lesson, Everyone Will Seek His Individual Welfare In The General Welfare. Then Jealousies Between Man And Man, City And City, Province And Province, Nation And Nation, Will No Longer Trouble The World.

In An Economy, An Act, A Habit, An Institution, Or A Law, Gives Birth Not Only To An Effect, But To A Series Of Effects. Of These Effects, The First Only Is Immediate; It Manifests Itself Simultaneously With Its Cause - It Is Seen. The Others Unfold In Succession - They Are Not Seen. Now This Difference Is Enormous, For It Is Often True That When The Immediate Consequence Is Favorable, The Ultimate Consequences Are Fatal, And The Converse.

Now Since Man Is Naturally Inclined To Avoid Pain - And Since Labor Is Pain In Itself - It Follows That Men Will Resort To Plunder Whenever Plunder Is Easier Than Work. History Shows This Quite Clearly. And Under These Conditions, Neither Religion Nor Morality Can Stop It. When, Then, Does Plunder Stop? It Stops When It Becomes More Painful And More Dangerous Than Labor.

The Balance Of Trade Is An Article Of Faith.