[De la richesse commerciale, Sismondi, 1803, Original, 334-35]
Quand le commerce est absolument libre, le prix relatif, qui est celui qu’offre le consommateur, est toujours fondé sur un prix intrinsèque, mais c’est sur le plus bas de ceux qui sont en concurrence. Quand un marchand ne peut pas vendre à son prix intrinsèque, c’est qu’un autre marchand vend à meilleur marché que lui, des marchandises ou semblables aux siennes, ou propres à les remplacer; mais certainement ce second marchand ne vend à plus bas prix, que parce que sa marchandise lui revient moins cher, ou que son prix intrinsèque est moindre pour lui. C’est donc toujours un prix intrinsèque que paye le consommateur, et dans ce prix sont toujours compris, la rente des terres, le profit des capitaux, et le salaire superflu du travail, ou toutes les sources de revenu d’une nation. Le plus bas prix intrinsèque possible est donc le seul qui soit également avantageux, et aux trois classes productives, dont il assure les revenus, et à la nation entière composée de consommateurs, dont il ne dissipe pas les moyens de subsistance.
[Translation]
When trade is completely free, the relative price, which is that which the consumer offers, is always founded upon an intrinsic price, but it is upon the lowest of those which are in competition. If a merchant cannot sell a commodity at its intrinsic price, it is because another merchant sells some commodity similar to his or capable of replacing his at a lower price than him. But certainly this second merchant sells at a lower price only because his commodity costs him less or because its intrinsic price is lower for him. Therefore, it is always an intrinsic price that the consumer pays, and rent of land, profit of capital, and surplus wages of labour, or all the sources of revenue of a nation are always included in this price. The lowest intrinsic price possible is, therefore, the only one which may be advantageous equally to the three productive classes whom it assures of the revenue, and to the whole nation composed of consumers the means of whose subsistence it does not dissipate.
