登陆注册
5381100000126

第126章

Is it fraudulent to mix wines? Chaptal, in his treatise on the art of making wine, advises this as eminently useful; on the other hand, experience proves that certain wines, in some way antagonistic to each other or incompatible, produce by their mixture a disagreeable and unhealthy drink.Then you are obliged to say what wines can be usefully mixed, and what cannot.Is it fraudulent to aromatize, alcoholize, and water wines? Chaptal recommends this also; and everybody knows that this drugging produces sometimes advantageous results, sometimes pernicious and detestable effects.What substances will you proscribe? In what cases? In what proportion? Will you prohibit chicory in coffee, glucose in beer, water, cider, and three-six alcohol in wine?

The Chamber of Deputies, in the rude attempt at a law which it was pleased to make this year regarding the adulteration of wines, stopped in the very middle of its work, overcome by the inextricable difficulties of the question.

It succeeded in declaring that the introduction of water into wine, and of alcohol above the proportion of eighteen per cent., was fraudulent, and in putting this fraud into the category of offences.It was on the ground of ideology; there one never meets an obstacle.But everybody has seen in this redoubling of severity the interest of the treasury much more than that of the consumer; the Chamber did not dare to create a whole army of wine- tasters, inspectors, etc., to watch for fraud and identify it, and thus load the budget with a few extra millions; in prohibiting watering and alcoholization, the only means left to the merchant-manufacturers of putting wine within the reach of all and realizing profits, it did not succeed in increasing the market by a decrease in production.The chamber, in a word, in prosecuting the adulteration of wines, has simply set back the limits of fraud.To make its work accomplish its purpose it would first have to show how the liquor trade is possible without adulteration, and how the people can buy unadulterated wine, -- which is beyond the competency and escapes the capacity of the Chamber.

If you wish the consumer to be guaranteed, both as to value and as to healthfulness, you are forced to know and to determine all that constitutes good and honest production, to be continually at the heels of the manufacturer, and to guide him at every step.He no longer manufactures; you, the State, are the real manufacturer.

Thus you find yourself in a trap.Either you hamper the liberty of commerce by interfering in production in a thousand ways, or you declare yourself sole producer and sole merchant.

In the first case, through annoying everybody, you will finally cause everybody to rebel; and sooner or later, the State getting itself expelled, trade-marks will be abolished.In the second you substitute everywhere the action of power for individual initiative, which is contrary to the principles of political economy and the constitution of society.Do you take a middle course? It is favor, nepotism, hypocrisy, the worst of systems.

Suppose, now, that the marking be left to the manufacturer.I say that then the marks, even if made obligatory, will gradually lose their significance, and at last become only proofs of origin.He knows but little of commerce who imagines that a merchant, a head of a manufacturing enterprise, making use of processes that are not patentable, will betray the secret of his industry, of his profits, of his existence.The significance will then be a delusion; it is not in the power of the police to make it otherwise.

The Roman emperors, to discover the Christians who dissembled their religion, obliged everybody to sacrifice to the idols.They made apostates and martyrs;

and the number of Christians only increased.Likewise significant marks, useful to some houses, will engender innumerable frauds and repressions;

that is all that can be expected of them.To induce the manufacturer to frankly indicate the intrinsic composition -- that is, the industrial and commercial value - of his merchandise, it is necessary to free him from the perils of competition and satisfy his monopolistic instincts: can you do it? It is necessary, further, to interest the consumer in the repression of fraud, which, so long as the producer is not utterly disinterested, is at once impossible and contradictory.Impossible: place on the one hand a depraved consumer, China; on the other a desperate merchant, England;

between them a venomous drug causing excitement and intoxication; and, in spite of all the police in the world, you will have trade in opium.

Contradictory: in society the consumer and the producer are but one, --

that is, both are interested in the production of that which it is injurious to them to consume; and as, in the case of each, consumption follows production and sale, all will combine to guard the first interest, leaving it to each to guard himself against the second.

The thought which prompted trade-marks is of the same character as that which formerly inspired the maximum laws.Here again is one of the innumerable cross-roads of political economy.

It is indisputable that maximum laws, though made and supported by their authors entirely as a relief from famine, have invariably resulted in an aggravation of famine.Accordingly it is not injustice or malice with which the economists charge these abhorred laws, but stupidity, inexpediency.

But what a contradiction in the theory with which they oppose them!

To relieve famine it is necessary to call up provisions, or, to put it better, to bring them to light; so far there is nothing to reproach.

To secure a supply of provisions it is necessary to attract the holders by profits, excite their competition, and assure them complete liberty in the market: does not this process strike you as the absurdest homoeopathy?

How is it that the more easily I can be taxed the sooner I shall be provided?

同类推荐
  • 心经

    心经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Beauty and The Beast

    Beauty and The Beast

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上洞玄灵宝业太玄普慈劝世经

    太上洞玄灵宝业太玄普慈劝世经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 春闺辞二首

    春闺辞二首

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄庭外景经

    黄庭外景经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 眺望地平线:邓友梅传

    眺望地平线:邓友梅传

    他只有小学文化,却拥有“京味儿派”小说代表人物的美誉。他屡遭磨难、半世坎坷,却不屈于多舛命运,以笔做刀,雕刻出千年古都清明上河图般的历史风情画卷,在中国文坛放射出耀眼的光芒。而他的经历本身,就是一部修炼生命智慧、成就辉煌人生的传奇。《眺望地平线:邓友梅传》中,含有许多宝贵的邓先生的创作心得,因而《眺望地平线:邓友梅传》不仅是一部励志书籍,也是有志于文学创作的人可以汲取营养的文学宝典。
  • 梦灵乡

    梦灵乡

    一个庞大的家族,耗费巨资,用了100年打造出了一款游戏,主人公通过抽奖得到了世界上仅有的20000款测试版游戏登录头盔,至次,主人公成为了这个游戏里的玩家,踏上了游戏之旅的故事
  • 穿越带着98K

    穿越带着98K

    当叶君穿着吉利服苟在草丛里看着天空中飞过的一条金龙的时候,他才意识到这个世界有点麻烦。落地一把98K,穿越诸天万界。“人魔老爷子别急着吃,等我先舔个盒子!”“荒天帝,你慢慢打,我跟在你后面捡至尊盒就行了!”读者群:747082783
  • 琴医魅月

    琴医魅月

    这里是一个以琴为修炼的世界。腹黑+强大+性格诡异=女主。南宫月:废材体质,受尽冷眼,好在有一个天赋极强的哥哥,因为哥哥的庇护,才不被家族人去过,但是却在哥哥前去学院,家族因为利益将她送出去顶罪,没有人知道,早在N个月前,灵魂早已经变更。现代的凤月:天才医生,备受关注,性格却怪异,喜欢做的事情也是为所欲为,不过对待病人却是专心不二。琴气分为十等级,每个等级又分为十等。【某某腹黑男】“月月,你已经看过我的身体,你要对我负责。”某某腹黑男笑着道。南宫月冷冷一瞥,“我看了这么多身体,岂不是要我负责?”“那些无视,你只需要对我负责就可以了。”某男人自以为是的抛媚眼。【某某单纯男】“小月,为什么每次看到你,我觉得浑身这么热。”某某单纯男一脸纯洁的看着南宫月。南宫月真的是要吐血了,他为什么偏偏这个时候过来,“那是因为老娘在洗澡。”【某某闷骚男】“南宫月,你这样不对,你怎么可以这样呢?为什么这样呢?……(省略1000个字)”某某闷骚男在南宫月的耳边不断的嘀咕着。南宫月仰天问天,为什么给她遇上这么闷骚的人啊,偏偏还必须天天见。【某某男……】
  • 职场潜伏心理学

    职场潜伏心理学

    职场是人的江湖,有多少精明能干的高手没有输在刺刀见红的沙场,而是输在了暗流汹涌的内部关系上。我们每个职场人都需要了解心理学规律,掌握“职场读心术”,知己知彼才能百战百胜。本书精选世界上最权威的心理学定律,结合最生活化的案例,让你看透周围人的内心,在职场游刃有余!
  • 从零开始读懂销售学

    从零开始读懂销售学

    简单实用的销售书,总结了与成功销售息息相关的忠告和方法,提出了操作性强的销售技巧。帮助每一位有志成为销售精英人士提升业绩水平,走向成功之路。本书通过产品推介、客户沟通、客户谈判、成交细节等方方面面的介绍,让读者掌握销售中的各种细节问题,发挥优势,规避劣势,真正地以卖出产品为目标。
  • 噢!王子殿下们

    噢!王子殿下们

    一开始,因为一个与她毫不相干的女生,他讨厌她,想尽办法将她驱逐。后来,因为一个与她毫不相干的誓言,他将她锁在自己身边,即使不喜欢也无奈。渐渐,他将她笼进心中,原以为向全世界宣布她属于他就是永远。可是,她决然离开,理由就是:玩腻了。他悲愤交加之时,却看不到她转身后的眼泪。她被人秘密送出国外,却遭逢意外,毁容,右手神经损坏。一年后,她回国,容颜已改,原以为缘分已尽,却再一次沦陷在痛苦中。
  • 每天学一点管理心理学

    每天学一点管理心理学

    《读人先读心心理丛书:每天学一点管理心理学》将为你揭示管理与心理学之间千丝万缕的关联,并为你展示合理运用二者所能缔造的管理奇迹……对于成功的管理者来说,掌握了揣摩人心的基本功,才能知其所需、投其所好,以激励人心,创建高效团队;掌握了快速识人的途径,才能用人之长、避人之短,以合理放权、控制,完成工作任务。
  • 卦山

    卦山

    本书内容包括:易经八卦、鬼斧神工、琼浆玉液、华严道场、凝固音乐、华严经塔、六六台阶、天下太平、书上有庙等。
  • 相别

    相别

    于飞是一个穷苦人家的男孩子,长得英俊潇洒;方如是一个富裕人家的女孩子,长得也是楚楚动人。他们一见钟情,相处有很多笑料。但是,结局令人唏嘘不已!