New-York tribune., 1906-12-05

vital to the welfare OF the whole country as is
the welfare OF the wageworkers are the tillers
Of the soil, the farmers. IL
Agriculture. is mere truism to say
that no growth of cities, no
grown or wealth, no industrial development can
atone Tor any falling off in the character and
standing OF the farming population During the
last few decades this fact has been recognized
WIN ever increasing clearness There Is no
longer any failure to realize that farming. at
least in certain branches. must become tech
meal and scientific profession. This means that
there must be open TO farmers the chance for
technical and scientific training not theoretical
merely, but Of the most severely practical type.
The farmer represents peculiarly high type Of
American citizenship. and ne must have tho
same chance to rise and develop other Ameri-
can citizens have. Moreover. ii is exactly as true
OF the farmer as it is of the business man and
the wageworkcT that the ultimate success Of
the nation Of which he forms a part must be
founded not alone on material prosperity, but
upon high moral, mental and physical develop
ment This education Of the farmer-self-
education by preference-but also education from
the outside, with all other mcn--is peculiarly
necessary here in the United States, where the
frontier conditions in the newest states have
now nearly vanished. where there must be sub
stitution of more intensive system of cultiva-
tion for the old wasteful farm arrangement, and
where there must be a better brs.ress organiza-
tion among the farmers themselves
Several factors must cooperate in the i'm
provement of the farmers condition He must
have the chance to be educated in the widest
possible sense-in the sense which keeps ever in
view the intimate relationship between the
theory of education and the facts OF life. In all
education we should widen our aims. 1T is a
good thing TO produce certain 1v.T1ber of
trained scholars and students; but the sauca-
tion superintendent by the state must seek rather
to produce hundred good citizens than merely
one scholar, and 1t must be turned row and
great book of nature itself This especially
true Of the farmer. as has been pointed out
again and again by all observers most COM
petent to pass practical Judgment the prob
lens of our country life. All students now re-
aliZe that education must seek to train the
ecutive powers of young people and to confer
more real significance upon the phrase dignity
OF labor and to prepare the pupi.s that I'm
addition to each developing I'm the highest de-
gree his individual capacity for work they may
together help create right public opinion. and
show In many ways social and cooperative
spirit Organization has become necessary in
the business world. and IL has accomplished
much for good In the world of labor II is no
less necessary for farmers. Such movement
as the grange movement is good In itself, and Is
TOR good 50 long as it is kept to it's own legits
mate business. The benefits TO be derived by
the association OF farmers for mutual advantage
are partly economic and partly sociological
Moreover. whils in the long run voluntary
enort Will prove more efficacious than govern
ment assistance while the farmers must pri-
marily do most for themselves yet the govern
ment can also do ruch The Department of
Agriculture has broken new ground in many
directfons. and year by year IL finds how IL can
Improve Its methods and develop fresh useful
ness. Its constant effort Is to give the govern
mental assistance in the most effective way
that Is. through associations of farmers rather
than to or through individual farmers 1t is also
striving to coordinate its work with the agri-
cultural departments of the several states and
so far as Its work is educational TO Co
ordinate 1t with the work of other educational
autnortles Agricultural education is neces-
sarlly baseo upon general education but our
agricultural educational institutions are wisely
specializing themselves, making their courses
peiate 70 the actual teaching of the agricultural
anu hhored sciences 10 young country people or
young city people who wish to live in the coun-
Great progress has already been made among
in tute
or dairy associations. of breeders associations
horticultural associations, and the like. strik-
ing example OF how the government and tho
FARMERS can Cooperate Is shown In connection
with the menace offered to the cotton growers
Oh tne southern states by the advance of the
boil weevil, The department is doing all II can
TO organize the farmers in the threatened dis
trlcts Just as it has been doing all it can TO
organize them In aid of Its work to eradicate
the cattle fever tick in the South The depart
ment can and will Cooperate with all such as
sociations. and il must have their help il IT'S
own work is to be done in the most efficient
style.
Much is now being done for the states of the
ROCKY Mountains and great plains through the
development of the national policy of irrigation
ana forest preservation no
'rrigatoh ana For- government policy for the
est preservation. betterment of our internal
49,. conditions has been more
fruitful! of good than this The forests of the
White Mountains and Southern Appalachian re-
glons should also be preserved: and they cannon
be unless the people of the states in which they
lie through their representatives In the Com
gress secure vigorous action by the national
government.
invite the attention of the Congress 10 the
estimate of the Secretary of War for an appro-
priation TO enable him to begin the preliminary
. work for the construction
memorial Amph- of memorial amphitheatre
theatre az Arlington. at Arlington. The Grard
Army of the Republic, In
IFS national encampment. has urged the erection
or such an amphitheatre necessary for the
proper observance of Memorial Day and as a
fitting monument TO the soldier and sailor dead
buried there. In this heartily concur and ccn
matter b1e DsifI
of the Congress.
am we'll aware of how difficult ii is to pass
constitutional amendment. Nevertheless i'm
my judgment the whole question OF marriage
=. and divorce should be rela-
marria9s ano gated TO the authority Of
o''oree. the national Congress At
present the wide differences
IN the laws of the different states on this subject
result in scandals and abuses; and surely there
is nothing so vitality essential To the welfare of
the nation. nothing around which the nation
should so bend itself TO throw every safeguard
as the home life Of the average citizen. The
change would be good from every STANDPOINT
In particular IL would be good because it would
confer on the Congress the power a. once TO
deal radically and efficiently with polyganry;
and this should be done whether or not mar
riage and divorce are dealt with. 1t is n.ither
safe nor proper to leave the question of poIyg-
amy to be dealt with by the several states
Power to deal with it should be conferred on the
national government.
When home ties are loosened. when men and
women cease to regard worthy family life
responsibilities lived UP to- as the life best worth
living, then evil days for the commonwealth are
at hand. There are regions In our land and
classes of our population where the birthrate
has sunk below the death rate. Surely II should
need no demonstration to show that -vt,ful
sterilty is. from the standpoint of the nation
from the standpoint of the human race, the one
sin for which the penalty is national death race
DEATH sin for which there is no stonement;
sin which IS the more dreadful exactly In pro-
portion the men and women guilty thereof
in other respects. in character and bodily
and mental mowers thOs0 whom for tho soIa 20