The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-01-14

!. the wonderful westward march of tn,
hard-worklng American pioneer farm
T ers, and OF those who come afte]
! them, who have overspread this con
tlnent, who are now filling it's re
! hottest corners, and thanks to whom
there are uninterrupted stretches Of
farm land from sea to sea, from the
: Gulf to the watershed of the Arctic
ocean. The rough wilderness has
been subdued by those who in their
! veins blend in a common stream the
blood OF so many nations of the Old
World. Through that most wise eco
monte statute, the homestead law,
we nave been enabled to develop the
family farm, the most important and
the most American of all our institu-
IONS, Tor our greatness as a people
rests In no small degree upon the
fact that instead of having here in
the country districts population of
peasants on minute holdings, or else
OF tenants who work for large land
Owners, we have everywhere, as the
typical American farm, medium
sized farm, titled mainly or in large
part by the owner himself and his
sons.
But now that the more desirable
areas or our public land have been
settled, the homestead law does not
meet the new conditions, and we ad-
here best to it's spirit when we try to
modify the system of land ownership
IN such way as to insure continuous
progress and uplift, so that the
American farmer may not only OBJ
tain material prosperity, but on it
build high type of civilization. I'm
portant the city is, and fortunate
though it is that our cities have
grown as they have done, it is still
more important that the family farm
where the home-making and the out
door business are combined into a
unit, should continue to grow. In
every great crisis of our Government
and in all the SLOW steady work be-
tween the crises which alone enables
us TO meet them when they do arise,
IL is the farming folk, the people of
tne country districts, who have
shown themselves to be the back
bone of the nation.
Farming of the Future |;
Now, when | ask that the nation s
cooperate with the states and with ;
he farmers themselves for the steady t
growth and uplift of farm life, | am i
lot so much asking that the state i
lelp the people as | am that it shall t
,,roVlde Tree opportunity for the peo-
,le TO continue their upward course t
trough self-help and associated eff I
ort. -. t
The farms of America are worth c
ONE thirty billions of dollars, and r
heir annual produce amounts to p
bout eight billions. For this pres
mt year, 1908, the crops as a whole "
o promise the largest aggregate in "
uantity quality, and value ever pro- s.
uced in our history. This means if
nat the six millions and over of tt
arm families, more than thirty mil W
ons OF farm people, are in a good a
osition already but | wish this DO tt
tlon to be made sure and better, tC
The farm no longer produces the ia
manufacturers of two gener- tn
ions ago, but merely the raw prod
'ts OF food and clothing; for the
eat improvements in agricultural w
'oduction and in transportation in
I'VE rendered it possible for one man ;;s,
the farm now to produce food and tb
othing for three, whereas formerly ~
needed two to perform such a oh
at for themselves and third Thus sc
tn every improvement in crop and ~,
'e stock production, an increased ~
mber of people are set free to hi,
'rk in other fashion for the build trs
up OF the permanent wealth of col
or us, and for adding to the daily m,
u -being, and meeting the intellec- nc
u and spiritual needs of all of us, a.
Farm Citizenship div
1t would be a very great wrong to on
DIV our country people, who have 1t
spered so much, whose welfare vid
meant so much for the nation in be
past, in any way to fall off from
IT former position. There is no pie
d whatever for this happening. but
In wise care of our natural re- ing
rces, our forests will grow better forl
h year, our rivers more available fit
navigation, while the soil of our wor
ms will improve with wise use the
cad of deteriorating. While as a an ;
on We are growing Weather and cati
lthier, We should see that the som
'ols and the roads-in short. all the
that may be called the rural real gres
should be improved. Here, as II
ywhere else, our prime object deta
lid be the development of the eral
est type of average citizen. by
nerefore, we should especially de- prem
ourselves to the things that are ciall
terest to the average citizen. The state
try school is therefore of even bein
Importance than the higher cont
ge, thoroughly alive though we ordil
hould be to the vitalizing force lures
h these higher colleges repre- be u
There must be improvement in partl
management; this is even now
brought about partly by the ~
action of the farmers them ne
s. So far as 1t is possible we teacn
ID strive for common sense .nese
Grafton in institutions which iona
do what the isolated farms can ordln
veil do by themselves. AS an simpi
pie we can refer to the expert Guy
recently carried on, by priv Wou,f
and by the nationtal hlc a.,
tment of agriculture, and by the IN
experiment stations, to show the ruIal
ordinary possibilities in improv- in ns.