The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-17
REFORM THE FARMERS.
PRESIDENT TELLS HOW TO
MAKE COUNTRY LIFE ONE
q. GRAND. SWEET SONG.
Urges Congress to Pass Laws to I'M
prove the Farm and Farmers, and
Make Him Kind to His Wife.

Nehe Seiil W congress To-Day special
message transmitting the report of his
special Commission on Country Life.
The president wrote, in part:
II transmit herewith the report OF
the Commission on Country Life. Al
the outset desire to point out that
not dollar of the public money has
been paid to any commissioner for his
work on the commission.
'"The report shows the general con.
dition of farming life in the open
country, and points out It's larger
problem; 1t indicates ways in which
the government, national and State
may show the people how to solve
some Of these problems; and it sug-
gests a continuance of the work which
the commission began.
Judging by 80 public hearings, to
which farmers and farmers wives
from 40 States and Territories came,
and from 100000 answers to printed
questions sent out by the department
OF agriculture, the commission finds
that the general level of country life
Is high compared with any preceding
time or with any other land. If it has
In recent years slipped down in some
places. 1t has risen in more places. Its
progress has been general, If not uni
form.
yet farming does not yield either
the profit or the satisfaction that It
ought to yield and may be made to
yield. There is discomfort in the coun-
try, and In places discouragement.
Farmers as q class do not magnify
their calling. and the movement to the
towns. though. I am happy to say,
less than formerly, is still strong.
From all that has been done and
learned three great general and imme-
date needs of country life stand out:
First. Effective cooperation
among 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 country life. and not as at
present. mainly for life in town.
Third. Better means of communi-
cation. including good roads and a
parcels post. which the country peo-
pie are everywhere and rightly. unani-
nous In demanding. ~
ITO these may we'll be added better
sanitation; for easily preventable dis
eases hold several million country
people in the slavery OF continuous Ill
health.
I'm the development of character
the home should be more important
than 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 cannot be realized without
sufficient income to provide adequate
foundation; and when the community
at large is not financially prosperous
1t Is impossible to develop a high av-
erage personal and community IDEAL
In short. the fundamental facts of hu-
man nature apply to men and women
who live in the country just as they
apply to men and women who live In
the towns. Given a sufficient founda-
tion Of material well-being, the in
fluence of the farmers and farmers
wives on their children becomes the
factor OF first Importance in deter
mining the attitude Of the next gener-
alton toward farm life. The farmer
should realize that the person who
most needs consideration on the farm
Is his wife. 1 do not in the least
mean that she should purchase ease
at the expense Of duty. Neither man
nor woman is really happy or really
useful save on condition Of doing his
or her duty. If the woman shirks her
duty as housewife, as home-keeper.
as the mother, whose prime function
1T is to bear and rear sufficient num-
Der Of healthy children, then she is
not entitled to our regard. But If she
does her duty she is more entitled TO
our regard even than the man who
does his duty; and the man should
show special consideration for her
needs.
Il warn my countrymen that the
great recent progress made in city life
Is not full measure Of our ciyiliza-