St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-04-26
The Ridicule Of Farmers.

| Which affects great deal OF humor. II
they wish man to appear ridiculous.
he is painted as farmer, usually an
sold farmer very illiterate, a bad
speller, ungrammatica1, very penurious,
and dressed in outlandish garb. Or if
not an cold farmer" of this style, he
still has the peculiarities of ignorance
and awkwardness, and is held up as a
type ofwhat the rural districts produce,
a creature of some use, perhaps, par
ticularly about election time. but always
shown up at disadvantage in contrast
with the highly cultured classes with
| whom he is brought into contact.
| This is such common thing that
many writer's, who never go into the
country and mingle with the better
class of farmers, or see them in their
conventions or other gatherings, really
think that farmer is a synonym for
illiteracy and awkwardness, just as
some people still think the term cyan
kee'' implies a gawkish, whiting, lean,
garrulous. shreWd, nasal tGlker, whose
Industrial tastes lead him into swim
ding agencies" or peddling, for
living. Even prominent agricultural
paper could not Illustrate rural scene
some years ago without putting an old
couple-man and wife-in the fore
ground, both decrepit, and driving
decrepit old horse hitched to rickety
wagon of fifty years ago, as it's idea of
what is to be seen in rural localities.
1t is worth while for reading and re-
Elective farmers to ask themselves why
it is that their vocation, more than any
other, is the one chosen for caricature?
Dickens, in his stories, usually selects
individuals from among the low city
classes yet he hardly takes them as
tapes, but rather IS exceptional cases,
which they are. But when we read
story now of q farmers eccentricities or
aWkwardness; there is rarely any pre-
tense of limitation--it is so pointed and
fitted out that it conveys the idea that |
the class is ridiculous as whole. But |
whatever it might have been, say hum
bred years ago, this is not true now, but
it is well to consider why this idea is so
slow to be laid aside.
In spite of all that education and |
closer association have done for the adj |
Vancement of farmers as a class, there |
is Still large remnant of i'll teracy in |
rural communities, the wisdom, of which |
is sometimes boldly defended It is
urged that we are going too fast in the
line of schools and education, because
one direct result is to make farmers
children feel Eabove their calling.'
The boys, when they ''get an educa-
tion,'' go into business or the profess
sions, and the girls put up their noses
at the idea of marrying farmers sons.
Such results are not the natural effects
of education, but oftener than other
wise, the result of misdirected home
teachings. Some ignorant farmers who,
through previous self-denial, or the at
tainment of a legacy in middle life, be-
come able to educate their children are,
themselves quite apt to look upon farm
ing as unworthy an ambitious mind,
and frequently so express themselves
before their children, and thus poison
their minds. Besides, the education
given in such cases is usually super
ticial, and not that which develops the
mind. When a farmer sees something
more than labor in his business, finds
enjoyment in its wondrous transforma-
tions, and reflects also how far such
work is really above that of most
other callings in its usefulness to man
kind and in its closeness to natures
mysteries, he will not long consider it
as wanting in pleasures. 1t is igno-
rance and narrow views that belittle if,
and which give sting to the story-tel-
er's ridicule.
To remedy the matter is not to rail at
the ignorant man, who in most cases is
not reached by anything published in |
hn 4
tered in agricultural gatherings; but to
engage somewhat in missionary work. J
The intelligent reader and farmer must
himself, in speech and act, encourage
which aims at the farmers
advancement, and not be brake to his i
progress. He should practice the best !
system of farming without regard to ]
and never countenance the
silly idea that mental development can | S
harm the business. He should remem- I
Der that all the drawbacks to its useful I
ness, and to its influence as a force in II
5he Government of the country, are due !
% Ignorance and habit of mental de-
oendence on others for political guild /
ance. Farmers should be as independ- s
mt In thought and political action as (
heir business fits them to be independ- s
mt of the ordinary business troubles of i
,ther callings. At present they have D
title political standing as :. class. The h
aen sent to our Legislatures have little y
appreciation of what agriculture II or a
What it needs; but they know that it is s
. constituency with no conference, and .g
nat it is usually safe to disregard such 81
appeals as come from its foremost men.A b
ra-gE4 At ~ III Z.
,ehind them. W q