The effect of the civil war is now beginning to show itself in an unmistakable drift toward the investigation of economic questions, and there is a distinctly energetic tone which may bring new contributions from American writers. General Francis A. Walker,[96] in his study on “The Wages Question” (1876), has combated the wages-fund theory, and proposed in its place a doctrine that wages are paid out of the product, and not out of accumulated capital. Professor W. G. Sumner[97] is a vigorous writer in the school of Mill and Cairnes, and has done good work in the cause of sound money doctrines. Both General Walker and Professor Sumner hold to the method of economic investigation as expounded by Mr. Cairnes; although several younger economists show the influence of the German school. Professor A. L. Perry,[98] of Williams College, adopted Bastiat's theory of value. He also accepts the wages-fund theory, rejects the law of Malthus, and, although believing in the law of diminishing returns from land, regards rent as the reward for a service rendered. Another writer, Henry George,[99] has gained an abnormal prominence by a plausible book, “Progress and Poverty” (1880), which rejects the doctrine of Malthus, and argues that the increase of production of any kind augments the demand for land, and so raises its value. His conclusions lead him to advocate the nationalization of land. Although in opposition to almost all that political economy has yet produced, his writing has drawn to him very unusual notice. The increasing interest in social questions, and the general lack of economic training, which prevents a right estimate of his reasoning by people in general, sufficiently account for the wide attention he has received.
Of late, however, new activity has been shown in the establishment of better facilities for the study of political economy in the principal seats of learning—Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania: and a “Cyclopædia of Political Science” (1881-1884, three volumes) has been published by J. J. Lalor, after the example of the French dictionaries.
Books For Consultation (From English, French, And German Authors).
General Treatises forming a Parallel Course of Reading with Mill.
Professor Fawcett's “Manual of Political Economy” (London, sixth edition, 1883) is a brief statement of Mill's book, with additional matter on the precious metals, slavery, trades-unions, co-operation, local taxation, etc.
Antoine-Élise Cherbuliez's “Précis de la science économique” (Paris, 1862, 2 vols.) follows the same arrangement as Mill, and is considered the best treatise on economic science in the French language. He is methodical, profound, and clear, and separates pure from applied political economy.
Other excellent books in French are: Courcelle-Seneuil's “Traité théorique et pratique d'économie politique” (1858), (Paris, second edition, 1867, 2 vols.), and a compendium by Henri Baudrillart, “Manuel d'économie politique” (third edition, 1872).
Roscher's “Principles of Political Economy” is a good example of the German historical method; its notes are crowded with facts; but the English translation (New York, 1878) is badly done. There is an excellent translation of it into French by Wolowski.
A desirable elementary work, “The Economics of Industry” (London, 1879), was prepared by Mr. and Mrs. Marshall.
Professor Jevons wrote a “Primer of Political Economy” (1878), which is a simple, bird's-eye view of the subject in a very narrow compass.
Important General Works.
Adam Smith's “Wealth of Nations” (1776). The edition of McCulloch is perhaps more serviceable than that of J. E. T. Rogers.
Ricardo's “Principles of Political Economy and Taxation” (1817).
J. S. Mill's “Principles of Political Economy” (2 vols., 1848—sixth edition, 1865).
Schönberg's “Handbuch der politischen Oekonomie” (1882). This is a large co-operative treatise by twenty-one writers from the historical school.
Cairnes's “Leading Principles of Political Economy” (1874); “Logical Method” (1875), lectures first delivered in Dublin in 1857.
Carey's “Social Science” (1877). This has been abridged in one volume by Kate McKean.
F. A. Walker's “Political Economy” (1883). This author differs from other economists, particularly on wages and questions of distribution.
H. George's “Progress and Poverty” (1879). In connection with this, read F. A. Walker's “Land and Rent” (1884).
Treatises on Special Subjects.
W. T. Thornton's “On Labor” (1869).
McLeod's “Theory and Practice of Banking” (second edition, 1875-1876).
M. Block's “Traité théorique et pratique de statistique” (1878).
Goschen's “Theory of Foreign Exchanges” (eighth edition, 1875).
J. Caird's “Landed Interest” (fourth edition, 1880), treating of English land and the food-supply.
W. G. Sumner's “History of American Currency” (1874).
John Jay Knox's “United States Notes” (1884).
Jevons's “Money and the Mechanism of Exchange” (1875).
Tooke and Newmarch's “History of Prices” (1837-1856), in six volumes.
Leroy-Beaulieu's “Traité de la science des finances” (1883). This is an extended work, in two volumes, on taxation and finance; “Essai sur la répartition des richesses” (second edition, 1883).
F. A. Walker's “The Wages Question” (1876); “Money” (1878).
L. Reybaud's “Études sur les réformateurs contemporains, ou socialistes modernes” (seventh edition, 1864).
Dictionaries.
McCulloch's “Commercial Dictionary” (new and enlarged edition, 1882).
Lalor's “Cyclopædia of Political Science” (1881-84) is devoted to articles on political science, political economy, and American history.
96
The son of Amasa Walker, and formerly Professor of Political Economy and History in the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College, he has become well known for his statistical work in connection with the United States census. His “Statistical Atlas of the United States” (1874) is unequaled. He has also published “Money” (1878); “Money, Trade, and Industry” (1879); “Political Economy” (1883); and “Land and Rent” (1884). The last book replies to various attacks on Ricardo's doctrine of rent, and particularly to Henry George's “Progress and Poverty.” General Walker in 1883 became President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. He is also well known as an advocate of bimetallism.
97
Professor of Political and Social Science in Yale College, and author of a “History of American Currency” (1874); “Lectures on the History of Protection in the United States” (1877); “What Social Classes owe to Each Other” (1883). He is a monometallist, and has devoted himself vigorously to the advocacy of free trade. His last book is a study in sociology, not in political economy.
98
He has written “Political Economy” (eighteenth edition, 1883), and also “Introduction to Political Economy,” an elementary work on the same basis as the former.
99
Henry George was born in Philadelphia, 1839, ran away to sea, and in 1857 entered a printing-office in San Francisco. In 1871 he was one of the founders of the “San Francisco Post,” which he gave up in 1875, and received a public office. He first began to agitate his views in a pamphlet entitled “Our Land and Land Policy” (1871), but not until the comparative leisure of his occupation (1875) gave him opportunity did he seriously begin the study which resulted in his “Progress and Poverty.” This volume was begun in the summer of 1877, and finished in the spring of 1879. The sale of the book, it is needless to say, has been phenomenal. He has also applied his doctrine of land to Ireland, in a pamphlet entitled “The Irish Land Question” (1882). His last book is a collection of essays entitled “Social Problems” (1884). His home is now in New York.