The Atlanta constitution., 1900-01-01
1900.

Now then. what Of the year l."'. the
first zine i'm the century the number ~
has occurred IN the four iigures-eN"' PIT
iua -h,. year 1919. and the last time IL VIII
occur. although We have been an the
nineteenth century ever since mdhiShl
If the night preceding he sunrise OF
January /. 1901 The nervous reader need
not apprehcnd that I am about 10 discuss
IN. question whether December II. iN"''
w.,s the close of the nineteenth century
The readers of The Weekly Constitution
already know that one more year is nee
,.ssary io complete the nineteenth century
and that il will close at midnight oi De
remb-r 81 lsa just as plainly as ;he
fact that a man must live out the last
daV Of the one hundredth year of his
life before he can be truly called a
-.ut.uarIau. Let's talk about farming.
this Last year of the century. HAS the
farmer learned anything by the expert
cnc,. of the past year. and the years ne
foree u was the eloquent Patrick Henry
who said:
Il hav. but one lamp bv which my feet
are guided. and that is the lamp Of ex-
perience.- presume ,he old patriot did
not intend To le taken too literally, for
H.. certainly had The light of common
sense sound Judgment and the power q
reason. besides some good books and SEN
sihI. neighbors. and he used these addi-
tional lights To- good purpose. lie meant
that i'm the policy he WAS then advocating
m. needed no stronger or better light
than the experience of the past.
ON looking back over the past year
does the reading farmer discover no mis-
takes omissions ar derelictlons; Has
anv one gone contrary To advice urgently.
almost tearfully. given. and realized be-
Tor the close of the season that he acted
VERY unwiSely@ Search carefully the
record az the year and do not be too
ready to excuse. condonv or explain away
tho ,clinquencics of which YOU may haze
been guilty. and for which You would
condemn another il on trial before you.
II 5 a good time FOR retrospect. a good
time. Tor "a farmer L. seat himeslf on the
bench as Judge and call the docket for
eases against himself. read of a
frolicSome hut rcpentant judge who on
Monday morning. in open court. solemnly
imposed a fine Of SO on himself for be-
ing drunk ou saturday night. and inn
m.siiately paid over the amount of the
sclf-imposcd liza, to the clerk of his court.
Suppose every farmer. and for the mat
ter of that. every man. should thus cal!
tb. tockef FOR eases against himself. for
si.rclictions. omissions. failures. laZiness.
thoughtfulncss etc. etc. not To name Of
fenscs Of higher gradc-what "A day of
reckoning IL would be this January the
first 1919.
Bu: II ought to be done. and there
Ought 20 h.. confessions. atonements. and
fair promises and great revival of gen
uine farming. Let's every one of us do
this m a proper way. if not literally
and try To satisfy our consciences and
atone for the ugly fact by doing better
next year.
There's ulen;v Of room for Improvement
for doing better There is not maI
Z who reads these lines who may not dC
! better - far as effort and faithfunes'
is concerned. next year than he did las
year. lie may well and confidently bare
/ th,. result-the harvests of the year l.O-
! with Him "who docth all things well pro
/ vd,d the farmer does his best.
r.. j. X.