The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-12-25

counseling board Of the Chief Ex-
utiye Of the Nation when he sum
mons d full Cabinet to his aid.
through which agriculture may
have free expression of its most
advanced thoughts.
We have great admiration for the
present management Of the pinched
and diminished Agricultural De
partment, and its chief. Commits
sioner LIE Due, who has striven
against obloquy, ridiculs, and the
more venomous weapons of politi-
cal hate to give useful service to the
grand interests of which he is the
official representative. He has
merited our commentator, and we
gladly bestow it upon him and his
work as the tribute due to the faith
/ full steward, to whom we would
commit greater trust. And to that
other servant, who has stood almost
alone as the guardian of our inter
ests against the despoilers in the
House of Representatives we offer
the outpourings of thankfu full hearts,
| wherein he will be forever en-
Shrined as the gallant knight whose
| lance has more than once punCtured
the vain conceit Of that body too
poor in farmers to furnish members
enough for a committee on agrlcul
ture, wherein our profession is cru
cited between its despoilers, de
famed and reviled. Let us hope
that our representative, born and
reared IN the profession he honors,
although rejected by the builders,
will soon become the head of the
corner.
We can not urge with too much
force the supreme Importance of
suitable representation for agricul-
ture in the law-making bodies
wherein its interests are necessarily
involved, Such representation can
not be had through the selection OF
men ignorant of its necessities.
They must be in fair proportion, at
least, selected from the body whose
interests are committed to their
keeping. If not farmers, it is the
part of wise prudence to see that
they are closely allied to the profes
sion. 1t is folly to expect intelli-
gent regard for the material inter
ests Of productive industry from
men who know nothing of them
and care nothing for them. We
can care for ourselves and we must,
or we will be degraded too low to
permit recovery, and the forms of
our present civil structure will have
crumbled to decay because its sup
porters had not the true manhood
to accept and discharge their duties
as citizens.
AS a potent means of advancing
the best interest OF agriculture, we
desire to call attention to the
Agricultural Press. 1t is the vehi-
Gle of thought provided for our espe
cial use, and adapted more or less to
our requirements as we make them
appear. With proper support we
may give the papers conducted in
our behalf much higher usefulness,
and secure through them just con-
sideration for our industry more
surely and quickly than Ia any other
way. If such papers are true in
i purpose, earnest in thought, faithful
and alert thev place us under obii>
cations that will be but mperfectly
discharged by payment of their
cost. We commend them as wor
thy of fuller recognition, and we
would enjoin upon all farmers the
duty they owe to themselves to re-
ceive the aid thus offered at such
small cost.
AS the final injunction, we urge
that each member of our mber-
the great family of American far
mers, cultivate thought. 1t opens
to the vision the sources of pleasure
happiness, and the material bless
ings that attend well ordered life
1t is the germ of knowledge-quicb
in its growth and comforting in it,
fruit. By it we may develop {
higher order of manhood, ennoble
and dignity our profession, and
leave as the dearest legacy to those
who follow us an extended field o.
t knowledge in which the benign in
luence of our duty performed, un-
der the guidance of the highest wis
dom at our back we can attain
shall remain to distribute benson:
, on our race.
PUT DARDEN,
w. A. ARMsToRG,
; V. E. PIoLLET,
A. b. SMITH,
: ] M. BLANToN,
!. Committee.
L.. L. .LoALnL