"I see no reason for giving the capital employed in agriculture greater protection than the capital vested in other branches of trade, manufacture, or commerce"

Joseph Hume's quote recommends that he thinks that capital invested in farming should not be offered anymore protection than capital invested in other industries. He thinks that all industries need to be treated similarly and that no one industry must be given preferential treatment. This is a crucial principle in economics, as it recommends that all industries should be offered the exact same opportunities to succeed and that nobody market must be given an unreasonable benefit. Hume's quote likewise suggests that he believes that the government needs to not be involved in safeguarding any particular industry, but rather ought to focus on creating an equal opportunity for all markets. This is an important idea in economics, as it recommends that the government ought to not be involved in choosing winners and losers, but rather ought to focus on producing an environment where all industries can thrive.