Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-02-08
DOES TEE FARMERS INSTITUTE PAY
BY E. B. CHAMPION.

BY Il. b. CHA MPLIN.
Tread at the farmers institute recently held in
am requested to answer this qaes.
ton. The question implies doubt as
whether farmers institutes pay; but it
seems to me to be rather late in the day
for such question to be seriously enter
tanned.
Farmers Institutes lave been held and
participated in by such men as ex-State
Auditor John Russell, ex- Governor Lar
rahee, and hosts of other progressive far
mers, in many counties of the state for
many years, and the Oath general assem-
bly,, six years ago, considered the hold.
lug of such institutes of sufficient i'm.
portance and benefit to tho people to
warrant state recognition aud encourage
ment, by the enactment of law provid-
log for the payment from the state treas.
ury of 500 to any county in which
farmers institute shall be held to pay
the expense of securing instructors, ard
LII
These Institutes have been organized
by progressive farmers and have been at
tended with increasing interest and by
larger audiences from year to year, until
as now, there is not hall or room in
the county large enough to accommc
date the people who wish to attend its
SESSIONS.
Now, against all this accumulation of
evidence, Go not believe any sensible
man can be such an inveterate kicker as
to assert seriously that the farmers III.
stitute does not pay. While l might, uu.
der some circumstances, be something of
a kicker, certainly shall not assume
such role in regard to the solvency Of
the farmers institute SO long as the
state stands behind it with lis little pur. 9
OF $50. 1t will pay its Legitimate ex
penses aud have enough left to hold an
o.her meeting at Lime Springs.
Its officers are not lowed any com
pensation, direct or Indirect, out of this
fund: so they cannot appropriate any of
it to their own use. 1 mention this be.
cause it was whispered around few
years ago that the officers OF the institute
had SO used the funds, which, of course,
was not true. An itemized account of
all expenses aud disbursements from this
fund must be sworn to and filed with the
county auditor, and any one can easily
ascertain if lie does not already know,
that the officers do the work without
compensation, and. like school directors,
take kicking for pay, if, indeed, they get
any pay outside of the educational bene-
fit derived from doing the work and par.
ticipating in the exercises.
1t does not seem to me to require any
argument to prove that farmers ipsti-
tutes are of sufficient benefit to justify
the effort and expenee involved. The
real question, rather, seems to be, airs
they not now among the necessities of
the age? Can we afford to dispense with
dny means Of social, moral or intellec
tual advancement? 1t is admitted that
these meetings are both instructive and
entertaining. What all people most
need is knowledge and ability to apply
it to get the most out of life in all its de-
partments, and it is becoming more
aud more SO in this age of wonderful
progress. We boast of our modern civ
ilization and our wonde rfui advancement
IN knowledge and power to subdue I'll &
elements Of nature and make them sui.
seryient to our will, and we'll we may e
proud of the present achievements of
men, but compared with the promise al d
possibilities of the future we are not y. I
out of the kindergarten"
| Let us pause q moment and consider
some of the conditions that exist today
and what are possible to exist in the rear
future, and while we are thinkil e of pro.
gress along the line Of human ACTIVITIES
let us not fail to note the one great fact
that the greatest progress in development,
has been in MAJ, himeelf Man once, III
his ignorance and superstition, and con
sequent weakness, made delties of the
elements of nature and worshiped at the
altar of his imaginary divinitles, and
lived with few comforts apd ignoble as
| pirations. So il will ever be true that il
any man or class of men would improve
in material conditions, he or they must
commence by self Improvement. He
who would be strong in his business
must seek to strengthen himself and re-
member intelligence and moral power
constitute the only all conquering force
These can remove mountains of Difficult
ties. Man has reached a stage of devel
eoment of his powers OF thought and in
ysntion IN which he is now Harvesting
the elements of nature and making the
mighty forces. before which he ONCE
bowed in superstitsous dread, to become
his servants, to feed and elothe and light
aud warm him. to carry him from place
to place ana even to reveal to the sur
geon's eye the location of foreign sub
stances needing his skill to remove
Electricity, that most wonderful of nj
natures forces, now performs al incredi
BILE amount of service for the comfort O
man. 1t lights his home and turns nigh
into day in the streets, and propels thu
trolley car, and but for the exnense il