Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-28

Commissioner Netwon's Report.

llOu Vi tuC prosperity vi cfcIJ PooPAO'
It furnishes the material and support
of every other form of labor and by
its replenishing power of life and
growth repairs the waste of the human
family. 1t was the first step from
savage to civilized life, and but for
the accumulation of the agriculsurist
in excess of his own subsistence no
civilization could ever have been pos
sible. The most ancient civilization
of which we have any authentic rec
ord, Hindostan, had its origion in a
superabundance of rice while that
of Egypt arose from its plentiful sup
ply OF dates, which are the chief food
of the ancient people.
The industrial and commercial
grandeur of England may be attribu-
ted to the breeding Of cattle. Niche
let ascribes the ruddy, robust appear
ance and genius of the early men of
that civilization to their plentiful sup
ply of beef, and thinks the mental
power and force of Shakespeare due to
the fact that he was the son of butch
er, and fed in early childhood upon
beef and blood
Notwithstanding all that character
ICES the highest civilization of man in
science, art, literature, philosophy and
religion, the splendor and glory of
empires rest at last upon the toll of
the agriculturist. And notwithstan-
ding the vast majority of mankind in
all ages have been and are engaged
in upholding this civilization, they
themselves "have ever been, as a
class, degraded by ignorance and pow
erty."
The rural felicity of ancient Grrece
and Rome, which afforded the theme
for SO much eloqueuce, poetry and
song, was in fact nothing more than
the happiness of simplicity and ignor-
ance And while the condition of the
agriculturists of this day is vastly
improved over that of the ancient
world, it must be acknowledged that
in intelligence, wealth, education and
refinement, they are far behind that
class who make science, art, politics
or literature their profession or pur-
suit.
Even in countries where this inter
est has received the greatest conside-
ration from government, and the best
organization attained, but small
portion of the intellectual and corpo-
real powers of agriculturists are
evoked and developed. Their natural
resources for the most part are idle
and unemployed, and this destitution
ofmental and political culture in every
European country leaves them sub
stantially slaves, without the means
of assisting or maintaining their lib
critics.
The agriculturists of the United
States are, by the concurrent testimo-
ny of philosophical observers, in ad-
vance of all other countries in intelli-
gence and well-being But the supe-
riority is not so much the result of
our republican institutions as it is due
to the fact that our country is new
and inexhaustible in it's richness and
resources, with climate favorable to
the production of everything essential
TO the wealth and comfort of our ad-
vancing civilization.
Enter the home of an average far
mer in our country, and we must at
once perceive the absence of every
thing like culture or comfort The
head Of that family has, perhaps, toll
ed assiduously from the beginning to
the end of the year, and yet has been
able to make no accumulations-
nothing beyond the payment Of taxes
and the frugal fare for his family
and without the means of educating
his children as he wishes. They grow
up in idleness and ignorance from the
want of profitable occupations, a
faithful copy of their parents-some
rising above, and some falling below
the parental standard and in the main
with perhaps a slight gain in general
intelligence.
Now that our labor system has been
completely revolutionized by the abo-
lition of slavery, we may be said to
have taken the first step toward the
maturity of that type on which our
society is fashioned when each in
dustrial pursuit shall receive a com
plete independent development mu-
tually supporting each the other as
parts of one grand whole. Industrial
production depends on appprtioning
its various operations so that the men
tai and moral powers of individuals
shall be associated to a common end ;
that is, when all the intellectual pow
ers are made to cooperate with ma
terial agencies. 1t is as true in agri-
culture as in any other form of indus,
try, that the current supply depends
principally upon the actual skill, dex.
terity, judgment, and science with
which labor is applied, while the pow,
ers OF nature, Notwithstanding their
apparent magnitude, are limited, the
powers of man, so far as experience
and analogy can guide us, are unlim-
tied.
The forests and fisheries Of Ameri
ca furnished subsistence to only a
few hundred thousand savages, but
by the power of science and skill un-
der our advancing civilization there
seems to be no assignable limit to the
countless millions who can not only
find subsistence but wealth upon this
continent.
1t was in ignorance of the unlimit-
ed powers of mind that led to the pop
ular adoption, both in England and
the United States, of the gloomy the
ory of Malthus-that populations ever
tend to increase beyond the powers of
subsistence, to find check only in
wal, famine and pestilence. The con-