The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-04-22

speaks OIL an economical superiority
enjoyed by Protestant countries be-
cause they have not SO many holy
days as Catholics. There is, however,
plenty OF evidence to lead us to be-
lieve that he was a Catholic. i'll the
first place, his people in Ireland were
Catholic. Then his cousin, who was
likewise a banker in Paris, did a large
part of the banking business for the
Irish Catholics who had come to
France after the defeat OF James II.
OF England Moreover. Cantillon in
1922 married Mary Mahony, daughter
of the Lady Glare by her second hus-
band, Daniel Mahony. The Mahonys
We're undoubtedly Catholic Sir llor-
ace Walpole, in a letter to q friend a
generation later, writes OF the mar
riage OF Lord Stafford to Cantillon's
daughter and says that they were
both Of the same religion. have spent
| to get statement OF Lord Stafford's
, (the third earl's) religio1, but with
| out success. However, find that Two
OF his sisters were nuns and that Il
third was married to n French Cath
Ole. 1t would seem then that Stat
ford, was of the faith. and, therefore,
Cantillon's daughter was. Cantillons S
Widow married a Mr. Bulkeley, an
irish Catholic. There is therefore
every reason TO believe that CantillOn
was a Catholic, although we have no
! direct evidence 10 show that he work.
ed at it. Certainly he was not a
Protestant.
First Systematic Treatise.
TO establish conclusively Cantillons
claim as founder of the science Of
political economy IL would be neces-
snry to show that his "Essai" is the
first systematic treatise which deals
with the problems or modern polti-
ical economy and that his work was
an inspiration and a guide for later
writer's. This would mean practically
| to 90 minutely into the history or
economic literature. Obviously such
a mode of procedure is out of place
in the present article. All that we
can do here is present the opinion
of two or three economists who are
entitled to IN opinion in the matter.
| Mr. Henry lliggs, The ablesi and
most authoritative English historian
Of the French economists of the eigh-
teenth century. writing in The Econ
onlic Journal (Volume J., p. 2G2), says
Cantilon exercised 80 powerful an
influence upon the best intellects Of
the time in his own department Of
knowledge that he may fairly be
called prior TO Adam Smith. the eco
! nomisL's economist. His posthumous
''lLssai sur la Nature du Commerce
Ell General 1775), was studied in
! France by philosophers like COndil-
lac, by publicisls like Condillac's
brother, the Able de Mably,
and by the leaders OF the Physiocrat-
es, Gournay, Quesnay and Mirabeau."
was referred to by Adam
Smith, and, in its English dress, was
quoted by Sir james Stewart. ''Thcre
is reason to think that the direct in
fiuence of Can'ilIon upon Adam Smith
was not unimpOrtant.'
Gle, probably, however. owed still
more to Cantillon Indirectly, through
! the Physiocratcs. "Purged Of
insularty by foreign residence and
| tional system of economies" And
in another place Mr.. Higgs speaks
of "Cantillon's 'Essai' which is not
only much ahead of its time, but in
spirit, method and completeness may
! fairly be called the first systematic
/ treatise on economics, and, above all,
is known to have profoundly influence
ed the movement of economic
thought"
The late w. Stanley Jevons, in
speaking OF CantilIon's "IIssai,' says:
''The book itself is divided into three
parts. The third part treats
OF foreign commerce, the foreign ex-
changes, banking and reiinements of
credit The 'Essai' is far more than
a mere essay or even collection OF
disconnected essays like those of
Hume. IT. Is a systematic and con.
nected treatise, going nearly over the
whole field of economies, with the ex-
! ccption Of taxation. 1t is thus, more
| than any other book ] know, the first
treatise on economics Can
! tillon's essay is, more emphatically
than any other single work, the Cra
die Of Political Economy
To Enforce Decree.
Davenport, Ia, April 15.-Bishor