The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-02

things worth remembering. declares:
that agriculture is the most healthful,
the most useful and most noble en-
ployment of man." and poets and phil
Osophers from time immemorial have
made the usefulness, independence and
happiness Of the agricultural state the
subject Of many pretty fancies and
sage dissertations. The world, how
ever, has made immense progress since
| Washington's eulogy was uttered, and
| the conditions of life have SO greatly
| changed that it is doubtful If the aver
age farmer, while admitting the i'm
portance and elevating character Of
I his occupation, would be willing TO
acknowledge that his lot Is an enviable
! or happy one. A century ago farming
was very different thing from what
1t is now. The southern planters, Of
whom Washington was a type. knew
little Of the stern struggle for exist
ence in which the tiller of the soil must
engage today. Life for them was for
the most part luxurious. and even for
own hands, was comparatively easy.
But a variety Of causes have contrib
uted. during the last forty or fifty years
especially, to deprive the farmer of the
advantages Of earlier times and to rem
der it harder for him to make a living.
Agriculture Is still as useful and as
noble as it was in Washington's day,
but for the majority of farmers it is
not as financially healthful, at least
This is true not of this country alone,
ing the causes which have combined TO
produce this result the intelligent agri-
culturist will not confine himself to a
single field Of inquiry. Discriminate
ing and unwise legislation undoubtedly
has had its share in the work, but the
general growth and development OF
society the world over have had a
large part in it too. Whether this
growth and development have been
along wrong lines is question which
has been and will continue to be
argued by social philosophers and econ
omists, but the practical point for the
farmer to determine is the remedy
which will help him most and hurt him
and his customers least. For in the
present constitution of society he is as
much interested in the welfare Of his
customers-those to whom he sells-as
he is in his own. Or, rather, he cannot
divorce his own interests from theirs
If he could reproduce the conditions of
a hundred years ago, when the farmer
could manufacture his clothes as well
as produce nearly everything else on
his farm, when his rich land required
no fertilizer, and when, arrayed in
homespun and provided every day with
a feast Of fat things from his fertile
acres, money was no object to him.
he could still be monarch of all he sur
veyed and snap his fingers defiaDtly at
the rest of mankind.
But, whether for good or evil, the |
world has moved on, and, while it may !
be reformed, the farmer is too conserv-
alive and too wise to undertake to right |
his wrongs by revolutionary methods |
from which he would be among the |
first to suffer. The practical question,
as we have said, Is how the evils of
which he complains can be lessened
and how his condition may be bettered.
In the intelligent solution Of this ques-
ton he will find all classes of plain
people willing to cooperate, because
it is to their interest quite as much
as his that agriculture should be re-
lieved, as far as possible, from all de-
pressing influences. One of the most
important factors in this work of relief
is the intelligent study and investiga-
ton Of the subject by the farmer him
self. He must, like the business man
in the great cities, put himself abreast
of the times, and keep himself in con-
slant touch with all social, mechanical
and economic conditions and develop
ments which have any bearing upon
his calling. To this end he must read
the record Of the worlds events and
progress contained in the best daily
In them he will often
find suggestions from the experience of
others, which, added TO his own CON-
mon sense, will help him to work out
practical plans for his betterment
For these and other like reasons We
are in favor of the annual agricul-
tural, horticultural and mechanical
fair. 1t keeps the farmer and. the
town more in touch than can the loose
and irresponsible carnival where the
greatest number of the more active
participants do not want their per-
sonality known, where the liberties OF
the mask and the immoralities of the
darker corner go unchecked. The fair
Is more for the farmer or should be
more for the farmer than for anybody
Else, and the farmer is the one essen
tial man without whom the world
could not wag.
SIMPLY RIDICULOUS,