Louisiana capitolian., 1880-09-04
EDUCATED FARMERS.

IL ~ time fOr tnOSo VINO 90 not DclleVc
ignorance to be u blessing to move in
behalf of common schools. Many teach
crs are not practiced even in the ru1i-
ments Of the spelling book; and as for
reading, they stumble along the senten-
ces like u drunken man on a rough road
Their ''hand-write," as they fclicitously
style the hieroglyphics, would be u
match for Champollion, even if he did
decipher the Egyptian Inscriptions. But
q more dctcstablc fact is, that sometimes
their morals are bad they are intem-
perate, coarse and ill-tempered; and
wholly unfit to inspire the minds Of the
pupils with one generous or pure scnti-
ment. We do not mean to characterize
the body Of the common schoolmasters
by these remarks; but that any consld-
able portion Of them should be such, is
o disgracefnl evidence of the low state
of education.
Farmers and mechanics! this is sub
jcct which comes home to you. Crafty
politicians are constantly calling you
the bone and sinew of the land; and you
may depend upon it that yon will never
be anything but bone and siuew with
out education. There is a law Of God in
this matter. That class of men who
make the most and best use of their
heads Will, in fact, be tho most inhuen-
tial, will stand highest, whatever the
theories and speeches may say. This is
q mature of thngs' which cannot be
lodged, nor got over Whatever class
bestow great pains upon the cultivation
Of their minds will stand high. If farm
ers and mechanics feel themselves to be
as good as other people, it may all be
true; for goodness is one thing and in.
telligence is another. If they think
that they have just as much mind as
other classes, that may be true but
can you Use it as wcllf
Lawyers, aud physicians, and clergy.
men, and literary men, make the discip-
line of their intellect q constant study.
They read more, think more, write more
than the laboring classes The differ
ence between the educated and uncdu-
Gated portions Of society is a real differ.
cnce. Now a proud lazy fellow may
rail and swear ut this and have his labor
for his pains; there is only one way to
really get over it, and that is to rear up
a generation Of well educated thinking
and reading farmers and mechanics.
Your skill and industry are felt; and
they put you, in these respects, ahead
of any other class. Just as soon as your
heads are felt, as much as your hands
are, that will bring you to the top.
Many ofo best farmers are men of
great natural shrewdncss; but when
they were young they chad no chance
for learning" They feel the loss, and
they are giving their children the best
education they can. Farmers sons con-
sttute three ffths of the educated class.
But the thing is that they are not edu-
Gated as farmers. When they begin to
study they leave the farm. They do
not expect to return to it, The idea of
sending boy to the school, the academy
and the college, and then let him go
back to farming, is regarded as mere
waste Of time and money. You see how
it is even among yourselves. If boy
has an education, you expect him to be
a lawyer, Or a doctor, or a preacher.
You tacitly admit that " farmer does
not need such an education; and if you
think so, you cannot blame others if
they follow your example.
There is no reason why men of the
very highest education should not 60 on
farm for their living. lfa son Of mine
were brought up on purpose to be a
farmer, if that was the calling which he
preferred, still would educate him if
he had common sense to begin with.
He would be as much better off for it as
farmer, as he would as q lawyer.
There is no reason why thoroughly
scientific education should not be given
to every farmer and every mechanic. A
beginning must be made at the common
schsol. Every neighborhood ought to
have one. But they do not grow of
themselves like toad-stools. And no
decent man will teach school on wages
which a canal boy or a hostler would
turn up his nose at. Yon may as we'll
put your money into the fire as to send
it to "make-believe' teacher-a great
nodtle- head who teaches school because
he is fit for nothing else! Let us lay
out to get good teacher Be willing
to pay enough to make it worth while
for smart men to become your teachers.