The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-26
Some Unpalatable Truths.


farming among the masses more intel
lectual work and less physical win ben
eft his fellows more than did Columbus.
Washington or Lincoln. We are asked
why do not farmers more frequently oc-
cupy seats in Congress and in other leg
islative halls? Why do not profession
al men look up to the farming class
with greater respect? Why do farmers
boys leave the farm? / answer for the
reason that farming, as managed at
present. does not exercise, stimulate and
develop the intellect As it might, and as
the professions do. 1t is useless to point
to the usefulness OF the farmers voca-
ton alone as reason for their advance
ment. What matters it If man does
some little good to his fellows If he
neglects that better part, that God
given spark OF divinity, the mind. until
he is untitled for the greater good. the
greater influence that he might WELD!
Heads win in this life. Not he who
violates the hours of sleep by early ris-
inc; not he who tolls increasingly, and
scrimps and saves. Mo- heads win in
the battle, though hands are worn, bis
tered, knotty and calloused. ! know OF
men who have succeeded at farming
whose success would rot take for my
self or my children as gift and ac-
cept what these men have lost in in
telligence, in knowledge of the ways
of the world, Of the arts, and of lit
erature. They are dwarfed men in
this respect--have contracted narrow
ness of view. narrowness of feeling,
narrowness of the highest endowments.
Not that there are not farmers who are
intellectual, and whosmake farming in
tellectual work. There are many such.
But with the masses the mind is not de-
veloped, and, whatever they gain in
gold, they are becoming poorer daily
in the true sense. Some people do not
dare tell the truth about these matters
through fears of hurting others feel
ings or injuring the great cause they
wish to advance All mistake! Let
the truth QUIT will hurt no one. You
can advance q cause in no other way.
One cause of the feebleness of the in
fiuence of the agricultural press to-day il
thefesr of presenting unpleasant facts
facts that are realized. without the eour-
age to advance them. -,s,s.'.y +.......
II man studies law. and is able, he
may receive thousands of dollars for q
single opinion. What man is there on
earth whose opinion is so valuable in
agriculture? None. Not for the reason
that we have no men whose opinions are
valuable. but for the reason that, as q
class, farmers do not value their opin-
ions. They are self-satisied-contented
with their inferior methods and the po-
sition which they occupy. Scientific
men are to-day making herculean efforts
to help agricultural interests, but the
prospect Is not fiattering. How shall
we doctor sick men If they Will not take
medicine? ru- H.t1zsfU iHiF
Twill ask the reader if he is satisfied
with the class of men that the present
methods of farming build up. Now, I
am a farmer-was born and bred q
farmer. 1 love farming and farm life.
I admire some OF the grand characters
of the farmers / know, yet, when look
over congregation of farmers at fairs
or other gatherings, and gaze into their
faces and study them in a body am
not satisfied to have nv boys follow the
same methods No, the man who 50
conducts his farming as to make him.
self and his family 6rudges. dyarfng
Intellectual endowments and growth,
Is burying himself and them in living
grave. Do not wonder that tbs boy try
to dig OUT isy-ila sfe
But how shall farming be made more
intellectual work? Simply by thinking
more. planning more. and working less
Work IS well, but work alone will not
accomplish much. The farmer whose
fifne Is not worth more in planning and
experimenting than the wages Of his
hired men-yes, five times more-is not
making his business intellectual There
is enough about farming to engage
the deepest thinker perpetually. II the
farmer studies his farm and his farming
as men study astronomy and geology,
he will become Intellectual He cannot
help it. hope 1 have not stirred up .
hornets nest i shall believe have
not, for my motive is good. would
give . new impetus to rural hfe.the
grandest and noblest of all lives II we
knew how to get the sweetness out OF
it-RGrles A. Grcen. IN Rural Neto
Yorker.