"Farmers, as has been observed, will have a greater difficulty in finding servants, who, instead of labouring the ground, will choose to turn themselves to manufactures. This we have considered in the light of purging the lands of superfluous mouths."
In the Invention of Capitalism, I noted: "Steuart's program owed not a little to Hume, who called for the employment of "superfluous hands" as soldiers to extend the power of the state (see below; and Hume 1752d, pp. 256-7).
-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu michaelperelman.wordpress.com