The Cairo bulletin., 1907-06-01
professions. just as emphatically as
Inc calings of lawyer, of DOCTOR Of

the callings of lawyer, of doctor. O
banker, merchant, or clerk. TIL,
printer, the electrical worker tn,
mouse painter, the foundry man
should be trained just as carefully al
1the stenographer or the drug clerk
Ihey should be trained alike In heat
and In hand They should get ovel
inc idea that 10 earn twelve dollars {
week and call II salary" Is bettel
than 10 earn twenty-five dollars {
week and call 1t wages" The young
man who has the courage and the
ability to refuse to enter the crowded
field of the so called professions and
Ito take to constructive industry Is
almost sure Of an ample reward in
earnings, in health, in opportunity to
/ marry early, and to establish a home
with reasonable freedom from
worry
Nation Depends Upon Farmer
There Is but one person whose wei.
| fare Is as vital to the welfare of the
whole country as that of the wage
worker who does manual labor; and
THAT is the tiller of the soil the
farmer. If there is one lesson taught
by history 1t is that the permanent
greatness Of any state must ultl-
mately depend more upon the charac-
ter of its country population t1an
upon anything else. No growth of
cities, no growth Of wealth can make
up for loss in either the number or
the character of the farming popula-
ton. In the United States more than
in almost any other country we
should realize this and should prize
our country population. When this
nation began its independent exist
ence II was as a nation of farmers.
The towns were small and were for
the NEST part mere seacoast trading
and fishing ports. The chief industry
of the country was agriculture and
the ordinary citizen was in some way
connected with it. In every great
crisis Of the past a peculiar depend
ence has had to be placed upon the
farming population; and this depend
ence has hitherto been justified. But
it can not be justified in the future If
the scale as compared with other EN-
We can not afford to lose
that pre-eminently typical American,
the farmer who owns his own farm.
Country Social Life Lacking.
AS compared with a few decades
ago, the social or community life of
people in the east compares
less we'll than ii formerly did with |
that of the dwellers in cities. Many |
communities have lost their |
social Conference. their sense of COM
munity interest In such commune
lies the country church, for instance |
mas gone backward both as social |
md a religious factor Now, we can
lot too strongly insist upon the fact
hat it Is quite as unfortunate to
nave any social as any economic fall
ng off. 1t would be calamity to
nave our farms occupied by lower
ype of people than the hard-working,
Independent, and es,
,ential'y manly ani womanly men
md women who have hitherto con-
'tituted the most typically American,
md on the whole the most valuable,
clement in our entire nation.
Ambitious native born Young men
md women who now tend away from
he farm must be brought back to it,
md therefore they must have social
is well as economic opportunities.
every thing should be done TO en-
courage the growth in the open farm
ng country of such institutional and
ocial movements as will meet the de-
nand of the best type of farmers.
Must Revive the Country Church.
There should be libraries, assembly
lalls, social organizations of all
,irds. The school building and the
eacher in the school building should
throughout the country districts, be
# the very highest type. able to fit
he boys and girls not merely TO live
n, but thoroughly enjoy and to make
he most of the country The coun-
ry church must be revived. All
.inds of agencies. from rural free de
livery to the bicycle and the tele-
hone, should be utilized to the ut
most: good roads should be favored
should be done to make
easier for the farmer to lead the
most active and effective intellectual
'olitical and economic life.
There are regions of large extent
where all this. or most of this, has
lIeady been realized; and while this
S perhaps especially true of great
racts of farming country west of the
with some of which
ave fairly intimate personal knowl-
dge. it is no less true of other great
racts of country east of the Missis-
ippi. In these regions the church
nd the school flourish as never be
ore: there is a more successful and
noIe varied farming industry; the
ccial advantages and opportunities
re greater than ever before: life Is
uller. happier, more useful; and
hough the work is more effective
han ever, and in a way quite as hard.
/ carried on so as to give more