m an examination of the custom-house
returns of Continental countries.

Of course few persons could now be found to defend the ancient
superstitions of the "Mercantile Theory." But there yet remain among us
many who have a dislike to large imports, and who think an excess of
exports a fortunate condition and one which furnishes evidence of the
advantage of a protective policy. The considerations set forth in this
paper, which have been more elaborately represented in the writings of
Bastiat, Mongredien, and Leone Levi, show clearly that an excess of
imports is not paid for in specie, but in goods; that it does not
represent a debt owed by the country, but the payment of a debt to it;
that instead of being a bad condition, it is a good one, because it is
good both for individuals and for countries that debts owing to them
should be paid; and that in fact there is no such thing as the once
famous "balance of trade."

A PLEA FOR THE PARENT.

It is somewhat strange that while our social structure trembles with
affright at the bare mention of communism, one of the most popular
institutions in our midst is as pure an instance of communism as ever
human ingenuity devised. We refer to our common-school system. It was
invented not only to give the State control of the children, but so
arranged, the authors thought and its supporters teach, to force the
rich through taxation to educate the children of the poor.

To put it in a more homely fashion, it is a process through which Jacob
Thomas, being with or without children, but viciously possessed of
property, shall be made to educate the children of John Smith, who has
virtuously a large family of children, and is poor.

It is claimed that wealth owes this to the government for the protection
which popular education gives to property: and so the government robs in
one direction to prevent robbery in another.

There are, however, two well-known truths that make this conclusion
erroneous. The first is, that it is not property that pays taxes or,
indeed, aught else, but labor. It is through labor that all values are
developed. The other truth, not so generally recognized, but yet a
truth, is that education does not make property more secure. On the
contrary, it adds to the insecurity complained of.

Instead, then, of having the rich pay for the education of the poor, the
wage-worker not only pays for the so-called education of his own
children, but that of his more fortunat