The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-10-02
SHALL OUR YOUNG MEN LEAVE THE
FARM4

spirit OF the 0Q1GOTldl 10 "u4CA AO
refers. If a man has understanding
elements in him, the farm offers adj
vantages inferior to none. But you
would not expect to succeed as a
banker or as a lawyer without mas
tering the principles of the profession
and conducting it upon up-to-date
and business methods. Why then
expect to farm profitably without
the qualities that bring success else
where?
The farmer, whether young man
or old, who is content to jog along
in the ruts without attention to pro-
gressive methods or business prin-
ciples is the same man who would
for these very reasons fail hopelessly
as a lawyer, as a banker, as a mer-
chant, as an editor, or as anything
under the sun. In other words, a
man can be a failure about as we'll in
-one thing as in another, while the
same elements and training required
to win success If the store, in the
factory, in the counting-house, are
likely to bring prosperity on the
farm.
And these are some points in which
the farm is vastly superior to any
other calling. The debt-free farmer
is the most independent of men, and
therefore the hope of the country.
The most Independent of men, we
say, and we have weighed our words.
The lawyer is not SO independent in
many cases he depends upon the
leaders of some political party, OF
upon some wealthy corporation, for
a livelihood, and he mustn not express
views OR advocrate principles not
pleasing to them. The partisan
editor must express no opinion hurt
full to his party. The Ofice-holder
must not forgetfrOm whom the large
campaign funds come. The college
president must bear in mind that
men with ill-gotten wealth often en-
dow educational institutions with a
portion of it. And anywhere and
everywhere the employee must with
mind and body, and often with soul,
serve the interests of his employee.
We do not say that there are not
men in all professions as honest and
as Independent as the farmer we do
say that under the present system,
commercial morality" etc, it is
often improbable to have opinions
of your own and the courage to eX-
press them. But the farmer is free,
is independent. AS a rule the inter
ests of equality and justice are his
owninterests. Asaresult, the farmer
is and will be the great political bal
ance-wheel, the hope of the country.
Let him use his power wisely.
But while urging this and other
advantages of the farm, we do not
believe in keeping on the farm a
boy who by talent and inclination is
better fitted for some other trade.
In this connection, a page from
Henry Wallace's Letters to the
Farm Boy" makes excellent reading.
We quote:
But you may really be better
fitted by nature for something else
than farming. In either case l want
to have a square talk with you,
whether it does you any good or not.
To begin with, l do not think that
all boys born on the farm should
stay on it. There are too many of
them. 1t will take fewer and fewer
people to do the farming Of the
future, that is, in proportion to pop
ulatiOn-fewer and better farmers.
The towns and cities need this over
plus of the farm.
"There are two kinds of boys
which the town (and when l speak
of the town l mean the members of
all the other professions and lines of
business which for the most part live
in town Or city, can use. These
kinds or classes of boys are, first, the
really bright, thinking, progressive
boys, strong in health, vigorous in
mind, clear in thought, energetic in
action, honest in purpose and sec
Ond, the young fellows who do not
like the farm, who think that for
tunes can be easily made in town,
that town life is an easy life; who
are not ambitious; who had a soft
snap on their mothers breast when
] thnL came into the mnrld and hnrro