Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-08-30
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necessity Of the introduction Of the best
machinery, that he may the better cope
with the everywhere much discussed farm
labor problem. By this education, he can
the better appropriate what he reads to
his advantage, what he hears to his better
ment, and what he sees to his we'll being.
Steps should be encouraged in the direction
OF making the farm more productive; the
farm buildings sanitarially modern; the
home bright and attractive. There is no
reason in the great wide world why the
farm home should not be just as inviting
and every whit as pleasant, and cheerful
as the town home, and we rejoice that
there are hundreds of such homes upon our
highly productive farms located in eYery
township Of our favored county. May
their number increase. The welcome home;
the happy home; the inviting home; the
home the farm boy loves, esteems, respects
and revers is the hope and salvation of the
agricultural interests or this country.
SHOULD GROW IN THE ESTIMATION OF HIS
FELLOW MEN
Once the farmers SON determines to make
agriculture the pursuit of~his life. he
should straightway determine TO grow in
the estimation of his fellow men, We can
see no clearly defined reason why the farm
er should not be just as enterprising; just
as generous; just as broadminded; just as
ambitious, just as useful, and just as in
dispensable to community, honored by his
being resident thereof as though he had
determined upon a business, mercantile or
professional career The successful farmer
| of the future must be man among men.
He cannot afford to hold himself aloof from
the world. He must enter its pleasures;
share its duties; and bear his proportion of
its responsibilities. 1t is not given him to
take negative position. To be abreast Of
the times he must be part and parcel of
every thing of a character for good trans
piring in his neighborhood. II there is
society having for its aim the special inter
est of farming and the improvement of the
condition Of the farmer reasonably close at
hand. his home should be enrolled among
its members. Farmers caunot get too close
together in business sense. With them
unien counts nightly. A well established
secret lodge, we care not what it ISL Mason
10, Odd Fellow, Maccabees or Heptasoph-
is good thing for young farmer TO be-
long to- 1t brings him in a close fraternal
touch with his fellow man, and if conduct
ed as lodge should be, will give him an
idea Of parliamentary law qualifying him
to fill any position Of honor that may per-
chance come his way The man who can
properly preside over public meeting is
always in demand.
THE FARMER IN PoTTIcs.
Mr. President, l have already exceeded
the time assigned me, but I cannot close
without some reference to the young farm
er in politics. Patriotism demands that
every citizens should have deep, personal,
I abiding interest in his country There are
| too few farmers in our National Congress
and State Legislatures. | believe at Tren-
ton last year the great agricultural interests
! of New Jersey were represented by only
two farmers, and be it said to the credit OF
our own county of Sussex one of them
come from her boundaries, and he proved a
useful and efficient representative. Every
farmer should be interested in politics. He
should attend the primaries as regularly as
he does his church, his grange, his lodge or
reads his county paper The man who at
tends the primary never fails to attend the
general election. That is one truism DEM
ocrats and Republicans alike ESQ wonderful
to relate) agree upon. You ask me, why
i is a farmer needed in the State Legis-
lature ?n There are hundreds Of reasons
why. Let me tell you one. During the
past month Franklin Dye, Secretary Of the
New Jersey State Board OF agriculture,
visited Newton While there at a prelim-
mary meeting attended by number of
farmers and leading business men, he mem
toned the character Of stables existing in
the county of Hudson where cattle are
stalled the milk from which is sold upon
the streets of New York. Many of my
/ heares have noticed III Greek mythology
the account of the Augean stables; how
they contained thirty thousand cattle, and
were not cleaned for thirty years. It is
also remembered how Hercules accomplish
ed what was believed the impracticable
task Of cleaning these stables in single
day by turning the river Alpheus through
them. In all candor, submit the Augean
stables Of Grecian fame, according to our
State Secretary of Agriculture, were not
one whit less clean; not one whit less
wholesome; not one whit less unsanitary; ;
NOT one whit less dark and cherries than
the dairy stables. Gcd forgive the name,
existing to-day in Hudson county. Tell me,
you men, were the New Jersey Legislature
made up of its proper quota of farmers,
could this condition OF affairs prevail No.
A thousand times no!
a CLOSING THOUGHT.
In the early centuries the names of men
illustrious in war, statecraft and business,
were preserved on the facades Of princely
palaces; on obelisks towering high in the
skies; and in tombs, decorated with stones
Of priceless value. Nothing Of this charac-
| ter can be promised him who makes the
following Of agricultural pursuits the occu-
patton Of his life. Yet, we proclaim, with
out fear Of contradiction, the farmer more
than any other man, or class Of men, is a
little closer to Nature; that he, more than
his fellow man little more appreciates
what this magnificent country cost in blood
and sacrifice, hence he more fully compre-
bends and appreciates these grandly patrio-
| tic lines:
My country! tbs OF thee
Sweet land of liberty