Picking Apart One of the Biggest Lies in American Politics: "Free Trade"

11. The facilitating of the transportation of commodities [Infrastructure].
There is, perhaps, scarcely any thing which has been better calculated to assist the manufacturers of Great Britain, than the melioration of the public roads of that kingdom, and the great progress which has been of l3ate made in opening canals. Of the former, the United States stand much in need;

These examples, it is to be hoped, will stimulate the exertions of the Government and citizens of every State. There can certainly be no object more worthy of the cares of the local administrations; and it were to be wished that there was no doubt of the power of the National Government to lend its direct aid on a comprehensive plan.

This is one of those improvements which could be prosecuted with more efficacy by the whole, than by any part or parts of the Union. "Good roads, canals, and navigable rivers, by diminishing the expense of carriage, put the remote parts of a country more nearly upon a level with those in the neighborhood of the town. They are, upon that account, the greatest of all improvement."

It may confidently be affirmed, that there is scarcely any thing which has been devised, better calculated to excite a general spirit of improvement, than the institutions of this nature. The are truly invaluable. In countries where there is great private wealth, much may be effected by the voluntary contributions of patriotic individuals; but in a community situated like that of the United States, the public purse must supply the deficiency of private resource. In what can it be so useful, as in prompting and improving the efforts of industry?

All which is humbly submitted,

ALEXANDER HAMILTON,

Secretary of the Treasury

i From Our Country, published in 1877 by Benson J. Lossing,http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Our_Country_vol_2/georgewas_b...

ii Washington's American Made Inaugural Clothes, by Rosemary E. Bachelor, published at Suite 101, and educational site, http://americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/washingtons-american-mad...

iii Defying Global Slump, China Has Labor Shortage By KEITH BRADSHER New York Times

Published: February 26, 2010 "As American workers struggle with near double-digit unemployment, unskilled factory workers here in China's industrial heartland are being offered signing bonuses.

Factory wages have risen as much as 20 percent in recent months."

iv The New York Times, "Obama Wins More Food Aid but Presses African Nations on Corruption" by Peter Baker and Rachel Donadio, July 11, 2009.