Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-10-01
MONDAY. OCTOBER 1. 1883.
The Farmer, . Pioneer aad Civil i.
l1A0f.

However much behind farming may
have been in the past, nor how back
ward it may yet be in many districts,
1t has advanced within the last Il We
years to an exact science and developed
. degree of intelligent management
equal to any vocation. But no matter
what stage it has reached it is but just
beginning its growth and onward
march. The great mass Of workers are
yet but on the outer edge Of progress
With the rapid advance Of civilization
their wants have increased, and while
many have surrounded themselves with
the comforts and some with the lux
uries of life, the greater portion have
secured but few Of either, while the
increasing developments of civilization
add to their wants. Intelligent far
mers can delve no longer as their
fathers did, satisfied with a life of
hardship and toll and deprived Of
every comfort and privilege. Past
generations of farmers were content to
spend life time clearing up farm
for their children to enjoy. Other
men were on par with them, or if
. few degrees above, the farmer recog-
nized the station and paid homage to
what in the merchant or professional
man he considered his superior. But
these have advanced too.
Railroads, the telegraph, steam, and
the thousands of discoveries and inven-
tions, have raised the standard of
living and more than that, the voca-
tion of farmer has come to be recog
niyed as more honorable. Instead Of
the farmer and his sons leaving the
farm for the shop or the profession
the merch ant and lawyer now seek the
farm.
The farming class is now recognized
as the conservative element of society
they are as a class the least inclin.
81 to agitation and radicalism. There
is no communism amongst them, and
religion and morality find their main
and chief support with them. But
they are also the enterprising class
They develop new country, found new
towns, and are always in the forefront
in the march of civilization and im-
provement.
This may seem to some a strange
paradox, and we have never heard the
question discussed but it needs only
the exercise of the power Of memory to
show that the farmer is always the
first settler of new country. He
takes possession, clears and plows the
land, and produces a crop. Others
follow him. and when a sufficient
number have located in a section and
the first steps are made towards the
improvement of nature, the mechanic
comes, then the tradesman and profes.
sioDal man ; schools and churches fol-
low, banks and all the elements of
town come in and we soon have city.
The only exception to this in the set
Element of the entire United States with
its hundreds of thousands of villages, !
towns and cities, scattered over thou
sands II miles OF territory, and repre-
senting rapidity and extent Of de-
velopment never before witnessed, is
in the mining districts and lumber re-
cions. The farmer therefore does
more than furnish the commerce Of
the world, he originates the growth OF
the country, from single house in an
unbrOken, uninhabited region, and
POUNDS the great city with its manu-
features, fine arts. great warehouses,
palatial residences, shipping and COM
MERGE, and all that makes life in this
last quarter Of the nineteenth century
the grandest experience that man has
ever known