Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-05-11
Improvement of Our Common Schools in
the Interest Of Agriculture.
OF AgricuIture, at North Troy, by II. n.
ITonlIne. M. u.

of AgrlcnIture, az North Troy, by II. n.
Hoskins, M. ID.
One Of the members Of this board, in re-
cent address, informed his hearers that
though in the popular branch Of our last
Legislature there were 1873 farmers, while
no other profession had over 1S represent
atives, yet this large number Of farmers was
practically controlled by ten or dozen men
who we're not farmers, but mostly lawyers.
The statement was not new one. The OBJ.
servation has been made many times. If a
farmer should make IL, IN an aggrievcd tone,
to one of those ten or twelve legislative apOs-
ties, his answer would probably be, "Well,
well what are you going to do about it?"
Now, though this is but repetition of the
Hon. WIN, Nj. Tweed's answer, when be was
publicly charged with being thief, take
it 10 this case to be an eminently proper one.
This answer is but the question which every
dissatisfied farmer ought to ask himself,
"What are you going to do about 2"
One thing is certain, notwithstanding the
common assertion that in this country the
majority rules. 1t is an iAeffacable fact that
mere numerical superiority does not confer
political or social power. The majority may
decide who shall rule. That is the extent of
the majority's power. In truth il is brains
that rule, good and well trained brains.
This country is governed by the shrewd long
heads who make politics business aud
these shrewd long heads are mostly upon the
shoulders Of our lawyers.
We often hear the same complaint made
in regard to congress that it is mostly made
up of lawyers, and that the farmer is
hardly represented there at all. But what
would be the use of sending even large ma
jority of farmers to congress II ten or a
dozen of our county court lawyers can drive
whittier they will herd of 1873 farmers,
would not the same number of supreme
court lawyers drive or lead at their will any
flock of our bell-wethers we might select to
occupy the congressional arm-chairs at WASH
lngton?
That the great agricultural interests of this
country find no real representative, either in
our state or national governments, is great
evil. Laws are continually being enacted
that must Of necessity greatly affect the
the farming interests for good or bad. Think
you, is it possible, In law-makiug bodies
where the farmer has no capable advocate,
that laws will not be continually framed
which give to other interests and other in-
dustries an unfair advantage over the farmer ?
Do you think that that fundamental principle
of free government-equal rights to all, ex-
elusive privileges to none-will be long main
tanned by governing power where the
greatest, and collectively the richest interest,
is practically unrepresented while all the
speculative interests, which draw their life from
the labor of that great industry, are fully
represented by their attorneys upon the floor,
and by their agents in the lObbies Of every
legislative body in the nation?
Fellow farmers, without a more generally
good common school education for the mas;
a of our children, aud the opportunity for the
best education to those among US who have
the taste and the means for it, we shall al.
ways be but as howers of wood and drawer:
p of water TO the professional and business
classes We never shall have true leaders
and representatives, able and successful de-
tenders of our rights, until we raise them.
And, fellow farmers, let me tell you as a
gospel truth, that no other class is going tC
{ do this work for US. We have got to do i
ourselves. Can we reasonably expect thai
= the classes which profit by our ignorance
are going to spend their money tC
give us instruction, to their own future loss
5 There is philanthrophy in the world Thank
God for that Here and there is a poorly
educated man who has raised himself Il
wealth, and who. not forgetting his earl,
struggles, has devoted that wealth TO provid
ing the means Of education for other poo
boys. Thank God again, say, for sucl
= men!
, But are American farmers so lost l.
manhood that they will wait until the char
n ity of the rich provides that education 70
st their children which will enable, and whie
= = is absolutely necessary to enable them +
g protect their rights as citizens, and save thei
= property from being despoiled by the lawyers
a lobbyists and spectators that swarm aroun
g the state houses Of every state and aroun
y our national capital? Truly said the poet
1t Who would be FREQ hsmssiUes must strike the blow
The common schools are the farmers col
- leges. We may talk as we will about agr
cultural colleges. believe in them myse
when we can get them. | beliovein ever
farmer boy having the free chance to get a
the knowledge he wants. 1 believe in ever
boy and girl 10 the nation having that fire.
chance. But circumstances are such, an
will long if not forever remain such, thS
that most of the children Of our farms mu
! depend upon the common schools for sue
=. schooling as they can have.
.. Now l claim that every common seho,
ought to be able to give every scholar
ordinary capacity such start in educatio
- and such love for it, that the progress
: the scholar in learning will not stop wh'
the schooling stops. claim that evel
common school should lay in the mind
every pupil, those foundations Oflearning up
which, in future life, he may himself erect
structure of knowledge that will ft him (
every duty of his calling, and for his st
higher duties as the citizen of a free al