The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-02-12

HtlIilt NEfHN tHt AliN
stands for must reach the people. should
become without delay in fact a depart
ment of country life, fitted to deal not
only with cropa but also with all the
larger aspects OF life In the open country.
From sl that has been done and
Learned three great general and immedi-
ate needs of country iifo stand out;
First, effective cooperation among
farmers. to put them on level with the
organized interests with which they do
business.
Second. n new kind OF schools in the
county, which shall teach the children
as much outdoors as indoors and per
haps more. 30 that they will prepare for
country life. and not an at present. main
ly for life in town.
Third, better means of communication.
including good roads ana 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 prevcntabie diseases
hold several million country people in the
slavery OF continuous Ill health. .
Duty OF the Government.
The commission points out, and con-
cur I. the concluEion, that the most i'm
portant help that the government wheth-
er national or state. can give In 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
munlties have done. and one country of
what other countries have done. Such
help by the peoples government would
lead TO n comprehensive plan OF organi-
xation education and communication, and
make the farming country better TO live
In. for intellectual and social reasons as
we'll as for purely agricultural reasons.
The only recommendation / submit is
that an appropriation OF S25.o0O be pro-
vided. TO enable the commission to digest
the material II has collected. and TO col
lect ana TO digest much more that IL
within Its reach, and thus complete It's
work. This would enable the commits
sion to gather In the harvest OF sug-
gesticn which is resulting from the dis
cusslon II has stirred up. The commits
sioncrs have served without compensa-
ton and ] do not recommend any ap-
preparation for their services, but only
for the expenses that will be required
to finish the task they have begun.
To Develop Country Community.
To improve our system OF agriculture
seems TO me the most urgent OF the tasks
which lie before us. But II cannot, in
my Judgment be effected by measures
which toucn only the material and tech
meal side OF the subject; the whole bust
ness and life OF the farmer must also
be taken into account Such consldcrs-
lions led me TO appoint the commission
on country life. Our object should be
to help develop In the country commu-
nifty the great ideals OF the community
aa ,.f tslo One
of the most important adjuncts TO this
end must be the country church. and !
invite your attention to what the com
mission says OF the country church and
of the need OF an extension of such work
as that of the Young Mems Christian MS
ISOLATION In country communities. Let
me lay special emphasis upon what the
commission says at the very end of Its
report on personal ideas and local leader
ship Everything resolves Itself In the
end into the question OF personality.
Neither society nor government can do
much for country life unless there is vol
untary response In the personal ideals
OF the men and women who live In the
country, In the development of charnc-
ter, the home should be more important
than the school. or than society ut large,
When once the basic material needs have
been met, high ideals may be quite In
dependent of income. but they cannot be
realized without sufficient income TO pro-
vide adequate foundation; and where the
community at large is not financially
prosperous II Ia impossible to develop a
high average personal and community
ideal In short. the fundamental facts
of human nature apply 10 men and wom-
en- who live In the country Just aa they
apply TO men and women who live In the
towns. Given sufficient foundation OF
material well being, the influence of the
farmers wives on their children be-
comes the factor OF first Importance In
determining the attitude OF the next gen
Grafton toward farm life. The farmer
should realize that the person who mos
needs consideration on tho farm is his
wife. do not In the least mean that she
should purchase ease at the expense OF
duty. Neither man nor woman Ia really
happy or really useful save on condition
of doing his or her duty. II the WON
an shirks her duty as housewife, a
home keeper, as the mother whose prime
function IA TO bear and rear n sutficien,
number OF healthy children, then she IL
not entitled 10 our regard. But II she
does her duty she In more entitled TO our
regard even than the man who does
his duty; and the man should show spe
cial consideration for her needs.
welfare OF Nation at STAKE.
I warn my country.asn that the grea,
recent progress made In city life IL no
n full measure OF our civilization: for our
civilization rests on the wholesomcness.
tho attractiveness. and the completeness.
as well as the prosperity, of life In the
country. Tho men and women on the
farms stand for what Is fundamentally
best and most needed in our American
life. Upon the development OF country
lit rests ultimately our ability, by meth
DDS OF farming requiring the highest in.
telligence. to continue to feed and ciothe
the hungry nations: 10 supply the city
with fresh blood. clean bodies. and clear
brains that can endure the terrific strain
OF modern life: we need the development
of men In the open country. who win be
in the future, as In the past. the stay
and strength Of the nation In time Of
war. and Its guiding and controlling spir-
II In time OF peace.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House. February o. 1900.