New-York tribune., 1907-06-01

on the contrary. while giving hearty and un-
grudgiug admiration and support 10 ihe SoiI.
paratVely few whose primary work shouiu oc
creative scholarship-it must be remembered i'lat
the ordinary graduate Of our colleges shouiu pe
and must be primarily a man ana hot d
scholar. Education should not confine itself TO
books. 1t must train executive power anu W
10 create that right public opinion which is the
most potent factor in the proper so4uIoIl oA Oil
political and social questions.
Book learning is very important but II Is oy
no means everything; and we shall never ger
the right idea of education unII we uT,! uTuIL5ety ~
understand that a man may be well Uaihea IN
book learning and yet, in the proper sense % -
word and for all practical purposes oe uOyS.IS
uneducated; while man OF comparatively niue
book learning may. nevertheless In essentials
have good education.
SIGNS NOT TO BE DIsREGARDED.
II is true that agriculture in the United States
has reached a very high level OF prosperity; but
we cannot afford TO disregard the signs which
teach that there are influences operating
against the establishment or retention OF our
country life upon really sound basis. Inc 1Ic
overextensive and wasteful cultivation or pioneer
days must stop and give place to a more econoli-
teal system. Not only the physical but the ethi-
cal needs Of the people Of the country districts
must be considered In our country life there
must be social and intellectual advantages as
well as a fair standard Of physical comfort
There must be in the country in the town. a
nlult IDllcation OF movements for intellectual ad-
vancement and social betterment. We must try
to raise the average Of farm lie and we must
also trv TO develop II so that it shall offer
ccptional chances FOR the exceptional man.
OF course tho essential things, aiter all are
those which concern all Of us as men and
women, no matter whether we live in the town
the country and no matter what our occupa-
tons may be. The root problems are much the
for all Of US. widely though they may dlf-
fer IN outward manifestation Ihe most lnpor-
tant conditions that tell for happiness within the
home are the same for the town and the country;
and the relations between employer and empIoEe
not always satisfactory on the farm any
more than in the factory. All over the country
there is a constant complaint of pauCity of farm
labor Without attempting TO into all the
features Of this question. l would like 10 point
out that you can never get the right KIND the
best kind, OF labor II you offer employment only
tor a few months, for no man worth anything
will permanently accept n system which leaves
him IN idleness for half the year.
WORD FOR THE FARMERS WIFE.
And most important Of all, want to say a
special word on behalf of the one who is too
often the very hardest worked laborer on the
farmLthe farmers wife. Reform Ike charity.
while It should not end at home. should
tainly begin there and the man. whether he
lives on farm or in a town. who is anxious to
see better social and economic conditions prevail
through the country at large should be exceed
ingly careful that they prevail first as regards
his own womankind 1 emphatiCaly believe
that for the great majority of women the really
Indispensable industry IN which they should
gage Is the industry Of tho home There are
exceptions, of course. but exactly the first
duty of the normal man Is the duty of being the
home maker the first duty of the normal
woman IS TO be the home keeper, and exactly
as no other learning is as important for the
him how to make his livelihood. other
learning is as important for the average woman
the learning which will make her Il good
housewife and mother
But this does not mean that she should be an
overworked drudge l have hearty sympathy
with the movement to better the condition Of
the average tier OF the soil. Of the average
wage worker, end have even heartier SYM
pathy and applause for the movement which Is
10 better the condition Of their respective wives
There is plenty that is hard and rough and dis
agreeable In the necessary work of actual life,
rarN1r ,.1er Haat tnl-y,
how tender and considerate the husband the
wife will have at least her full share OF work
and worry and anxiety, but If the man is worth
MS SAT- ne VIII try to take as much possible
of the burden off the shoulders OF his hepmate
There is nothing Utopian in the movement all
that is necessary is to strive toward raising tho
average, both of men and women. to the level
on which the highest type of family now stands
among American farmers among American
skilled mechanics among American citizens gen.
orally. for In all the world there IS no better and
healthier home life. no finer factory of individ-
uai character. nothing more representative of
what Is pest and most characteristic in Ameri-
can life than that which exists in the higher type
OK american FAMILY and this higher type of fam
lly Is 10 De round everywhere among us and Is
the property or no special group Of citizens
THE BEST CROP.
The best crop is the crop OF children: the hes,
products or the farm are the men and women
raised thereon; and the most instructive and
practicaI treatises on farming, necessary though
they be, are no more necessary than the books
which teach us our duty to our neighbor and
above all to the neighbor who is OF our own
household You young men and women of the
agricultural and industrial colleges and schools
ana Tor that matter you who go to any college
or school-must have some time for light read
ing; and there is some light reading quite as
useful as heavy reading. provided Of course that
you do not read in a spirit OF mere vacuItv
Aside from the great classics and thinking only
OF the many healthy and stimulating books OF
the day, It IS easy to pick out many which can
really serve as tracts, because they possess what
many avoWed tracts and treatises do not the
prime quality of being interesting You will
learn the root principles of self-help and helm
fulness toward others from Mrs Wigs of the
Cabbage Patch" just much as from anv
formal treatise on charity; you will learn as
much sound social and industrial doctrine from
Octave Thanet's stories OF farmers and wage
workers as from avowed sociological and eco
nomic studies and / cordially recommend the
first chapter OF Aunt Jane of Kentucky for
use a tract in all families where the men
folks tend to selfish or thoughtless overbear-
ing disregard Of the rights OF their womenkind.
CONTEMPT FOR STRIKERS
Do not misunderstood me. I have not the
slightest sympathy with those hysterical and