Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-02-14
"hAySego."

No wonder the farmer is labeled shay
seed" Look at him, the ordinary farm
er, as ne appears In public places. lie
has perhaps just crswled out OF the hay
now, or jumped out of the barn cellar,
and. satisfied (sgsinst the entreaiies OF
his wife) with simply sweeping OF the
surplus dirt from his boots, and shak-
Ing, with a tremulous movement, the
surplus seed from his coat, he travels
of TO some public resort with the inde-
pendence of born prince. lie takes
hls seat among thoughtful, cultivated
aud tidy people. At once they detect
the odor of the barnyard and look at
him. Ills boots are not cleaned or
BACKED; his clothes have dusty, seedy
look. IL doesn't matter whether these
people are merchants, mechanics, pro-
fessionals, or what; they look at such
men with disgust, and brand the whole
class OF farmers as "hayseed."
Why don't you change your boots and
clothes when you 20 into crowd, and
not carry the dirty marks OF your trade
with yous Your growing crops want
manure, hut the public don't. They
want the fruit of your labors, aud viii
pay YOU we'll for it. IL We as farmers
expect to gain the respect OF all classes
Of society, aud take our stand In the
front ranks, where We rightfully belong,
We must be- more painstaking with our
apparel and appearance. why should
We be behind other classes In our dress,
and does anyone doubt that we are.
There Is no class Of people who enjoy
IN. comforts Of life more than the farm
ers, aud who IL better able To enjoy
thems To be neat aud well-dressed does
not call for extravaganza, but IL does
call for level head and well balanc-
ell pride.
II l. not from the want Of being neat
In and well dressed alone that the aver
age farmer gets the back seat; but Is he
not equally careless In his speechy The
talk of our ordinary farmers Is made the
butt of fun, and side by side with the
Irishman and Dutchman he Is the theme
of farces aud caricatures; ana he would
not be II his careless aud thoughtless
dialect did not prompt it. III you can
not correct yourselves, see that your
children aud your children's children
are strictly educated into the right and
correct way of speaking.
Look again. Who owns the soil AMI the
earth on this continent. The farmer
The small fraction owned by all other
classes l. not a drop In the bucket.
Who owns the soil and the earth In Eng
land, ireland and Scotland. The dukes,
the LORDS and the gentry, and "that Is
English, YOU know" The farmers OF
this country are the born aristocrsts,
the noblemen, aud all other classes are
dependent upon them for living and a
home; the land, which they are obliged
10 purchase Of the farmer To build their
houses upon; aud notwithstanding the
immense fortunes they put Into their
palatisl structures, into mills, msnufac-
turing plants, cities, etc., they Own out
"A small portion Of the earth. They are
not the landed proprietors aud the farm
er must rise to the posillon occuplei by
the landed proprietors aud "lords OF
the manor" In other countries, which h-
once held In this country, and whl,h,
during th. last hundred years, he has
gradually lost.
DO YOU doubt its Look back century
aud see what our position was then
Those occupying the front ranks In
society we're farmers. Our iirst presi-
dent and father Of our country was a
farmer and a thorough one, too; so Was
John Adams, our second president, IN
his early married life. During his ab-
sence from home at the continental
congress, Mrs. Adams famous letters To
him, giving the details of the farm life
at home, the milk. the butter, the eggs,
aud other farm produce, manifested the
deep interest this accomplished woman
exhibited In the art Of agriculture. Our
next, the third president, Thomas Jeiier.
sou, was also farmer all his lie. And
were not these gentlemen born aristo-
critsi
But YOU will say these were "gentle-
men farmers" Why In the name of all
that l. good and true, should re not be
grntlem. n farmersy They were gentle
men l. there anything In the business
of the ordinary farmer that forbids his
being a gentleman Ia every sense of the
wordr II III l. style YOU want tn make a
gentleman farmer, put II on; you can AT
ford IL as well as they. jefferson vas
not successful farmer, but he lived
through Il, kept the farm aud became
president. Let Us regain the position
We have so foolishly lost, and not hum
BILE ourselves ss In the past. Step up
little and take IL; II We do not the time
will come when our children or our
chlldren's children will. Ii II full time
We stopped ridiculing the baekwoods
farmer. II We cannot elevate him To
higher position, let US leave no stone
unturned In seeing that his children are
we'll educated and fitted To take a posi-
ton In the front rank Of society.-Mas-
sschusetts Ploughmsn.