Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-08-04
AMERICAN TEXTILE PAVILION.

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AMERICAN TEXTILE PAVILION.
sort of labor comes to this country, per.
haps, but it will not work here at those
wages. Hence the production of such
wares in this land is commercially impos.
sible. 1t is not attempted. What does
happen here is the construction of a ma.
chine that turns ont laces every bit tbs
equal of the medium grade of handmade
fabrics, and at prices which place them
within the reach of the masses. The very
finest cannot be made by machines, l ad-
init; and it is in the very finest, the lines
which are too costly for much consump.
ton, that the foreigners excel, and in these
lines alone. But if a piece of lace made by
a machine has the beauty of design, the
perfection of finish, the regularity of lines
and OF mesh which characterize another
piece that was made by hand, then I deny
that the latter is a higher art than the
former. In fact, it is not as high art, for
the simple reason that the aim of indus
trial art is not alone excellence, but cheap.
ness.
The arts of civilization might be ar
ranged in the form of a pyramid, with ag-
rlculture, mining, fisheries, transporta-
ton, metal and woodworking, textiles,
forming the great solid sections of the
base somewhat in the order named.
Nearer the apex will be ceramics, orna-
mental fabrics, tapestries, laces, millinery,
Jewelry, and the countless articles of con.
%venience, adornment and luxury. At the
very top will stand the fine arts. The use.
fulness, the Importance of these arts will
bear much'tEe same relation in the actual
life of civilization that these various sec.
lions OF the pyramid bear to each other i'll
point of size. The intrinsic is at the bot
tom, and the broadcast and thickest; the
luxurious or expensive at the top, in thin
slices. Take such a pyramid as this to
represent the worlds achievements in the
arts and Industries, and you wi. find
America occupying more space by far than
any other nation in the whole lower three
quarters of the structure. It is only as
the top is reached that it gives way to
others, and there but one or two countries
consume more than ours.
Even to the very top, at the towering
heights OF the fine arts, we are demanding
more and more room.
When you come to walk through Manu-
lectures building day after day, noting
ana comparing, you will see, as l have
seen, That the glory of the United States
consists OF its ability to place within the
reach Of the masses Of its people an infin'
33tely greater variety of articles of comfort,
luxury, convenience, education and pleas
ure than any other nation has ever beenable
to place within the reach of it's constituent
population. Add to this production on an
enormous scale and at prices compare
lively cheap such ingenuity in adoption,
invention, combination, production OF
things to meet every possible want, tosave
every particle OF labor that could be saved,
to add every comfort and convenience that
1t Is within the realm of finite power to
add or to utilize, and you will understand
why 1t is that the American nation is now
the first Of all nations in the sense OF
which ! speak.
This exposition shows us that while we
may not paint the finest pictures or chisel
the greatest statues, while we may not have
the time and patience to enamel, carve,
make tapestries and laces, while we do not
produce the most artistic pottery, we still
excel any other people in the houses, cloth
ing. food, c~onveyances, books, education,
furniture, apparatus for heating, drainage
M cooling, in household convenience
n domestic luxuries of all sorts, in meth
q OF travel and transmission of intelli'
gence, which the great body of our popul"'
ton Is able to enjoy. This is civilization:
no class superiority; and it is in thiskindol
civilization that America finds its glory
and pride.
In another letter ! hope to instance more
particularly some of the lines through
which We reach this proud condition.
WALTER WELLMAH.