text:  Suppose it may be said that a law of this description should be passed at so fortunate a conjuncture that it should not interfere with the existing relations between the capitalist and the workman but have for its object to arrest the tendency which wages have to fall; suppose that the legislature satisfied with the existing state of things should pronounce it a punishable offence to offer or accept a lower rate of remuneration would not such a law be wise? The answer is obvious