Mexico Missouri message., 1909-02-11


prime agent the ideas the commission
stands for must reach the people. should
become without delay In fact a depart
ment OF country life ntted TO deal not
only with crops. but also with all the
larger aspects OF life In the open 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 dc
business.
Second. u now kind Of schools In the
country. which shall teach the children
as much outdoors ns indoors and per-
haps more no that they will prepare for
country life, and not as at present. main
~ for life In town.
Third. better means OF communication,
including good roads and n parcels post,
which the country people are everywhere,
and rightly, unanimous In demanding.
To these may well be added better san
itauon; for easily pTeventnble diseases
hold several million country people In the
slavery OF continuous III health. ,
Duty OF the Government.
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 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
munities have done. and one country of
what other countries have done. Such
help by the peoples government would
lead to a comprehensive plan OF organi-
zation. education and communication. and
make the farming country better Co live
In. for intellectual and social reasons as
well as for purely agricultural reasons.
The only recommendation ] submit is
that an appropriation OF t25,OO0 be pro-
vided, to enable the commission TO digest
the material Il has collected, and TO col
lect and 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 nuR-
gcstion which Is resulting from the dis
cusElon II has stirred mp. The commits
sioners have served without compenEa-
tion. 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. he effected by measures
which toucn only the material and tech
meal side OF the subject: the whole bust
nens and life OF the farmer must also
he taken into account Such considera-
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
life as well as OF personal character. one
OF the most important adJunCts to this
end must be the country church. and I
invite your attention to what the com
mission says OF the country church and
OF the need OF an extension OF such work
ns that OF the Young Mems Christian as
Bociauon In country communities. Let
me lay special emphasis upon what the
commission says at the very end OF itH
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 In vol
untary response in the personal Ideals
OF the men and women who live In the
country. In the development OF chaTAc.
ter, the home should be more important
than the school. OF than society at large.
When once the basic material needs have
been met, hlRS ideals may be quite In
dependent OF income: but they cannot be
realized without sufficient income 20 pro-
vide adequate foundation; and where the
community AZ large is not financially
high average personal and community
ideal. In short. the fundamental facts
OF human nature apply to men and wom-
en- who live in the country just as they
apply to men and women who live in the
towns. Given "a sufficient foundation Of
material well being. the influence OF the
farmers wives on their children be-
comes the factor OF 1irst Importance In
determining the attitude of the next gem
GRAFTON toward farm life. The farmer
should realize that the person who most
needs consideration, on the farm Ia his
wife. do not IN the least mean that she
should purchase ease at the expense OF
duty. Neither man nor woman n really
happy or really useful save on condition
Of doing his or her duty. IL the wom-
an Ahirks her duty as housewife, aH
home keeper. aH the mother whose prime
function is 10 bear and reRr a sufficient
number OF healthy children. then she il
not entitled 60 our regard. But IL Hhs
does her duty she is more entitled 20 our
regard even than the fnRn who does
his duty; and the man should show spo-
cial consideration for her needs.
Welfare Of Nation at Stake.
warn my countrymsn that the great
recent progreas made In city life II not
full measure OF our civilization: for our
civilization rests ON the whoieaomeness
the attractivenesa. and the completeness.
IA well as the prosperity. Of life IN the
country. The men and women on the
farms stand for what is fundamentally
best and most needed In our. American
life. Upon the development OF country
lift rests ultimately our ability By meth
DDS OF farming requiring the highest In
telligence. 90 continue 20 feed and ciothe
the hungry nations; 10 supply the city
with fresh blood. clean bodies, and clear
brains that can endure the terrific strain
cf modern life. We need she development
OF men in the open country. who will be
In the future. az IN the past the stay
war. and It's guiding and controlilng npiF-
Il IN time Of peace.