The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-10
WISE ADVICE

WISE ADVICE.
Archbishop Ireland prefaced his ad-
dress before the State Agricultural So
ciety by declaring that his knowledge of
farming and farmers was entirely de-
rived from observation. Notwithstanding
his lack of actual experience of agrIcul-
tural life, ii will be readily conceded by
those who have read or heard his ad-
dress that it is one of the most thought
full and valuable addresses of the kind
that has found its way into print In a
long time
Many of the abIest men that have ap-
peare6 in the United States were raised
on the farm. The ranks of Industrial
society are being daily recruited from
among those who have been brought I'D
on the farm. In the professions, as well
as in every department of productive eff
fort in the great cities of the country,
men are steadily reaching the top who
have drifted into urban life from the az
ricultural regions. American society Is
vastly benefited by such accessions, and.
up farming life to join the great rush
of city life often come nearer realizing
the higher possibilities of their lives
than if they had remained at work on
the farm. But when this is said all is
said that can be-
As Archbishop Ireland points out, the
man who reHnquishes the independent
life of the tiller Of the soil to make a
career for himself finds late in life, if not
before, that he has made grievous mis-
take. The toiler with hand or brain
who is in the employment of another ap-
proaches day by day nearer to a condition
of utter dependence. And life in the
large cities is fast resolving itself into
the two classes ef employer and en-
pioye, 1t is hard to endure the monoto-
ny of farm life; but it becomes far hard
er, as life advances, to submit to the
restraints on Individual liberty of action
and to the anxieties which are attendant
on making living in a large city.
1t would be good thing if the young
men of the farms could have brought
home to them the force of the truths
which Archbishop Ireland gave exnres-
sion to in his address, The only really
free man is the man who owns and
works his farm. This truth becomes
more and more apparent as society adj
Vances en- the lines of modern life And
as that advancement progresses tie dis
advantages Of country life are being
materially lessened.
1t is true, as Archbishop Ireland rents
out, that the American farmer and +ba
American farmers wife do not lnovs
now TO make the most out of their lives
But it will not remain true long MANY
FORCES are working TO bring the farmer
that knowledge of the amenities of life
which one awaited Of so generally in
the cities. Increased postal facilities.
the movement working for improved pub
lie highways; the AUTOMOBILES; the bicycle:
increased and increasing railway ac-
commodaticns; the organization of move
mcnts in the country looking to the es-
enlistment of Libraries, literary societies
and other bodies designed to promote
c,oser social intercourse-aH these are
forces which will work out in our time
an almost complete amelioration of the
lot of The farmers. save only in the most
secluded districts
There are few men who have spent
their lives in the cities toiling day after
day for little more than a bare sub-
sistanee for themselves and their fami-
lies who have not had brought home r.
them at one time or another with heart
breaking force the great truths which
Arefpishop IrelanG's address outlines.
ana which strangely enough. the man
on the farm chooses To d.. -,