The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1909-07-03
How the Newspaper May Help Rural
Development.
- ! y

G-@ yelopment Take backward county. for
example. where the roads bad the schools
poor. the schoolhouses Inadequate. the water
powers embarrassed. forests butchered. farmers
using one-horse plovs and putting more faith In
almanac signs than In agricultural science. and
the natural resources generally going to waste
What may not be accomplished In such n COM
munity by editor filed with the spirit OF prog
ress and enterprise, what n golden opportunity
| is neglected when such editor shuts his eyes
to IL and wastes his litc in lighting tho battles of
tho little cliqucs and machines inside his party,
| have in mind now paper which approaches
! some hat tho ideal that | have. Let us call II
tho smithvillc Observer 1t is refreshing TO turn
10 tia editorial page each week. | know that In
| 4, lcss likely to ind tho editors incense
quent!al opinion of Philadelphia politics than
atm 90 md his opinion OF how 20 make tho streets
| of Smthvlilo beautiful.
| II may not contain much INSTRUMENTATION abou,
| tho tariff. but know that IL will have something
about the bcs, methods OF improving the roads
of Smith County-and by tho way. Smith County
~lll some time vote a bond issue and good sys
tenn Of roads Sli be the bcs, monumcn, tn that
editors memory
know. too. that ~ local taxation for schools
tie TO the fore. that editor will nght aide by side
~ith hta coun;y's soldiers OF progress Nor will
the achoolhnua~a themselves be neglected. nor
that coun,r'H share OF the schoolhousc loan fund
be loft Idle II the Observers influence turn
II 30 ase in improving the buildings.
More than thia. II Farmer brown has 30 I'm
proved his land as 10 double bis corn yield I know
that tho Observer will giro tho whole story for
tho benefit OF other demonstrating that II In
aa big piece of tho suicide OF old
Whlskcy Jones down In Hanging Dog Township
| This paper. too. keeps agi,a,ing for tho
panalon Of small Industries which would be help
fnl to Tho county: II points out whore n ncw rural
nail route nigh, be probably started; tn. other
week 1, had = lis, Of on. hundred appropriate
names for country homes. and Is urging farmers
| 10 name their farms. In short. every enterprise
and "rory movrmcu; looking to the re-makinx OF
old Smith County nndn an ally and sricnd In tho
Smithvillo Observer
"ha, wo need In tho South IL more smithvilic
Observers wc newspaper mon need TO catch the
VISION OF tho greater South that We bring
ao""t and Then Sci ourselves and give our lives
10 bringing IL about, What does ~ matter about
tn" reports Of social arairs In your ;own-abou,
III" ~Fi'"-npa Of weddings aud lcc-eroam suppers
and card pari!es7 Wha, wilt II matter a hundred
year" from now whether you &c, John Smith or
h'll Jones elected Register OF Dc.dsr
hni 1t viii matter much whether tho boys and
girls Of your county have the door OF hope and
education opened TO them or walk In the darkness
OF Ignorance: whether the roads of the county
Keep i'n peopl" NIFTY years behind the mos put
th"in In The vanguard OF progress: whether the
industries OF tho county are developed allowed
:" '"''hF"H"s "nHNhrr the resources or tho couh"
" are utilized by It's own people or left TO be ex-
plotted by forrigors whether It's farming becomes
matter OF pride and pront or n matter OF drudg-
cry and debt: whether It's sol tiiiora are scientific
FARMERS or mere codhoppora. sell meat or buy
meat. have bank accounts or store accounts have
nhHcky cabins or painted houses: whether young
men hnd the county good place to live In
good place TO move from. and whether In short.
the population shall keep step with the great for
""rd march OF Southern progress only hinder
those that would so forward
Ill.
Does all this depend upon tho editor. do you
ASK Well. not wholly. and yet In far. far greater
measure than have come To realize | feel