The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-03-22

Just INN or 6tuplQly
against such men by stupidity hoeing
corn fifteen hours a, day and selling 1t
at forty cents a bushel and then laying
awake nights growing at railroad men
and merchants. The dog who banks
at the moon comes nearer accomplish
ing his purpose than such a GROWER.
Why have not farmers taken a position
of inhuen5e and power in the councils
of the nation and otherwise IN proper
ton to their numbers and wealth?
Simply because we have not used our
brains. If we 90 on thus, never read
ing a book, neve thinking a thought
above the dirt we cultivate, need we
be surprised if our opinions do not meet
with respects Unless we change we
will stay there forever, the mark Of
doom Is upon us.
The woRd pays homage to intelli
genCe, to intellect, and puts it In places
of honor, of trust and Of IT spOnslbllity.
The world is not partial to lawyers,
ministers, and students, but the world
wants to use brains and accept them
wherever found and uses them to pro
mote it's interests. And If we farmers
wish to be placed in the foremost rank
in the nation and in the world; if we
ISL ~ 10 pGAO 14CO SOO1UAO11o "41OA "O
can have power to aid Dur fellows; If
we wish to exert an influence on the
institutions of the land; If we wish to
stand where we can do something to-
ward governing the price of our com
mOdities; if we wish to weigh accord
ing to our iiZe in the scale of public
opinion, if we want to have farmers in
demand for places of trust and honor
and profit; If we want to escape from
our present slavery, we must furnish
some brains, sound in quality, liberal
in quantity, and polished by constant
use and study. Show me such q farmer
as that, and I will show you q man
whom his fellOwmen will want to use
in places of trust.
| speak it in sorrow; I admit it with
deep and bitter regret, that the farmers
can furnish but comparatively few men
whose minds are fitted to organize
great enterprises. Look at the farmers
II Our last legislaturo-strOng in mum
berS. but weak in the beneficial infiu-
ence they had upon legislation. When
they come Ia contact with man who
are in the habit Of close and logical
reasoning, they, with a few exceptions.
prove wanting.
It may and probably will be said
just here that head work toes not hoe
the cor OF feed the pigs. Granted.
But prove to me that an intelligent
man is disqualified from hneinE corn
and feeding pigs or performing any
other duties of q farmer, and you Will
prove to me that farming is O business
which it is disgraceful to follow and
that our present condition is more
hopeless than that Of the Siberian ex-
lies. Nowhere is fOrethOught and in
teliigence better paid than in our deal
ings with mother Earth. She is as
honest as eternity and she never fails
to meet the demands of those who have
just claims upon her. We deal with
Nature through no middleman. HUI
man knowledge consists in a recOgni
ton of her ways and forces; human
power depends on acting in accord
with this Knowledge. He who works
thus has the force Of infinity in his
efforts
1t is e that thought, intelligence,
brains used in other branches of bust
ness lead to success. 1t is found that
men with clear heads, sharp wits,
sound judgment and business habits
compel success even under adverse cir
cumStances. Without these no man
can attain true success. This is a
fundamental law of organic life. What
reason have we to look for q reversion
of the law In our Case2 AS we'll expect
a man who leaps from a precipice to
avoid confusion when he ONE in con-
tact with the earth at the bottom. 1t
is not alone cheaper money that the
farmer needs, but dearer men-men
who know how to do the bes5 thing III
the best way.
l do not underrate the Importance Of
making an effort to buy our supplies a
few dollars cheaper, and sell our pro.
duce a few cents higher and get u
freights a little lower. What is gained
in this way is certainly added to. the
profits of the farm, but / fear that
many members Of the Alliance place
too h gh a value upon this matter of
purchase and sale. That does not
reach the root Of the difficulty at all.
OausatiOn lies deeper. We can never
by this alone accomplish what we want
and make agriculture r~emunerative,
respectable and ~deSirable; farmers in
telllgent, cOntented and hOnOred:
farmers wives envied and respected.
We cannot make beautiful homes. fer
tile farms, and gain influence by alone
saving two dollars on q pillow and two
cents on a pound of cotton. Never;
for when we build like that we must
dig deeper, lay determinations broader
and use brains as the chief stone of the
corner. To be poor is not the greatest
of evlls-it is to be ignorant. Poverty
is an evil only from the standpoint of
economics. Many a poor man is poor
simply because he has intelligently re-
fused to pay the price which wealth
would cost and turned his labor into
channels which brought him spiritual
and mental gain.
But you are asking how can all this |
be done. We are now men, our school
days are past and we have not the !
time, had we the inclination, to renew |
them. True, very true. But the time