Milford chronicle., 1893-08-11

sort Of labor comes to this country, per
heps, but it will not work here at those
wages Hence the production Of such
wares in this land Is commercially impos-
sible. 1t is net attempted. What does
happen here is the construction of q me,
chine that turns ont laces every bit tha
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, / ad-
! nit; and it is in the very finest, the lines
which are too costly for much consump-
ton, that the foreigners excel, and in these
J lines alone. But II 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 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 pyramid, with ag
| ricuirpre mining, fisheries, trausporta-
tion 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 fnbrics, tapestries, laces, millinery,
iewelry, and the countless articles of con
yenienas, adomment and luxury. At the
very top Will stand the fine arts. The use
fulness, the Importance Of these arts will
bear much the same relation in the actual
life Of civilization that these various sec
tiOns Of the pyramid bear to each other in |
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 1
arts and industries, and you viii find /
America occupying more space by far than |
6 ri = nir Jon in the whole lower three
quarters of tNa structure. 1t is only as
the top is reach al that it gives way to
others, and therE but one or two countries
consume more tim ours.
Even to the verM top, at the towering
heights of the fine Arts, we are demanding
more and more rOonN
When you come to Walk through Manu-
factures building dayNafter day, noting
and comparing, you will Neee, as | have
seen, that the glory of the United States
consists OF its ability to PLACED within the
reach of the masses of its people an infin-
itely greater variety of articles of comfort,
luxury, convenience, education and pleas
tAAHtlA HAS ever Deen aDle
to place within the reach of its constituent
population. Add to this production on an
scale and at prices compare
lively cheap such ingenuity in adoption,
invention, combination, production of
things to meet every possible want, to save
every particle Of labor that could be saved, ,
10 add every comfort and convenience that !
it Is within the realm of finite power to
add or to utilize, and you will understand
Why it is that the American nation is now
ihe first of all nations in the sense Of !
which I speak I
This exposition shows us that while we .
nay not paint the finest pictures or chisel 4
he greatest statues, while we may not have
he time and patience TO enamel carve, /.
make tapestries and laces, while we do not !
produce the most artistic pottery, we still =
keel any other people in Che houses, cloth
ng, food, conveyanoes, books education, >
apparatus for heating, drainage d
nd cooling, in household convenience
nd domestic luxuries of all sorts, in meth
IDS Of travel and transmission of intelli.
renee which the great body of our popula-
ion is able to enjoy This is civilization. 4
70 class superiority; and tits in this kindof Z
utilization that America finds its glory I.
nd pride. Is Is
In another letter hope to instance more u u
artlcularly some Of the lines through IL
.hieh we reach this proud condition. Of
WALTER WELLAiAN. u