The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-29

the general rule, which Is that all but few
human beings must be content with local
regulations and to eat the often scanty
bread Of obscurity.
It is time that such mischievous teaching
should cease and in its stead the young
should be told that nineteen-twentieths of
all humanity must toll for bread and that
those who are the best toilers are usually
the most successful and the happiest-that
the best fortune that can come to man is
enough real work to occupy his time. So
far as the farm is concerned, there is no
more drudgery than in most other employ
ments In fact. the farmer has more kinds
Of occupations than any other man, and as
many which require brain work. What
farm drudgery can surpass that of any en-
ployment which thousands of men follow
day in and day out, year after year? There
is another very important consideration.
which is that in all the industries and COM
merce. as carried on to-day, the individual
has little or no opportunity to be an indie
pendent producer or dealer. All manufac~
turing is tending to large combinations of
capital, because profits are small, and must,
If made, come from enormous outputs. 1t
is the same with the retail trade in large
cities. Companies which command large
capital build up large stores and sell at
prices with which the small retailer Of olden
times cannot compete The multitude must
work for wages or salaries and be subordi-
nate for which their only compensation. is
regular if a moderate income. Those who
get out Of line often struggle a long time
to get in again, and often fail. The major
ity must economic to make both ends
meet. 1t may be so with many farmers,
but as whole they are in a better condi-
ton to-day than are the mass of those who
toll in cities. To-day agriculture presents
the only field for men who desire to be in
dependent workers. 1t has been demon
strated that combinations cannot so well
manage large tracts of land as farms as
can the individual farmer with a quarter
or half-section of land. 1t is because France
is broken up into little farms that it holds
its own. 1t is because the individual toiler
can get forty bushels of wheat to the acre
by intelligent and prudent culture that
France holds its own as an agricultural
country. When the American people come
to consider that agriculture is a noble
science worthy of the best brain, and that
we. as a people, are ignorant concerning it,
we will be much wiser than we are now.
There is a great deal of absurd talk about
"hayseeds," indicating ignorance and mar
rowness on the part of farmers. This talk
creates a sort of belief that the farmer is
not as intelligent as other men. AS a mat
ter of fact, in every Indiana Legislature
there are as many capable men who are
farmers as of other vocations. They con-
stitute the majority of the party state con-
ventions. They constitute the conservative
and steadying element in politics. In their
conferences will be found men who are the
peers of any other calling in intelligence.
They possess greater individuality because
of their vocation. The future of the farm,
with scientific methods, the electric rail-
way and the daily mail service, is the most
promising element of Indiana's prosperity.