The  truth,  when  the  .economist  has  tested,  and  as  far  as  possible
verified  his  inferences  pr  hypothesis  by  the .  evidence  of  facts,  he
may  be  able  to  predict.  His  predictions  may  be  exceedingly
accm^iate,;  and  may  be  exceedingly  alarmuig.  He  may  shpv^,  for
example,  by  a  study  of  the  conditions  under  which  agricultural  rent
has  been  developed  and  increased  in  this  country,  that  a  revival  of
agricultural  rent,  unless  the  conditions  of  occupancy  are  wholly
altered,  either  by  the  spontajneous  and  reawakened  intelligence  of
the  landowners,  or  by  the  operation  of  law,  in  the  probable  absence
of  such  intelligence,  is  not  only  unlikely,  but  that  matters  will  go


8  THE  ECONOMICAL  SIDE  OF'HISTOBY.
on  from  bad  to  worse,  without  any  visible  hope  of  recovery.  The
economist  has  satisfied  his  function  when  he  has  justified  his  pre-
diction. Then  begins  the  position  of  the  statesman,  whose  duty  it
is  to  say,  and  that  speedily  and  peremptorily,  "  "UTiat  you  say  and
prove  will  happen,  must  not  happen,  but  law  must  be  invoked,  if
obstinacy  and  stupidity  requires  its  intervention."  The  student  of
the  conditions  of  health  alleges,  and  with  perfect  truth,  that  given
such  and  such  circumstance,  disease  and  loss  of  hfe  are  inevitable.
The  statesman  gives  effect  to  his  demonstration  by  passing  sanitary
laws,  and  enforcing  their  satisfaction.
