—Certainly.
—Then it is not absolutely necessary to make what one consumes?
—No, if one makes something else, and gives it in exchange.
—In other words, France has two ways of procuring a given quantity of cloth. The first is to make it, and the second is to make something else, and exchange that something else abroad for cloth. Of these two ways, which is the best?
—I do not know.
—Is it not that which, for a fixed amount of labor, gives the greatest quantity of cloth?
—It seems so.
—Which is best for a nation, to have the choice of these two ways, or to have the law forbid its using one of them at the risk of rejecting the best?
—It seems to me that it would be best for the nation to have the choice, since in these matters it always makes a good selection.
—The law which prohibits the introduction of foreign cloth, decides, then, that if France wants cloth, it must make it at home, and that it is forbidden to make that something else with which it could purchase foreign cloth?