Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-18


should be. I ask is that all the farmers
we have in our state who are qualified
or fitted to represent their cause
among our law makers? Do not under
stand me to say that every farmer
should be qualified by education to be a
legislator, but l do say that every
calling that cannot furnish men enough
out Of its own ranks to truly represent
its cause, and are prepared to counter
work efforts of selfshness, will surely
be discredited. What the farmers
want is to make themselves and their
sons they are training up to be their
successors on the farm equal to the
friendly battle in the adjudication of
legislative assemblies and the adiudica-
tions of society, and that means
education. do not care what name
you call it, or where you get 1t, it means
education, and education, of the right
! kind, means contentment.
Mind is the mark man must have
about him as his pass port, he is not
respected be his calling what it may
unless he is man of mind. The
farmer is not in the least exempt from
this law, and if he expects to win the
recognition of society he must be man
of mind, must submit to the conditions
of education. What is education but
discipline? Disciplined soldiers fight
! better than raw recruits, so in the great
| battle of life it is absolutely necessary
in this our day and age of the world
that young men whether they are going
| to be farmers or anybody else worthy
of the name should submit to this
educational discipline; let the educated
farmer boy find educated men and
equals among farmers and nothing will
induce him to leave the farm.
| The test of our national influence is
the intelligence and prosperity of its
farming class. The farmer who proper
| lY understands his business is educated
and intelligent, need not ask the most
refined lady in the land to share his
home and interests, for the man who is
fitted to be a farmer in it's truest best
sense is fitted to be king andfa ruler,
as God designed him to be.
want my boy to be frst-class
farmer, a man of broad views, broad
mind and broad brain, man who can
grapple with the issues of the hour, a
man of strong heart and strong faith; a
beautiful faith in the upward tendency
of humanity.
want my girl (if she ever marries)
to marry farmer, but l want her to
marry an educated man, man of
character, pure, noble, truthful,
diligent, unseIfish, and whose whole
life viii glow with the light Of patience
and intelligence. [ do not advocate
making all our children professors and
Legislators, but [ do advise making
| them educated farmers, farmers wives,
! farmers sons and daughters, ladies and
gentlemen in taste, in learning, intelli-
gent in general facts as those of any
profession. For my part [ consider
nothing in the way of education too
good for my children or the children of
any farmer wherever found.
Young man (and what say to you l
say to the best girl by your s1de) there
| never was period in the history of
| this wide, wide world when true men
and true women were at a higher
premium than atthe present and snides
and tramps at a greater discount. We
talk about thoroughbred horses, cattle
and sheep,-I have no fear but what
we shall have them to perfection, but
shall we have thoroughbred girls and
boys? We shall when the same com
mon sense is used in bringing them up
to that standard that is used with our
! horses, cattle and sheep, or even in
bringing our lands up to it's highest
state of cultivation.
When Gov. Hoard was in The dairy
business in selecting COWS fol the farm
he advised among other characteristics
to choose one with very prominent
backbone. Now that is just the charac-
teristic needed in good farmer strong
prominent backbone; with a we'll
developed brain and a prominent
backbone farmer or any other man
will be success, no matter where he is
placed. This is our greatest need
class Of thoroughbred farmers | do not
say few, | say class the majority or
whole, those who realize it is just as
honorable to be farmer, as a lawyer
or doctor, a minister or a legislator,
class who can command respect from
any assembly with which they are
called to meet.
We hear SO much of late about rights
much more than we do about duties.
are we to suppose the rights of citizen
are founded upon duties rather than
duties upon rights? There are unalien-
able rights belonging to every citizen,
male or female, old or young, and the
chiefest of these rights is the right to
be educated; with our system of free
schools there is not the least excuse
for ignorance not even among the
poorest. 1t seems to me the very best
thing we can do is to cultivate a spirit
of enthusiasm among the young of all
professions, for the world has need of
our children. Let US aim to make them
the workers the world needs; strong.
healthy, faithful, efficient, with sonnd
minds, alert, thoughtful, well informed,
well balanced. with clear cut ideas, able
TO reason CORRECTLY and execu+a poolv