Washington telegraph., 1909-02-05


ever, quite within Its power to use its
influence and the machinery of publicity
winch 1t can control for calling public at
tentfon to the needs of the facts. For ex-
ample, 1t is the obvious duty of the gov
ernment to call the attention of farmers
to the growing monopolization of water
power. The farmers. above ALL should
have that power on reasonable terms. for
cheap transportation. for lighting their
homes, and for fnnumerable uses in the
daily tasks of the farm.
Necessity for Cooperation.
The cooperative plan is the best plan
of organization wherever men have the
right spirit to carry it out Under this
plan any business undertaking is man.
aged by a committee; every man has
one vote, and only one vote. and every
one gets profits according to what he
sells or buys or supplies. 1t develops In
dtvidual responsibility and has moral
as we'll as a financial value over any
other plan.
l desire only to take counsel with the
farmers as fellow-eitizens 1t is not the
problem of the farmers alone that | am
discussing with them. but a problem
which affects every city as well as every
farm in the country.
From all that has been done and
learned three great general and immedi-
ate 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 kind of schools in the
country. which shall teach the children
as much ogtde9rs !. sl. a. ln@S2arf aaa per
country life. and not as at present main
ly for life in town
Third better means of communication,
tnn rnadg and narrelS DOSt,
which the country people are everywhere,
and rightly, unanimous in demanding.
To these may well be added better san
itatien; for easily preventable diseases
hold several million country people in the
slavery of continuous i'll health.
To Develop Country Community
To improve our system of agriculture
seems to me the most urgent of the tasks
which lie before us. But it cannot, in
my Judgment be effected by measures
which touch only the material and tech
nical side of the subject; the whole ousi-
ness and life of the farmer must also
be taken into account. Such eonsldera-
.ions led me to appoint the commission
m country life. Our object should be
10 help develop in the country commu-
nitv the great ideals of the community
life as we'll as of personal character. One
of the most important adjuncts to TINS
end must be the country church, ana
invite your attention to what the com
mission says of the country church ana
of the need of an extension of such work
as that of the Young Mems Christian as
sociation in country communities. Let
me Law special emphasis upon what the
commission says at the very end OF It's
report on personal ideas and local leader-
ship. Everything resolves Itself IN the
end into the question of personality,
Neither society nor government can 40
much for country life unless there IS vol
rntary response in the personal Ideals
~ +he men and women who live in the
country In the development of charac-
ter the home should be more important
than the school, or than society at large
When once the basic material needs nave
been met, high ideals may be quite IN
dependent of income; but they cantlot pe
realized without sufficient income to pro
vide adequate foundation; and where tne
community at large is not financially
nrosperous it is impossible to develop a
bfqh average personal and community
ideal. In short, the fundamental iacls
Of human nature apply to men ana Woiil'
en- who live in the country just as they
apply to men and women VINO hve Ia lhe
towns Given sufficient foundation ol
material we'll being, the influence OF tht
farmers, wives on their children pc
comes the factor OF first Importance II
determining the attitude of the next gen
GRAFTON toward farm life, The FARMER
sho,lld realize that the person who mos
needs consideration on the farm Is hiS
wife I do not in the least mean that sh'
should purchase ease at the expense o
dutv Neither man nor woman is reailN
nanny or really useful save on condltlol
of doing his or her duty. II the WON
an shirks her duty as housewife a.
home keeper, as the mother whose priln
Function is to bear and rear sufnclen
r'Innher of healthy children, then she i
',at entitled to our regard. But II sh
Soss her duty she is more entitled TO ou
rceard even than the man VINO DOE zoe
bie duty: and the man should sho" spe
nial consideration for her needs.
Welfare of Nation at Stake
warn my countrymen that the srea
-ocont progress made in city life is nc nc
an measure of our civilization; lor gu gu
oiyllzation rests on the wholesoniehess
.no attracttveness, and the completeness sS
as well as the prosperity oil ll1e IN ~ ~
norntrv ne The men and women on IN tI
Sorros stand for what is fundamenI,ali
best and most needed In our AtnsrioA
life. n,oroopu ROOSEVELT.