The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-07-18
WHAT SHALL
THE FARMER DO?
A Live Question Around Which
Bristles Strong Points on
Certain Matters.

Bristles Strong Points on
Certain Matters.
BIG CARGOES OF ADVICE
Dumped On the Fsrmsr's sho ouIAsrs- Every
body Knows How to F.rm-Ths Lawyer
Doctor, Banker, Merchant Ae-A biz
Swapping Of Business Needed.
In addressing myself to this ques.
ton, l fully recognize that it il
a hackneyed theme. But. like love
courtship and marriage, it will bear
constant discussion. Indeed, until
solved, the more 1t is discussed, the
more interesting it becomes. The
veal or woe Of 80 many is In
volved in it, that it cannot grow
wearisome.
WHY THE FARMERf
1have often asked myself, why does
everybody give the farmer advicei
The lawyer, from his standpoint,
thinks it his duty to tell the farmer
how to farm. The doctor thinks he
knows what the farmer should do.
The railroad man is sure he can give
wise and timely advice. The mer-
chant is greatly troubled because the
farmer does not farm according to
his ideas. Hence, again and again,
he volunteers to tell him how to
farm.
The editorial columns TEEN with
rules and regulations just suited to
bring prosperity to every farmer.
Every politician and candidate dis
courses eloquently and wisely upon
the "dear farmers" woes and wants.
All these, and others, with one
mind and one accord" think they
know the remedy for all the farm
er's woes. Each in his turn, and
sometimes all, in a chorus join to
tell the
POOR FARMER HOW TO FARM.
Indeed. it seems as if everybody
knows exactly how to farm, except
men who are trying to farm.
This phase of the question has i'm
pressed me very much. Sometimes
l have thought, what pity all the
wrong men got to farming. CAM
we get up a universal swap7 Maybe
if we could, some fthese men would
learn thing or two.
What is the matteri Are the
farmers too ignorant to learn, OF
too perverse to accept good advicei
All these other classes are personally
and pecuniarily interested in oul
success; and surely their advice must
be good. We are ignorant, and
they are wise. We should accept
and obey their advice. Then why
do we not do so at once and unani.
mouslyf
SOME OF THE REASONS:
1t depends good deal upon the me.
dium of observation how anything
looks. To a man with green cog
giles on everything looks green. Il
his glasses be red, everything il
tinged with red.
Self interest is very strong in hu
man nature, and all these men ad
wise the farmer for their own per
sonal and political profit. And tht
farmer has sense enough sometime,
to see it.
Some questions: So he naturall,
asks himself, how do these mer
know more about farming than do
If they know so much about it, VIII.
do they not quit their present call
ings and farm7 Why do they no
come and show by their success
how l may succeedi One example
is worth q thousand precepts, the,
give US a few examples, Why dom
somebody tell the lawyers how t.
practice law7 and the editors how t,
edit papers7 and the doctors how t,
practice mediclneq and the railroa,
men how to run railroads. and tn
merchants how to sell goodsf VIII,
does everybody dump
HIS CARGO OF ADVICE
upon the farmers shouldersf
The simple truth is, that the farm
or knows that very much Of this ad
vice is utterly unsuited to his SUI
roundings. He cannot act upon j
without injury and loss.
The true situations: Farmers ar
selfish like other men, and in tn
long run, do what self-interest die
tates. If you will place yourself i
our surroundings, you will Sc
things much as We see them, an
act much as we act.
We feel that we are at the bottom
That our labor largely supports a
the rest. That lawyer, merchan
speculator, politician and othe,
grow rich and live in style largel
out Of
THE PROCEEDS OF OUR LABOR.
But when it comes to a division {
the spoils, we are left out in the COLI
} Our share is the smallest, both .
honor and profit.
We think we have enough to do
bear this burden without bein
abused ull the while for not carryin
it just as others think we should.
, sometimes think this out in the fo
lowing doggerel, which you can pu
; lish or leave out, just as you thiI
: best:
If the farmer fails
} And cannot buy,
The merchants goods
Upon his shelf must lie.
f., If the farmer fails
q And has naught to sell,
The bankers account
Ceases to swell.
, If the farmer fails
And has nothing to ship,
Then the railroad train
4 Makes an empty trip.
If the farmer fails
And hasn't the money he ought
Why the lawyers fee
q Drops down q nought.
y If the farmer fails,
As sometimes fail he must,