David Ricardo

The great evil of the present system of our currency is, that it is liable to great and sudden fluctuations.

I am fully persuaded that the only way to prevent these fluctuations is to make the currency convertible into specie at the will of the holder.

The principle of free trade is one of the most important that can be adopted by any country.

It is by the extension of commerce, and by the free interchange of commodities, that the wealth of nations is most effectually promoted.

The corn laws are a great evil, and ought to be repealed.

They raise the price of food, and consequently the wages of labour, and thus diminish the profits of capital.

I have always been of opinion that the best way to promote the happiness of mankind is to allow every man to pursue his own interest in his own way, provided he does not infringe on the rights of others.

I am a great advocate for education, and I think it is the duty of government to provide for the instruction of the poor.

The poor laws are a great evil, and ought to be abolished.

They encourage idleness and improvidence, and tend to depress the wages of labour.

I am very much interested in the subject of population, and I think that Mr. Malthus has rendered a great service to mankind by his work on that subject.

The tendency of population to increase beyond the means of subsistence is a most important principle, and one which ought never to be lost sight of.

I have no doubt that the principles of political economy will ultimately prevail, and that the world will be much benefited by their adoption.

I am very much pleased with the progress that has been made in the science of political economy, and I hope that it will continue to advance.

I am quite convinced that the true theory of rent is that which I have laid down.

The landlord is enriched, not by the fertility of the soil, but by the scarcity of fertile land.

The profits of stock are regulated by the rate of wages, and the rate of wages by the price of food.

It is impossible for the profits of stock to be permanently high, if the wages of labour are also high.

The true interest of the capitalist is to have low wages and high profits.

The true interest of the labourer is to have high wages and low profits.