The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-02-15

TO all interested In improving farm
life:
It gives me great pleasure to co
operate with The presidents Commits
sion on Country Life in It's effort toI
create new interest in farm life ana
To improve social conditions in the
country.
our farmers and our sons of toll
are the founders and the backbone
of American liberty and civilization.
They are the handspring mad the
reliance Of out nation. and whateycr
effects them and their welfare affects
our very national existence. You may
search the pages of history DER and
DER. and you will find I'm every in.
stance that the nations OF power and
Influence have been those that ac-
corded agriculture the place OF hon.
or ana esteem.
when the mighty Romans honored
| agriculture and lived largely upon
! their farms. fheir hardy sons of toll
met their enemies with nerves of
| steel aud oyerame all nations that
dared oppose them. but later when
the noble work of farming was turn
ed over TO the management of sloth
! ful slaves. and the Roman freehold
crs flocked to the cities 10 spend
their hours in ease and luxury. there
came wonderful change over that
/ proud and conquoring nation. and
mighty Rome went down um'"r the
irresistible onset of the TeutOnic in
vaders. who were the children OF
nature. uncouth. unlettered and un-
acquainted with city life and it's
garlng temptations. These German
conqucror's were farmers then as
they are today. and that is the secret
Of their strength.
The same Is true os the early New
Euglandcrs and the sturdy sons OF
the American Revolution. who re-
Gciycd their seasoning and training
on the farm. 1t is to them that We
owe the birth and development Of our
grant and glorious republic.
The ancient Greeks rcvered the
soil. and Il is to them that We owe
the beautiful story of Antaeus, who
was iablod to be the son of the
earth II was said Of him that his inn
mensc strength was due to his rela.
tion 20 his mother, and that as long
as he was H. suutoct with her no
one could conquer him. one day Her.
Culcs, another of the tabled strong
men Of antiquity, met Antaeus and
contcudcd with him for supremacy.
The Two fought and struggled for a
long time. and Hercules threw An
tacus 10 the ground again and again
but strengthened by his mother each
time as he touches the earth Antae-
MS arose. able To fight more vigorous
ly than before, At last Hercules,
! lAHhlh- 'uN Ali' NbhlN' VI UlN Nl'l''
ucuJs strength, lifted him high Ia
the air and stranglud Autacus before
he could touch mother earth again.
There is much of truth as well as
sentiment in this story, ana It con
4 tains q lesson which We should learn
ere IL is too late. So long as We live
In close touch with The soil the
/ earth, our common mother, We Will
continue 90 hold q place of powcr
and influence among the nations of
/ the world The past century has
. Witnessed a great Development In all
things pertaining to the farm, but
/ conditions are not yet as they should
hc In the country life. Something
must De radically wrong somewhere,
when So many of our bcs, young men
are leaving the farms TO go to the
. cities. Let us begin a movement now
/ TO check this unnatural and danger.
Gus tendency before it is everlasting,
. ly too late.
/ Therefore, at the suggestion of the
/ PRESIDENTS Commission on Country
Life, call upon representatives of
! the people of the state of Oklahoma,
| Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas,
| New Mexico and Louisiana to meet
with me in Guthrie, Oklahoma, on
"Wednesday, March 10th, for the pur-
pose OF considering ways and means