The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-12-15

in the widest possible sense-in the sense
which keeps ever in view the intimate
relationship between the theory of edu-.
cation and the facts of life In all
education we should widen our aims. It
is a good thing to produce certain NUM-
Der OF trained scholars and students;
but the education superintendent by the
state must seek rather TO produce a hun
dred good citizens than merely one
scholar, and it must be turned now and
| then from the class book to the study
of the great book of nature Itself. This
been pointed out again and again by all
| observers most competent to pass prac-
teal judgment on the problems of our
country life. All students now realize
that education must seek to train the
executive powers of young people and to
confer more real significance upon the
pare pare. the pupils so that in addition to
each developing in the highest. degree
his individual capacity for work. they
opinion, and show in many ways social
and cooperative spirit. Organization has
become necessary in the business world;
in the world of labor. It is no less neces-
sary for farmers. Such movement as
the grange movement Is good IN itself
and is capable of a well -nigh infinite fur
Their extension for good SO long as II is
kept to its own legitimate business The
benefits to be derived by the association
partly economic and partly sociological.
Moreover, while In the long run yolun-
| tary effort will prove more efiieacious
than government assistance, while the
farmers must primarily do most for
| themselves, yet the government can also
do much. The department of agriculture
has broken new ground in many dfrec-
TONS and year by year it finds how it
can improve its methods and develop
| fresh usefulness. It's constant eIort IS
to give the governmental assistance in
the most effective way: that is, thru as
sociations of farmers rather than to or
thru individual farmers. It is also striv
ing to coordinate its work with the agri-
cultural departments of the several
states, and so far as its own work is
work of other educational authorities.
Agricultural education is necessarily
based upon general education, but our
| AGRICULTURAL educational institutions are
| wisely specializing themselves, making
their course relate to the actual teaching
| of the agricultural and kindred sciences
people who wish to live in the country.
| Great progress has already been made
among farmers by the creation of
farmers, Institutes, of dairy assoeia-
tions, of breeders associations. horti-
cultural associations. and the like. A
striking example of how the govern
shown in connection with the menace
offered to the cotton growers of the
southern states by the advance of the
boil weeyi1. The department is doing
all it can to organize the farmers in
the threatened districts. just as it has
been doing all It can to organize them
tie fever tick in the south. The depart
1nent can and will cooperate with all
such associations, and 1t must have
done in the most efficient style"
He urges the extension of the irriga-
ton and forest preservation system, and
asks for an appropriation for building
memorial theater at Arlington.
Marriage and Divorce.
As a means of bringing about national
suggests a constitutional amendment, and
says it is not safe to leave these ques-
tons to be dealt with by the various
states. Continuing on this subject he
says:
When home ties are 1oosened; when
men and women cease to regard
fully performed, and all its RESPONSE
bilities lived up to. as the life best
worth living; then evil days for the
regions in our land, and classes of our
population, where the birth rate. has
sunk below the death rate. Surely it
that wilful sterility is, from the
standpoint of the nation. from me
standpoint of the human race, the one
sin for which the penalty is national
| death, race death: a sin for which
there is no atone1Hent: a sin which is
the more dreadful exactly in proper.
thereof are in other respects in char
aeter, and bodily and mental powers,
those whom for the sake of the state
it would be well to see the fathers
and mothers of many healthy children,
well brought up in homes made happy
by their presence. No man, no woman,
can shirk the primary duties of life,
whether for love of ease and pleasure.
or for any other cause, and retain his
or her se1f-respe
The president asks for the enactment
into law of a shipping bill that will place
American interests on the seas on par
with those Of other countries, and urges
will establish direct steamship cornrnu-
nication with South American ports.
Currency Reform.
Amendments to the present currency
laws are asked for, and after showing
that present laws are inadequate because
of the wide huctuation of interest
charges, he says:
ssThe mere statement of these facts
shows that our present system is seri-
ously defective. There is need of a
change. Unfortunately, however, many
of the proposed changes must be ruled
from consideration because they are
tension and tend 10 disturb existing
rights and interests. We must also
rule out any plan which would ma
terially impair the value of the United
States two per cent. bonds now pledged
to secure circulation, the issue of
which was made under conditions Pc
". IL
do not press any special plan. Various
plans have recently been proposed by
expert committees of bankers Among
the plans which are possibly feasible
and which certainly should receive
your consideration is that repeatedly
brought to your attention by the pres
ent secretary of the treasury, the es-
sential features of which have been
approved by many prominent bankers
and business men. According to this
plan national banks should be per-
mitted to issue a specified proportion
of their capital in notes of a given
a rate as to drive the notes back when
not wanted in legitimate trade. This
plan would not permit the issue of
currency to give banks additional
scented by times of stringency.
Need of Automatic System.
ST do not say that this is the right
system. I only advance it to empha-
size my belief that there is need for
shall be automatic and open to all
sound banks, SO as to avoid all pos
sibility of discrimination and favorit-
ism. Such a plan would tend to pre-
speculation which now obtain in the
New York market; fer at present
there is too much currency at certain
seasons of the year, and its aceumu-
to lend it at low rates for speculative
purposes; whereas at other times when
the crops are bing moved there is
urgent need for a. large but temporary
must never be forgotten that this
question concerns business men gen
orally quite as much as bankers; es-
pecially is this true of stockmen,
farmers and business men IN the west;
for at present at certain seasons of
the year the difference in interest