The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-01-02
AGRICULTURE AND CITIZ aN.
SHIP.

The Progressive Farmer has some
readers who value the editorial com
menS on the question OF the day as
highly as they 40 the valuable strictly
agricultural articles contributed by our
able corps Of experienced contributors.
We also have some readers who think
q farm paper should not discuss eco
nomic questions. We cannot better
state our position on this point than by
q Iotiug an article from a recent IS sue
of Farmers Voice which is also pat
roniE ID by these two classes OF reading
agriculCurists. Toe Voice quotes ex-
tracts from letters giving the two
views of the promise OF an agricultural
paper and replies as follows:
s'N1W there are two frank and
friendly criticisms. But while both
are kin lily, the difference in the point
of view of the { 20 correspondence is
as wide RG the diameter Of the circle.
One would Iimit the ~utteranCes of an
agricultural IurnRl to matters RgriCul
LUF64 Iu Wut AOS1 4CCA0AO0A 5CGSo ia
which that term may be used; the
other lie grateful that an agricultural
i1urnal recognizes the farmer in his
broader relations TO society and would
increase his OF responsibility and
cause him TO realize 1Is own import
auce in the life O: S4e great world of
which he is q part.
Nov the attitude of this journal to
the whole QUESTION raised by the sec
ond correspondent ia this: The evolu
ton of c lndlCions financial, CONNER
cial, industrial, have compelled the
farmer, whether he will or no, TO con
slider his bu slness in it's relations to the
whole lite of the nation. He can no
longer remain by himself. There are
good farmers ard there are poor ia m
er5, but when the good farm r, NV
ing practiced all the arts and applied
che best science he know We to the pro
ductic n Of his crops, and succeeds in
growing fine crops. finds himself still
out little better off than the one who
Obs rves nc methods at all and grOW VS.
iod f9rent crops when he looks about
co fad q cause for this condition of
a~ffaIre, The Farmers Voice believes it
GO be the mis- sion of the agricultural
rurnal TO help him Fl I'D the truth, and
o do his duty al a cItiz3 } in correct
Jog that which may be wrong and 10
establishing tstice and right
Let Tie C JnsIder for a U1oment what
it ia to which those OF GU friends who
agree with the second correspondent
OBJECT. Suppose we should say that
the cause OF the farmers troubles was
thas railway freights we're too high; or
& lat a combination Of board Of trade
men controlled distribution and prices
to the farmers hurt; or that there
we're too many men engaged in The
same line of agriculture and too much
of q certain crop was produced-no
farmer would obi ,cE TO the making of
those statemsnts, though some might
doubt the correctness Of all of them,
and all might douOE some of them.
"What 10 it. then, hat are not the
things for an agricultural paper to
prinUf' Is it not any mention what
ever of those economic and social prob
lens which have become associated
with partisan politics3 We believe it
is, and We also believe that while no
agricultural paper should stand in any
measure as the organ of a party. that
It is still the privilege. il not the duty,
of an agricultural paper to deal with
all questions relating to the interests Of
all Gne people; and It a party, NJ mat
Ger what It's name, pursues a policy
which some bslieve to be inimIcal to
the peoples interests, that policy
should be dis Used fully and freely
and tno reference to les effect upon
the party; for the people are of in
dnitety more Importance than any
party yer Can be-"
In the above article the Voice very
torcIbly expresses our own sentiments.
In fact, tne Voices article is only q
statement in different words of the
ne ~spaper policy advocated by the
founder OF this paper: to speak with
no uncertain voice on ALL matters re
Eating to the industrial aud educational
Intere SITS OF u people; defend the
right fearlessly and condemn the
wrong impartially." This we consider
the proper policy for an agricultural
paper the ons which The Progressive
Farmer adopts not only for the new
year upon which we have entered, but
as long as the present management re-
mains at the helm.