Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-18

the farm. Still overShadOWS the mill,
| the factory, and the work in producing
exports. The value Of the exports OF
the farms for the past single year are
enough to build a high class railroad
half way around the earth, the largest
amount ever reached by any country.
| While the farmers placed to the
national credit in other countries
| s433, 100000, in 1906, other producers
| all included secured a balance in favor
of this country Of only $S3,000,000.
| During the last seventeen years the
| farmer has built up a balance of trade
| in foreign exchange Of agricultural
products, amounting to $G,O68, 100000,
while all other producers find them
selves at the end Of the same period
with a total on the debtor side Of the
account to the extent of $459,OOO,OO0.
| Why should not the farmer hold his
| head high? Why should he not be
| able to maintain a national farmers
organization, and how can any farmer
| hold himself alOOf from the grange,
| the only national farmers organiza-
| ton, and the only agency through
which he can make his influence felt
in town, county, state, and national
affairs, and why has he not the right
through organized effort an active in
terest in all the affairs of State and
nation? Does any farmer outside the
grange believe that farmers identified
with its work, without organization,
would exert the power and influence
that the grange of Maine has today IN
the body polite? And yet the in
nuence for good is but just begun
when every farmer and family is en-
| rolled as members Of this great
organization.
Forestry is a most important subject
| for the members of this order to be-
! come actively Interested in. We are
| in this regard Il wasteful people. The
treatment Of our forests shows this
perhaps as clearly as any other one
thing. While our Maine soil and
| climate seem to possess to a greater
| degree than most western lands, the
| power to reproduce wood growth, yet
! we seem not to have realized that our
lands will not forever give good re-
turns if neglected or i'll treated.
| or our splendid forests we have
been especially reckless and careless.
| Wise and thoughtful men are giving
their time and energy to saving ii for
US, and restoring as nearly as may be,
the growth that in our ignorance we
have destroyed If one doubts this. lei
them compare conditions in states
where the forests have been entirely
destroyed. The people of Maine can
not awaken too soon to the import
ance of carefully protecting our forest
lands. and we trust they will for the
49, ant " TOR
| powers. the conserving of moisture in
| our soils, and the thousands of bless
1 ings that attend the presence of
woods
| Every person is a factor in society
and as such is responsible for the
manner i'll which he discharges his
duty thereto. Mans first duty is to
his family; second TO his government
which enables him TO enjoy the privi-
leges of his family and home, and
third, To do all in his power to improve
| and advance the interests of his
chosen occupation. To intelligen1y
perform these duties he must have a
| knowledge of the machinery OF
government, and realize that it is in
cumbent upon him to do all he can
under these special obligations, TO do
what he can to secure for his own
sake no less than for the sake OF
others the protection Of the interests
of all concerned The inheritance
handed down to us by our forefathers
is a very great advance on their own
when every citizen of this Republic
inherits personal liberty and every
naturalized citizen enters into like
| freedom when he assumes the
responsibility Of professed loyalty 10
his adopted country. He has liberty
for free education, free. thoughtfui
speech for free inquiry, the right \"
choose for himself a life pursuit and
to be protected in the practice of his
business and belief. And all this de-
ponds in the last resort upon the
intelligence of the masses: an intelli-
gence based on L sense of moral
obligation in which humane
tendencies play a vital part. This is
shown by the principle outlined on our
Declaration of Independence, which
declares that the consent of the
governed is the true foundation of all
lust authority" Hence the rank and
file of a Republic must be educated in
the conditions of good citizenship.
|
and conscious personal desire for the
well being Of all. not alone for one s
party or ones self Common brother
hood means individual liberty and
equal rights for all classes of citizens.
The strongest personal energy is
personal independence. This has been
the best incentive to individual and
national endeavor, and the chief factor
/ in success. SO far as we cultivate
| individual liberty and sense Of
! personal responsibility. SO far will our
progress in all departments of
| government be assured, so far shall
we avail ourselves Of our POSSIBLE
| ties; but so far as we remain inert,
helplessly dependent on the State IN
stead Of making it. so far will our
progress lag. This is a point Of
grange education.
| Inasmuch as il has been published IN
| the newspapers that the present master
of the State has been getting large
amount of money from the ORDER il seems
proper to refer TO the facts in this ad-
| dress.