Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-11-27

whose minds are fitted to organ
izegreat enterprises. Look at tht
farmers in our Legislature. II
numbers they are very small il
proportion 10 the population OF
the State, and smaller yet in tn,
Influence they have upon tn,
legislation. When they com,
in contact with men who are il
the habit of close and logica
reasoning, they with a few ex'
ceptions, prove wanting. Il
may, and probably will, be sale
that headwork will not hoe corr
or feed the pigs. Granted
But prove to ME that an intelli'
gent man is disqualified from
performing the duties of a farm
er and you will prove to me
that farming is a business which
it is disgraceful to follow, ano
that it is grossly unjust 10 say
aught TO induce any young mar
of common sense TO become 8
farmer.
tits seen that thought, intel
igenee, mind, brains, used in
other branches Of business, lead
to success. It is found that
men with clear heads, sharp
wits, sound judgment, and bu-
siness habits go strait along
and compel success even under
adverse circumstances. Now, is
it any advantage to have and
use brains2 Can a man with
brains get, in tilling the soil, a
fair compensation for their use?
Can brain work be employed on
the farm and return TO the own
er as much of comfort, wealth,
happiness, honsf, and general
,, , prosperity as in other branches
Of business at the present time? ?
This is knotty question, but
it is one we have got to meet,
and meetinnow. There is no use
in attempting to evade or ignore
thisg great alternative. fthere is
anything in agriculture that
necessarily dwarfs the mind and
makesit secondary to mere phys
ical exertion, then it is dis
grace TO be a farmer, and COM
mon honesty requires that We
cease talking about the honora-
bleness of the noble yeomanry.
But on the contrary, if agricul-
ture will give scope to thought
and research; if it will cause a
man to think while he works and
study while he has leisure; if
his business is such that talent
and tact will transform his suil
to gold and his house to a beau
tiful and happy holne;h if the
same amount Of bodily and mem
tai labor on the farm will pro-
duce as much pleasure, wealth,
and happiness as in the shops,
counting-room, and mines, then
we1may conscientiously recon-
mend agriculture as one Of the
desirable employments.
Brother Patrons of Husband
ry, our Order has been formed
to assist in answering this great
question in the Affirmative
How shall we procecd2
] do not underrate the impor-
tance CT making an effort to buy
our respers a few dollars cheap
er and sell our wheat a few cents
higher and get our freights a
little lower. What is gained
in this way is certainly added
to the profits of th4 farm, but I
very much fear that many 4nem-
bers of the Order place tno high
q vulue upon this matter of
purchase and sale. This is not
what ails us. It does not
reach the root Of the difficulty
at all. 1t only prunes away a
few slender twigs which grow
again in a single night. We
can never accomplish what we
want, and make agriculture res-
pectable, remunerative, and de-
sirable; farmers intelligent, con-
tented, and honored; farmers
wives envied and respected,
and farmers sons and daughters
eagerly sought by thewise, good,
learned, and beautiful Of the
land for husbands and wives;
we cannotmake beautiful homes,
fertile farms, and improving
fiocks by saving five dollars on
a pIow and eve cents bushel on
wheat. No! Never /! When
we build like that we must dig
deeper. lay the foundations broad
er, and use brains as the chief
stons of the corner. An OK exc
cells us in strength, horse in
speed The eagle has keener
sight, the hare a quicker ear. the
deer finer sense Of smell bat
man excels them all in mind and