[De la richesse commerciale, Sismondi, 1803, Original, 248-249]
Un manufacturier qui obtient un crédit de 100,000 francs, pour former une entreprise reconnue avantageuse, a assuré sa fortune pour sa vie; et ce prêt, quoiqu’il en paye les intérêts, lui donne bien plus d’aisance, qu’une somme égale que le Gouvernement lui paierait sans retour comme prime, pour encourager une nouvelle manufacture, qui ne pourrait sans secours vendre au prix relatif; car alors il en ferait profiter uniquement ses chalands. L’émulation entre les fabricants serait donc vivement excitée par l’espoir d’un pareil avantage; dix ou vingt concurrents se présenteraient chaque année, et ceux mêmes qui n’obtiendraient pas la palme, n’en seraient pas moins utiles à leur pays: les découvertes se multiplieraient, tous les travaux se perfectionneraient, nos artisans surpasseraient en industrie ceux de toutes les autres nations; loin de redouter la rivalité de ceux-ci, nous, irions provoquer la confrontation sur leurs propres marchés; et tandis que le commerce marcherait à grands pas vers la prospérité la plus éclatante, les consommateurs jouiraient de la totalité de leurs revenus, et seraient servis au plus bas prix possible par les artisans qui travailleraient pour eux.
[Translation]
A manufacturer who has 100,000 francs of credit, in order to form a business recognised as advantageous, have his fortune for his life; and this loan, though he pays the interest for it, gives him much more comfort than the same amount paid by the government to him without return as bounty, in order to encourage a new manufactory, which could not sell at a relative price with no aid, because then it would make his customers alone profit from that. The emulation among manufacturers would, therefore, be strongly excited by the hope of such an advantage. Ten or twenty rivals would appear every year, and even those who do not take the prize would be nonetheless useful to their country. The number of discoveries would be larger, all works would be improved, and our artisans would surpass those of all the other nations in industry. Far from fearing rivalry with them, we would come to face up to them in their own markets. While trade would rapidly reach toward prosperity of the most glory, consumers would enjoy all their revenue, and would be served at the lowest price possible by the artisans who would work for them.
