Quote:
Originally Posted by aceventura3
Lincoln was a mercantilist. He strongly supported protectionism through targeted tariffs and centralized subsidizing of domestic production. He did not support free market concepts. Ironically mercantilism being imposed by the King of England lead to the American Revolution. Lincoln was not a champion of capitalism or free markets in the tradition of Adam Smith.
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Adam Smith, a British economist who has been quoted by American statesmen, and Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, wrote, in his book Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, "If the free importation of foreign manufactures were permitted, several of the home manufactures would probably suffer, and some of them, perhaps, go to ruin altogether...". He noted that "two great engines for enriching the country, therefore, were restraints upon importation, and encouragements to exportation." Mr. Smith had studied under Professor Francis Hutcheson, who had written, in his book System of Moral Philosophy, in the chapter Of the Nature of Civil Laws and their Execution: "Foreign materials should be imported and even premiums given, when necessary, that all our own hands may be employed; and that, by exporting them again manufactured, we may obtain from abroad the price of our labours. Foreign manufactures and products ready for consumption should be made dear to the consumer by high duties, if we cannot altogether prohibit the consumption;..."
How does this differ from Lincoln's premises?