Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-12-14
ADDRESS TO FARMERS
W. D. HOARD TALKS TO MA
TiONAL CONGRESS.
Wisconsin's Ex-Governor, in His An
nua1 Address, Dwel1s on the Intel
Iectuai and Business Sides of Axri-


Iectuai and Business Sides of Axri-
culture-Farm Education Necessity.
Ex-Goy. Hoard of Wisconsin, president
Of the Farmers National Congress. in his
annual address to that body at Fort
Worth, said
Our agriculture is becoming nationalistic.
This farmers congress is one OF the proofs
of this assertion. We are no longer loosely
Joined band OF States, "discordant, beliig
erent. "Thank God. we are coming to see
each other face to face" We are becoming
cemented by railroads, navigahie rivers, in
terchangeable products, and more general
commingling of our people National legis-
lation Is taking on thought of this kind in
the establishing OF experiment stations, the
enactment of laws for the better protection
OF agricultural products against the d!shol-
est greed OF men who would adulterate and
counterfeit.
We are just beginning TO feel as a people
that agriculture is an intellectual as well as
manual pursuit. that from tie humblest
tenant to the lordliest ranchman progress
and profit depend on mental comprehen-
sion of the principles involved, and an ener-
getic obedience to that knowledge. Compre-
henSon means Intellect, obedience means
business. Some men are all intellect and no
work; others all work and no Intellect. The
true farmer unltes both. He is both stu
dent and ''doer Of the word"
Some of the questions for this farmers
congress to ask itself axe; What can we
| do in an organizcG way to get the farmers
| OF this continent TO see The necessity Of
more intellect on the farm? In other words,
what can we do TO promote farm educationf
What can this congress do to promote wise
| legislation in the State and national legis.
| latures to this endf What can this congress
| do as a great force to arrest the tendency
| of the American farmer to destroy the natu-
| raj fertility Of his farm? What can we do 20
| arouse public opinion and the great eddca-
tional forces of the country to the import
| ance of teaching the elements of agricul-
| ture IN the prlmery schools of the land?
| Our present system of agricultural eeGca-
tion is au image with head Of BRASS a
| body of iron and feet of clay. We are d.
rectiDg all our energies to the head and not
| the feet. Our common schools recruit the
| academy, the college and the university,
and they, In turn. recruit every profession
| but farming. Our young men fee to the
| towns and cities because We have educated
| them to do so. Nearly every European
| country is putting forth strenuous efforts
| TO stop this tendency by teaching the ele-
| ments of scientific agriculture in the public
1 d
teaching of the elements Of scientific arlth-
metie, or chemistry, or philosophy. A great
| host of farmers who were deprived of such
| teaching now find themselves barred from
| an understanding of much agricultural liter
| ature AS a consequence they turn from
the agricultural college, the bulletin of the
| experiment station and the farm paper,
which is really worth everything to them.
Like all other lines of human thought and
~, 1, o.,
are going through a process of evolution
The manufacturer feels 1t, and his capita
and enterprise can hardly keep pace with
coming changes; craftsmanship feels II, fol
new and difficult problems Of government
constantly present themselves and how K
keep center and circumference In harmon
izing growth is the problem of tho day. The
railroad magnate feels 1t and must bow t
1t. What Is the subtle power that Is SC
| mysteriously leavenng the whole lump? II
Is growth of knowledge among the people
| Heretofore our vision has been directed al
most wholly to the price We were to receive
| for our products. The present ,ide of eyolu
| ton bears us In another direction. We can
| not control prices; the market end of the
question is beyond the individual reach oil
modification Of any farmer. What can he
| do, what must he do, to Increase his profit
for on that hangs his prosperity? This must
he do: He must realize that he is no longer
| Il crude producer; he Is a manufacturer. He
must invoke science, invention, better sys
| TEN, more thorough organization amcng his
fellow farmers, more exhaustive study OF
the underlying principles of his business
| improved methods, everything he can lay
| hold of, to contribute to a reduction of the
| cost of production.
| He is subject to the same economic laws
| as is every other manufacturer. The world
| declares 1t will have cheap food and cloth
ing. for this Is the humane order of our civ
| lization. The American farmer Is In thC
| forefront of n merciless competition, foi
| from the soil must come primarily all the
| food and clothing. He must furnish as good
| as the best or he will lose the market. He
| must do this at a living cost ami keep up
| the fertility of the soil. or he and his farm
| will both perish by the way. The demands
of modern civilization are expensive II
| costs more 70 live, educate his children and
| be man among men than Il did his father
| fifty years ago. There is but one road out
| of the difficulty as | can see. He must put
more thought into this question of the cost
of production. Heretofore the cry has been
| more land, until the farm has become bigger
| than the farmer. This makes expensive
| farming. The necessities of the hour say
make the farmer bigger than the farm.
The Farmers National Congress is needed
| as an organized body of opinion to promote
as best 1t can national legislation in support
| of the Department of Agriculture. Our
| present Secretary OF Agriculture is doing
| what he can to introduce American food
products into foreign markets and promote
| their consumption. That department should
| have the authority and means to employ,
| under Its own direction. commercial agents
| In every food market In the world. Den
mark sends Its agents to England to receive,
| guard and look after its shipments of butter
| and bacon. Canada Is doing the same.
| There Is no reason better than traditional
abstraction why the United States should
| not show the same good business sense Be
| sides, there is great trade awaiting us al
our very doors In The sister republics of the
| southern part of this continent. Can we say
| or do anything here which will move our
| national legislature into work Of a practical
| character, In the way of mall subsidies to O
| line of American ships sailing direct from
| southern ports to Souta American ports?
| hope we can. II Is a rcproach to the practi-
| cal craftsmanship of the American people
| that something has not been done OF this
| character
This congress can do something In the
| way of aiding the greater efficiency of the
| State experimental stations, some of which
| are hardly more than lodging houses for
| politicians. Ii can stand up and rebuke. In
no measured tones, the prostitution Of agrl-
cultural necessities and progress to political
| faYoritism. 1t can and should demand of
| the national government the taxation to
extinction of all counterfeit food products.
An imitation Is o counterfeit, and counter
| felt is fraud, and should have no rights
before the law as against an honest product
! of the farm No matter how many hired
| chemists assert to the contrary, counterfeit
| food products are menace to the health OF
| the nnbllc and the prosperity Of the farmer