Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-08-28
IN PHILOSOPHICM MOOD
President Talks to Farmers
of Maine.
PLEA FOR SIMPLE LIFE
TRUSTS AN IMPosSIBILITY IN
THE COUNTRY.
Outline of What Constitutes a Good
Citizen-Man's Whole
Duty.
PLEA FOR SIMPLE LIFE

gor. Me. yesterday President Roosevelt
said:
Il am glad to greet the farmers of Maine.
During the century that has closed the
growth Of industrialism has necessarily
meant that cities and towns have increased
in population more rapidly than the cOun-
try districts. And yet it remains true now,
as it has always been, that in the last re-
sort the country districts are those in which
We are surest to find the old American
spirit the old American habits of thought
and ways of living. Conditions have
changed in the country far less than they
have changed in the city, and in conse-
quence there has been little breaking away
from the methods OF life which have pro-
duced the great majority of the leaders Of
the republic in the past. Almost all of our
great Presidents have been brought up in
the country, and most Of them worked hard
on the farms in their youth and got theft
early mental training in the healthy dem
OcraCy OF farm life.
The forces which made these farm-brnd
boys leaders of men when they had come 10
their full manhood are still at work in our
country districts. Self-help and individual
initiative remain to a peculiar degree typi-
cal Of life in the country. life on farm, in
a numbering camp. on 4 ranch. Neither he
farmers nor their hired hands can work
through combinations readily as the cap
italist or wage-wOrkers of cities can work
1T must not be understood from this that
there can be no change in farming and
farm life The contrary is the case There
has beer much change. much progress.
The grange and similar organizations. the
farmers institutes. and all the alegianCeS
which promote intelligent cooperation give
opportunity for social and mental intellec-
tual intercourse among the farmers. have
played large part in raising the level Of
life and work in the country districts
Work of Department of Agriculture.
in the domain of the government, he
Department of Agriculture, since its foun-
datiun, has accomplished results as striking
as those obtained under any other branch
of the national administration. By scientific
study of all matters connected with the adj
yancement of farm life: by experimental
stations: by the use OF trained agents. sent
to the utteTmOSt countries of the globe; by
the practical application of anything which
in the ordinary has been demonstrated 10
BE- efficient. in these ways and many others
great good has been accomplished in rails
ing the standard Of prOduCtiVeneSS in farm
work throughout the country. We live in
an era when the best results can only be
achieved if TO individual self-help We aid
the mutual self-help which comes by COM
bina ton. both of citizens in their individual
capacity and of citizens working through
the state an instrument. The farmers of
the country have grown more and more to
realize this. and farming has tended more
and more TO take Its place as an applied
scienCe-thOugh. as with everything else,
the theory must be tested in practical work
and can avail only when applied in Practi-
cal fashion.
But after all this has been said. it re-
mains true that the countryman. the man
on the farm, more than any other of our
citizens today, is called upon continually TO
exercise the qualities which we like to
think Of as typical Of the United State .
throughout It's history. The qualities Of
rugged independence, masterful resolution
and individual energy and resOurCefulness.
He works hard-fOr which no man is 10 be
pitied-aud often he lives hard-which may
not be plsasant-but his life is passed in
healthy surroundings. surroundings which
tend 10 develop a fine type of citizenship.
Brotherhood of the Farmer.
an the country. moreover, the conditions
ere fortunately such as to allow a closer
touch between man and man than too
often We find to be the case in the city.
Men feel more wildly the underlying sense
OF brotherhood. Of community Of interest.
do not mean by this that there are not
plenty OF problems connected with life on
the farm and in our rural districts There
are many problems. and great wisdom and
earnest disinterestedness in effort are
needed for their solution.
After ALL we are one people, with the
same fundamental characteristics. whether
we live in the city or in the country, in the
east or in the west in the north or in the
south Each Of US. unless he is contented
TO be a slumberer on the earth's surface,
must strive to do his life work with his
whole heart. Each must remember that
while he will be nOxious TO every one unless
he first does his duty by himself, he must
also strive ever to 10 his duty by his fell
low.
The problem of how to do these duties
IS acute everywhere. 1t Is most acute in
great cities. but il exists in the country.
too. A man. to be a good citizen, must
first be a good breadwinner. a good hus-
band, good father-I hope the father Of
many healthy Children-iust as a woman's
first duty Is TO be a good housewife and
mother. The business duties. the home du-
ties. the duties 20 ones family come first
The couple who bring up plenty of healthy
and daughters. fitted. in their turn. to be
good ctizens-suCh a couple emphaticany
deserves well of the state.
Mans Whole Duty
But duty to ones self and ones family
does not exclude duty to ones nefghbor
Each OF us. rich or poor. can help his
nslghbor at times; and to do this he must
be brought into touch with him, into SYM
patty with him. An effort is to be well
coined that brings people closer together.
so as 10 secure a better understanding
RmOrg those whose walks Of life are in
ordinary circumstances far apart. Prob
ably the good done is almost equally great
on both sides. no matter which one may
seem 20 b. helping the other. But 1t must
be kept in mind that no good will be &C
compltshed at all by any philanthropic or
charitable work unless II is done along GER
tain definite lines. In the first place II the
work Is done in a spirit of condescension
II Will BE- better never 10 attempt It, 1t is
almost as Irritating 10 be patronized as to
lie wronged. The only safe way of work
ing is 10 try to find out some scheme by
which 1t is possible to make a common
effort for the common good Each of us
needs at times TO have a helping hand
stretched out TO him her.
Every one of slips on some occasion
and shame to his fellow who then refuses
TO stretch out the hand that should always
be ready to help the man who stumbles 1t
Is our duty TO lift him up, but 1t is also our
duty to remember that there is no earthly
use in trying TO carry him. If man will
submit TO being carried that Is sufficient TO
show that he Is not worth carrying. In the
long run, the only kind OF help that really
avails is the help which teaches a man to
help himself Such help every man who
has been blessed in life should try to give
10 those who are less Fortunate and such
help can be accepted with entire self-re-
spect-
The Essence Of Charity.
''rhe aim to set before ourselves in trying