The Forgotten Man, and Other Essays

"The Forgotten Man, and Other Essays" by William Graham Sumner is a collection of writings that looks at how economics and society worked in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Sumner writes about different ideas in economics, focusing on why he thought protectionism (taxes and tariffs) was bad and why free trade and stable money were good. He makes strong points about how the government should act with money and taxes, pushing people to think about how these actions affect everyone in society. In the beginning, Sumner explains that these essays were written to clear up confusion about free trade versus protectionism, showing the democratic need for everyone to understand economics. He argues that taxes intended to protect industry actually cause problems and unfairness, and that free trade is the real way to success and fairness for individuals.