The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-15
The OyererOwded Cities.

There is hardly city in the United
States which does not contain more people
than can get fair, honest living, by labor
or trade. in the best times. When times
of business depression come, like those
through which we have passed, and are
passing, there is large class that must be
helped. to keep them from cruel sutft ring.
Still the cities grow, while whole regions
Of the .e0untry-especiauy its older por-
tieaSTare depopplated year by year. Yet
the fact is patent to-day that the only pros
beFbus.class is-tlie agricultural. We have
how the anomaly of thrifty farmers and
starving -tradesmen. The agricultural
dlaSses of the West are prosperous. They
bad good crop last year, and have re-
ceived good prices forrall their products );
and Willie The cities are in trouble and
manufactures are running on half time, or
hot running at all, the Western farmer has
money in his pocket, and a ready market
fpt,6very thing he has to sell. The coun-
try miist be fed, and he feeds it. The city
family may do without new clothes, and
thousand luxurious appliances. but, it
must have bread and meat. There Is
nothing that can prevent the. steady pros
DeritV of the American farmer but the
contributions ard SO corners" Of middle
men That force unnatural conditions upon
I the finances and markets of ,the country.
!. This isflot the first OCCASION we have
| Had for allusiOn to the subject, and it is.
not likely to be the last. The forsaking
dfsthe farm foi>city life Is one of the great
evils of tIetimes, and, so far. it has re-
ceiped no appreciable check, Every young
man, apparently who thinks he can get Il
! living in the city, or at the minor centers
Of population, quits his fUllefy home upon
! the Elrm and Joins the multitude. once
| in the city. he never FetuTns.Y Aotwitn-
.standing the confinement and the strait-
|. .aned conditions of his new life, he clings
to it until htsiffgs: adding his fanTly to the
/ uermanent population Of,his new home.
| Mt:: 'Greele1, in his days of active philan-
! thropy, used to prge men TO, leave the city
! Ito 30 West-to Join the agricultural
| population; and thus make themselves
I sure of a competent livelihood, - He might
| as well have talked to the wind. A; CITY
/ population can neither be .roaXeu Ror
! driven into agricultural pursuits. 1t is
/ not dl.at they are afraid Of: work. The
| average worker of the city tolls more
I Hours than the average farmer; in any
/ Quarter of the country. He is nelfher fed
| nor lodged as well as the firIher,,. He is
| lessSindependentt than the ElEIse5'. tie isa
| boad-slaye te his employers and his eeh-
ditions ;. yet the agricultural life has 20
/ charms for him.
SYhanever the reason for this may be, it
! is ot:baSed in the nature of the work, or
/ in its material rewards The farmer is
I 'demoRstrably better eff than the. worker
bdf the-city.f BE is more independent, ma 5
more command of his own time, fares bet
ter at table, lodges better. and gets bet
ter return Tor his labor. What is the rea-
! e. m
the city the first chance he can get, and
4 remains, if he can possibly find there the
means of life? - -I-'-
! II can only be found. we believe, in
the social leanness, or social starvation,
of American agricultural life. The
American farmer, In all his planning, and
all his huilding, has never made provls-
ion for life. He has only considered the
means of getting asliving. Every thing
outside of this-every thing relating TO
sbcietv and culture-has been steadily ig-
uorgd. He eiyS his children the advan-
tage of schools, mot recognizing the fact
that these very advantages call into life
a new set of social wants. A bright,
II yelledueated ramny, in, q lopesy farIh-
II house. is very difieaent msterialA from, q
family brought up in ignorance. An
American farmers children, who have
had lew gan1S NJ llel9uUOfHVou kCdu-
esmy. resemble in no degree the children
Of the European peasant, They. come
Home with new, Ideas and new wants, and
il there is no provision made for these new
wants, and they find no opportunities for
their satisfaetiofl, they will be ready. on
reaching their m jority, to fly the farm
and seek the city. -
u If the Amefiean merwishes,to keep
hhis children near him, he must learn the
Edsfftrence between living and getting liy;
! ikgS aud we mistakeshirn and his. gradt
al culture aitogether-if he does nor stoI
okeT this statement and wonder wh3t wt
rSean. by it,. 70 get a living, TO make
rionez 10 become 1< beforefIandef
il the wiele eflife to- agricultural multi
tides, diseouraging in their nEmpeIS tt
c5ntempIate. 70 them there is no tiffier
ekse4hetweeB livingland ge1ting,a ,ftins
tfsr whele lite le6nsiste in getting q Nv
itg-. and Yilletf thsfr farril con back T
, tfefR from their schooIi :. aJll = pd .ahhti
|, daily. tbis Is the dst1 tzHSlit that hs.s
4 zecsgAssieHssnder The paterna feof