Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-03-20
PROSPEROUS.
Minnesota and the DakOtas Can and
Should BE the Soil Tillers
Paradise.
To Be Successful a Farmer Must De.
pend Upon His Individual
Efforts.
Lose Little Time in Considering Vision,
ary Schemes, and Apply Industry
and Common Sense.


ary Schemes, and Apply Industry
and Common Sense.
The following extracts were taken
from a paper prepared py Mr.. f. l.
Whitney, general passenger agent OF the
Great Northern railway, and read be-
for the Minnesota editors and pub
fishers association, in St. Paul, Mimi,
on February 12. 1t is well worth
careful reading and study by every,
one, and is OF especial Importance and
value to the farmers OF Minnesota and
the two Dakotas:
One OF the subjects to be discussed
by your association is encouragement
OF immigration. We are in favor of
encouraging immigration to the North
west because it has splendid resources,
a glorious and healthful climate, q
surface diversified with forests, prai-
ries, lakes and steams-not matched
for excellence il any other equal area
in Amerca-a charming landscape,
rich mineral deposits, water power,
quarries OF every kind, an abundance
OF building material and fuel, two wa
ter ways to the sea-railways, q
sturdy and enlightened people, II supe
rior educational system and thriving
cities and towns, q live and energetic
press, end broad and well laid found
alton Of statehood.
We believe IN encouraging immigra-
ton by legislative, individual or
community aid, but what is quite as
important is encouragement to those
already here. Wehave achieved much,
but there is unrest. The states can
help restrain and quiet this restless
ness through institute work and asso-
ciated efforts, by showing the impor-
tance of diversitication and rotation,
the utilization OF materials and forces
now wasted, bv the dissemination
through the press ofnewi ideas combin-
ed with old and economical methods
1t is freely asserted that the general
condition OF agriculture is not good
indeed it is claimed that the affairs in
the country are going from bad to
worse, while extremists and alarmists
make il about as bad as it can be.
All sorts OF reasons tor this condition
are alleged. Some have laid it at the
door OF the tariff, others to the bank
ing system, and so on through a long
list OF ills, but the main charge is that
it is due to legislative favoritism to
corporations in general, but OF rail
ways in particular. The fact is either
forgotten or ignored that herailways
depend more upon the prosperity and
success OF aiming communities for
support than upon any other source.
The best paying roads and those up
on which rates are the least, are those
which traverse the thriftiest agricul-
tural regions, and vice versa.
LAWS CAN'T CURE ALL ILLS.
Railroads, for apparentreasons, de-
sire the building up, not the breaking
down, OF any interest-the farming in.
terest in particular. The politicians
plan of salvation for the farmers who
have tailed (and unfortunately they
have succeeded in causing alarge num-
Der of respected and worthy citizens
to accept their theories) is legislation.
No railway corporation can well OBJ
ject, and the least possible number
will object, to q fair system OF leglsla-
tive regulation and restriction; but
they may well complain OF measures
1uhnca thn,,S q Yoo11y, inf >f
the subject they profess to know so
much about; whose provisions are un.
! wise, unjust, and positively dangerous
which, it carried into effect. would
We destructive. A war upon any
one OF the institutions of the coun-
try is harmful to every other.
Many people like to believe that
they can secure prosperity without
earning it. Once in q thousand times
it Is done perhaps, but every one
knows that the rule is that "There is
no excellence without great labor" q
maximum as true as it is old. The
successful men ofthe country are those
who have depended in the main upon
their own efforts; who have lost but
little time in the consideration Of Wis.,
AoAieoi y eSiCillSS vi III luulllllR lttI
rainbows or politicians, who know
and care next to nothing of the theor-
les and opinions of modern social re-
formers, labor agitators and breeders
of discomfort, and who at all times
and under all circumstances have
made the most OF situations and con-
ditions.
F,TT JNy ,u,1l
Farmers arenot and cannot be made
exceptions to the general law. There
are all over the country farmers who
are prosperous; they are to be found
by hundreds in Minnesota and the Da-
kotas; men who are well qualified for
their calling, are confident OF the fu-
ture, who are to-day ahead, have
something in the old stocking leg, and
who are mot complaining nor grum.
bling. They don't wait for chances.
they makeNthem, and obey the irjunc-
ton: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth
to do. do 1t with thy might" They
live in the samecommunity where 9TH
er farmers are.in debt, in distress and
disconnected. They pay the same tar
ifs as their neighbors; are subject to
the same "tyrannical" restrictions;
till the same kind of soil; buy and sell
in the same markets., and receive only
the same favors and enjoy only the
same natural privileges. Why are
they prosperous and their neighbors
| unthrlfty? Ii farming is not profita.
BILE in Minnesota and the northwest it
is not because of tie mistakes of the
farmers? The country is adapted
very peculiarly to this pursuit.. In
the main it is rich and productive; it
may be if it were less so it would be
better, but its citizens must not de.
pend too much on the country, per Sc,
to make them prosperous. The coun.
try says, to paraphrase an old coup.
| let:
give you shelter In my breast;
Your own stout hands must win the rest.