AMERICAN  PREFACE.

Xlll

commerce  so  largely  dependent  upon  tliese,  are  daily  assuming
greater  relative  importance  in  the  economy  of  the  world.  Surely,
then,  each  country  should  strive  to  secure  the  largest  possible
share  of  those  industries  which  are  growing  most  rapidly  in  relative ­
  importance,  since  her  aggregate  population  and  wealth  will
be  thereby  mcreased,  and  consequently  her  political  influcnce  in
the  councils  of  the  world.  Said  Adam  Smith  long  ago,  “  The
most  opulent  nations  generally  excel  all  their  neighbors  in  agriculture
  as  well  as  in  manufactures  ;  but  they  are  eminently  more
distinguished  bj r  their  superiority  in  the  latter  than  in  the  former.”
Thrifty  manufactures  give  thrifty  agricultm’e,  at  all  times  and
everywhere.
MANUFACTURES  OF  MOST  WORTH.
This  point  settled,  —  the  great  relative  increase  of  the  manufacturing
  population,  —let  us  next  consider  the  dass  of  manufactures ­
  which  are  the  most  desirable  ;  that  is,  the  dass  which  will  give,
1,  the  largest  returns  for  the  time  and  labor  bestowed  upon  them,
and,  2,  the  best  population.  To  designate  them  in  a  body,  they
are  the  manufactures  which  call  for  the  most  skill  and  taste  on
the  part  of  the  workman,  and  also  are  usually  the  ones  whose  value
is  the  least  dependent  on  the  cost  of  the  raw  material.  This  is
true  the  world  over.  Especially  is  it  well,  in  the  present  Connection, ­
  to  rememberthat  there  is  hardly  any  lirnit  to  the  market  value
taste  can  confer  upon  an  object  through  beauty  of  form  or  of  decoration,
  however  inexpensive  the  material  of  which  the  object  is
made.  Hence  art-manufactures  are  in  the  highest  degree  desirable.
Manufactures  involving  skill  and  taste  are  more  desirable  tlian
rüde  ones,  because,  in  the  first  place,  they  command  a  higher  priee
in  the  market,  if  we  regard  only  the  time  and  labor  bestowed  upon
them.  Brawn  against  brain  in  any  field  of  labor  neverdid  successfully
  sustain  itself.  What  can  be  done  Ty  a  machine,  or  by  an
animal,  that  is,  by  mere  brüte  strength,  we  never  esteem  as  we  do
work  that  can  be  done  only  by  the  mind.  While,  therefore,  the
rüde  laborer  earns  Ins  dollar,  the  dexterous  laborer  earns  two,  and
the  skilled  laborer  three.  Yet  it  costs  just  as  much  to  Support  in
health  and  comfort  the  rüde  laborer  as  it  does  the  oue  who  is  skilful
  and  artistic.