The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-08-12
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Farmers, Honor Your Profession.

On the part of many, farming is re-
garded as rather an ignOble employment;
one that is to be followed only by those
who are not smart enough to obtain a liv
ing in some other way. Even farmers
themselves, large portion of them, it is
to be feared, share in this feeling, or at
least have an ill-dcfined idea that their
position in society isan inferior one They
have secret thought that it is less noble
to till the soil, calling into being those
products, which are in themselves the
elements of life, and the basis of all wealth
and prosperity, than it is to speculate or
traffic in them after they are produced.
They seem to think that it is less honor
able to live by ministering to the real
wants and necessities of mankind, than
to the fanciful and oft times fictitious ones
It is not necessary to pile up proofs that
the farmers profession is honorable, for
any one who will give it "a serious thought
must admit that there is not, "On Gods
green earth, a" more noble, or more honor
able mission The farmers hands may be
rough and stained by toll; his manners
may be awkward and uncouth he may,
as it is sneeringly said by the moths and
butterflies that are dependent on him for
the necessarics of their life, " smell of the
soil :" but he is none the less noble and
manly for all that; his care has been not
to adOrn his own person, not to acquire the
polish and gentility of fashionable life, but
to minister to the real necessities of his
fellow men; he has made himself the in
strument to work out their happiness and
prosperity. He does not seek to acquire
wealth by the tricks and sharp practice of
the tradesman he does not resort to the
corners, or short cuts of the Spectator
nor does he live on the follies, evils and
crimes of mankind. What he earns is the
product of honest toll; ami what he
receives is but the value of the
energy of mind and body which he has ex-
pended for the public good. Men may
have acquired tastes and habits, which
render labor in this calling irksome and
unpleasant; but it is not to the discredit
of the profession; if there is any, it is
their own. Education, so called, may lead
! some to think all manual labor is mental
and degrading; but they see things in a
perverted light; they measure honor and
! dignity by their own false notions
The farming community are in a great
measure responsible for this estimate OF
! their profession and it should be their en-
deavor to remove this prejudice from the
public mind. To do this effectually they
must first assure themselves of the true
nobility of their calling; then they will
have courage to affirm it, and make it felt
They must make their business progress
i've one, and then it will command the re
spect of all. They must add to manual
labor, brain work and SKILL and it will bt
esteemed most honorable. They must
make it prosperous and remunerative an6
then it will be wOrshipped. Farmers
must, by union of action, cut off these
! vampires, middlemen, boards oftrade, and
monopolies, who, too honorable to work
themselves, think it respectable to live by
cheating and fraud. They must educate
themselves in all that pertains to theil
profession, from the first principles o
natural law, to the influence of social anC
political economy, upon the productive
energies of the country then their pro
fessiOn will be prosperous and influential
their position in society, not more hOnora
BILE, but more respected Western Farmer