The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1908-12-08

not that amono the city bred there
are those who have never given the
original dispenser of their potatoes
and milk and butter and COOS
thought, believing, perchance' that
the corner grocer, by an occult wav-
ing of his hands, brought them into
being out of thin air, this man
must be reached, must be taught to
sympathize, must first be educated,
not that he is an indispensable fac
tor in the rise of the farmer, but that
his systematic cooperation is a most
potent force.
An excellent article in the cur
rent number of the Outlook, which
discusses the work of President
Roosevelt's newly appointed "Coun-
try Life" Commission, has this to
say concerning the education of the
non-farming classes: 'In our judg-
ment the chief obstacle that the
American farmer has to contend with
today, is that the banker, the mer-
chant, the manufacturer, the LAWYER.
the doctor. the minister, the profess
sor, the artist, the legislator and
the editor know too little about him
and his work. We measure the
wealth and strength of the United
States too much by its rich banks,
its enormous factories, its miles of
brilliant theatres, its powerful news
papers, its learned universities.
Who has built all these and who
maintains them? The farmer. When,
do railways pass their dividends.
when do newspapers lose their sub
scribers, when do banks fall into
the hands of receivers, when do ac-
tors play to empty benches, when do
doctors fail to collect their bills, when
do the universities suffer for funds?
When the crops fail.
Imagine the surface of the world
covered with a coat of asphalt like
Fifth avenue. Newspapers could BE-
edited upon it, banks could cash
checks upon it, automobiles could fVll
upon it, silk and satin and calico and
wooden could be sold upon it, sur
geons could operate upon it, lawyers
could argue upon it; but in six
months we should all die for lack of
milk and bread and meat"
But the education is by no means
to be confined to the non-faIminz
classes. As much educating must
be done amon@ the farmers them
selves. To quote further from the
Outlook: ''The existing individualisni
of the farmer is their greatest eco
nomic disadvantage. If the farmers
would combine in some sort Of joint
stock corporation or mutual assoc
Citations, and employ their own dis
tributing or selling agent, they would
get at least fair division of the
profits; the lions share Of which
in many farming industries goes to
the middleman."
And right here in Kentucky, much
and misrepreserted old
State, we are, and have been for
months past, working out this prob
lem for ourselves, demonstrating to
the world that we have lost none o.
the iberty-loving, justice seeking
qualities, which have always distin
guished the Anglo-S Saxon. nor lost
one jot of the tenacity of purpose
which one time wruno a Magma Char
Ia from the hands of furious little
king.
1t has been a hard fight. one Of
seeming hopefulness, of towering
obstacles, of bitterness and rancour
1t has been a contest in which friend
ships of years standing, were broken
in WHICH neighbors quarreled bitterly
There has been lawlessness, wantor
acts of irresponsible persons meriting
and receiving the condemnation OF
just men. The opposition has been
crafty, persistent, backed by Him
liable wealth, and its assaults have
REQUIRED tremendous resistance, an
untaltering courage, and a sterling
honesty.
An advantage has been gained, and
a .'otable one, but the victory is
not to be accepted as final settle
ment. Scarcely the first rampant in
the wider struggle for the establish
ment of principle has been passed
There must be no folding Of the
hands. Rather let us set to work
with renewed zeal to the strengthen
ing o. internal organization, to the
forming Of a more compact union
to the elimination of all that is bad
AID to the addition of that which is
good. to the task Of educating, of
setting before the people the facts
The price received for pooled to
bacco has demonstrated beyond l
doubt the possibility and the eficien
cy of union and cooperation on the
paIt Of the farmer. That he will