Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-23
For the Freeman.
Ignorant Farmer,

We notice in the VatchDtan, in reply TO
what we wrote under the head of "Igno-
rant Farmer" Il long article from the pen
its Agricultural Editor, and late Doctor.
in which he claims that we sought to
place him in a wrong position before the
public. This we deny, but supposed that
we were justified in calling him an educa-
tor of the farmers, from the position that
he occupied. Under this delusion the gen
ial editor goes on to set himself exactly
right before the public. He is not 4
" fancy" farmer, he is not retired mer-
chant or minister, or broken down pro-
fessor,-only studied medicine and took
his degree the better to qualify himself
for tiler Of the soil. But now he has
thrown off the ruffled shirt and kid gloves,
has even stricken the DR.. from his name,
and taken a low position, the better to
bring himself into sympathy with the Ia
boring class, and wishes it to be distinctly
understood that he writes up from that
low place and not down from the profess
sor's chair.
Is not this complete 3ophistry? A pro
fessor has 3 perfect right to become Il
farmer, and that too. without ignoring his
title, and it is very good idea if man
has boys that he designs for u profession,
to first learn them TO work on farm or
learn q trade, that they can have some.
thing to fall back upon in case of Il failure
We believe that the eX-professor mer-
chants are entitled 10 be heard if they
write and talk sense; and if there is any
particular prejudice against this class
among the farmers, it is all wrong; truth
is truth if it is decked with diamonds or
smells of Doctors saddle bags. We have
yet to learn that it is the mark of a cow
ard to write an anonymous article for a
newspaper. Men are differently constitut-
ed. Some are born to blush unseen, whilst
others, conscious Of their own vast powers.
are fond of placing their names at the
head of the column with Il high sounding
title, although they clip it off for effect,
IT'S pleasant, true, to see ones name in print
book Is q book altho there is nothing mt"
We might give our name, but it would
not add weight to the argument, and the
would not reflect any glory upon
lhS A"lAc' " SullUSCu II tilC lCdl Hcll Gu
itor deigned 10 notice our article 1T all
that he would proceed to make good that
barc-faced assertion Of his that three
fourths of the men and women engaged in
rural labor in Vermont are so i'll educated
that they cannot be made aware Of the
simple facts ard conditions upon which
successful farming depends. That We do
not give in our common schools that in
sruclion in reading, writing and spelling
so that only a few Of the brightest can
read understandingly anything ina com
mon newspaper except the local news, OF
write an Ineligible hand"
The Doctor must have penned this IN
guarded assertion before he tore off his IT,
lie and left the professors chair, but now
hat the scales have fallen from his ewes.
md lie has left the ranks of fancy farmers
md broken-down professors, and put him
self on Il level with the farmers, he may
ind more intelligence than he was aware
If, and acknowledge his error.
No man at all acquainted with the his.
DRY of farming in Vermont for the last
twenty-five years would ever make the as
iertion that three-fourths Of the men and
did not understand the simple facts |
lpon which success in farming depends. |
Please confne yourself to the text and let
1our record take care of itself.