AMERICAN  PREFACE.

xvii

or  otherwise  to  extend  its  direct  political  influence,  this  side  of  the
Atlantic,  shall  we  take  no  note  of  that  vast  army  of  workmen
whicli  Europe  is  speeially  training  for  the  industrial  conflict,  and
which  we  must  mect  not  only  wken  we  venture  abroad,  but  even
wken  we  remain  at  bome  behind  tariff  barricades  ?
Surely  no  one  upon  whom  devolves,  in  any  degree,  the  shaping  of
public  education  in  this  country,  should  disregard  the  fact  that  it  is
more  the  market  of  the  world  than  the  local  market  that  determines
  the  price  of  nearly  all  products  wdiatsoever,  and  that  every
American  laborer  must  therefore  face  a  double  competition,  —
individually,  that  of  his  neighbors  ;  with  his  neighbors,  that  of  the
world  at  large.  For  both  he  should  be  duly  prepared,  to  wit,  as
well  prepared  as  his  competitors.  Nothing  should  be  left  to
chance;  nothing  to  the  hope  that  divine  interposition  will  save
him  from  the  penalty  of  ignorance.  He  should  be  taught  not  to
ignore  his  distant  competitor  because  he  cannot  see  him,  but  to
remember,  that  in  these  days  of  telegraphs,  steam-carriage,  and
restless  commercial  enterprise,  the  laws  of  trafflc  pay  little  heed
to  mountain  barriers  and  ocean  wastes.  The  earth  has  virtually
lost  her  ancient  commercial  dimensions  ;  and  there  is  nothing  for
it  but  to  give  the  workman  a  broad  and  thorough  industrial  education, ­
  based  on  Science  and  art.
So  it  is  well,  indeed  absolutely  essenfial,  for  Americans  carefullv
to  study  what  European  governments  have  done  and  are  doing  for
the  better  education  of  labor. 1  Whilo  many  of  the  political  and
social  maxims  a  monarchy  might  desire  to  inculcate  through  its
schools  are  not  adapted  to  a  Commonwealth,  yet  in  the  matter  of
industrial  education  the  thing  that  is  good  for  the  foreigner  is  good
for  the  American  ;  since  both  have  towork  with  the  same  materials
and  Implements,  according  to  the  same  natural,  mathematical,  and

1  Charles  Francis  Adams,  jun.,  chairman  of  the  Massachusetts  Commishe
  7 le ° na  Exposition,  says  in  his  report:  “Take,  for  instance,.
,  ®  g  at  hianch  of  technical  and  artistic  education  wliich  has  already  heeu
ie  eriet  to.  It  has  of  late  vears  undergone  a  surprising  development  im
urope,  the  results  of  which  supply  its  niost  interesting  and  instructive  fea-,
 1 , 1 ®  °  \ e  J 6 ® 611 *  Exposition.  It  is  now  exciting  the  greatest  interest  among
‘°” g ^ fu ,“ ien  m  -America,  and  promises  infinite  results  in  our  immediate
iture  The  Massachusetts  Commission  might  well  have  beeil  organized  with
a  single  view  to  dealmg  thoroughly  with  this  department,”
2