The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-02-18

themselves; but 1t is q problem which also
us, and therefore il We can render any
help toward Its solution, 1t Is not only our
duty but our interest to do SO.
The foregoing will, l nope, make 1t clear
why I appointed q commission to consider
| problems of farm life which have hitherto
had far too little attention. and the neg
lect of which has not only held back life
in the country, but also lowered the eff
cheney of the whole nation. The welfare
of the farmer is of vital consequence to
the welfare Of the whole community. The
strengthening Of country life. therefore, is
the Strengthening of the whol nation.
Where Aid Is Needed.
The commission has tried to help the
and to see 1t as a whole; to distinguish
clearly between what the government can
do and the farmers must do for
the farmers but the nation as a whole to
realize that the growing OF crops, though
an essential part. is only a part of country
ton; but It is no les essential that the
farmer shall get an adequate return for
t,h ne grows and It is no less essen
and his. wife and his children shall lead the
right kind of life.
For this reason. it is Of the first i'm
ment of agriculture, through which as
prime agent the ideas the commission
become without delay in fact a department
of country life, fitted to deal not only with
crops, but also with the larger aspects Of
life In the open country.
From all that has been done and learn
ed three great general and immediate
needs @. of country life stand out:
farmers, to put them on a level with the
organized interests with which they do
business.
Second a new kind of schools In the
country, which shall teach the children
as much outdoors as indoors and perhaps
more, so that they will prepare for coun-
4 fry lIfA and mot NC 81 ~o-o- -.- T. - 49,
life IN town.
including good roads and a parcels post,
which the country people are everywhere,
and rightly, unanimous in demanding.
To these may well be added better san
Itation; for easily p~reventable diseases
slavery of continuous i'll health.
The commission points out. and [ con-
cur In the conclusion, that the most inn
portant help that the government, wheth-
er national or state, can give is to show
the people how to go about these tasks
OF organization, education and communi-
cation With the best and quickest results.
This can be done by the collection and
spread of information. One community
can thus be Informed of what other com
what other countries have done. Such
help by the peoples government would
lead to a comprehensive plan of organf-
make the farming country better to live
In, for intellectual and social reasons as
well as for purely agricultural reasons.
The government through the department
Of agriculture does not cultivate any
mans farm for him.. But 1t does put at
his service useful knowledge that he
would not otherwise get. In the same
way. the national and state government
might put into the peoples hands the new
and right knowledge of school work. The
TASK OF maintaining and developing the
schools would remain, as now, with the
people themselves.
One Recommendation.
The only Recommendation / submit is
that an appropriation of $4,000 be pro-
yided, to enable the commission to di-
gest the material it has collected. and to
fbat and mi+b, to digest much more
complete its work. This would en-
able the commission to gather in the
commissioners nave served without COM
pensation, and / do not recommend any
appropriation for their services. but only
for the expense that will be required
to finish the task that they nave begun.
10 improve our system Of agriculture
which lie before us. But it can not, in
my judgment, be effected by measures
W,hainc,h TO touch only the material and tech
ness and life of the farmer must also be
taken into account. Such considerations
connf me f4 appoint p,ln the the conmission on
help develop in the country the great
ideals Of community life as well as of
personal character. One of the most i'm
portant adjuncts to this end must be the
country church, and / invite your atten-
ton to what the commission says of the
country church and Of the need Of an ex-
tension of such work as hi of the
Young Mems Christian association in
country communities. Let me lay special
emphasis upon what the commission says
at the very end o. its report on personal
ideals and local leadership. Everything
resolves itself in the end into the question
OF personality. Neither society nor gov
eminent can do much for country life I'M
less there is voluntary response in the
personal ideals of the men and women
who live in the country. In the develop
ment of character, the home should be
more important han the school, or than
society at large. When once the basic
material needs have been met, high ideals
may be quite independent of income: but
they can not be realized without sufficient
income to provide adequate foundations;
and where the community at large is not
financially prosperous it is impossible to
develop a high average personal and com
munity ideal In short, the f~undamenta.
facts of human nature apply to men and