The Washington herald., 1910-08-24
COLONEL INYADES
SHERMAN DISTRICT
Continued from Page one.

Oneida, sat close by and enjoyed the ex-
change of courtesies. Col RooseYelt's |
address this afternoon contained very |
few startling utterances. 1t was more Of 4
a sermon than anything else, but was /
an interesting and instructive sermon, /
and the big audience followed the /
speaker with marked attention.
The speech in part Is as follows:
There are no two public questions OF
more vital Importance TO the future Of
this country than the problem Of con-
.servation and the problem Of the better
ment of rural life. Moreover, these two
problems are really interdependent, for
neither Of them can be successfully solved
save on condition that there is at least
d measurable success in the effort 10
solve the other. In any great country the
prime physical asset-the physical asset
more valuable than any other-is the fer
tility OF the soil All our industrial and
commercial welfare, all our material de-
velopment OF every kind. depends in the
last resort upon our preserving and in
creasing the fertility OF the soil. This. OF
course. means the conservation OF the soil
as the great natural resource: ard equally
velopment Of Countrywide. for there cannot
be a permanent improvement Of the soil
If the life OF those who live on it and
make their living out Of II is suffered 70
starve and languish, TO become stunted
and weakened and inferior 10 the type OF
/ life lived elsewhere.
I'VE are now trying 70 preserve, not for
exploitation by individuals. but for the
permanent benefit OF the whole people,
the waters and the forests. and we are do
| ing this primarily as n means OF adding
70 the fertility OF the soil. although In
each case there Is a great secondary use
both OF the water and OF the forests FOR
commercial and Industrial purposes. In
the same way It is essential for the far
mers themselves 10 try 10 broaden the
lie Of the man who lives IN the open
country TO make It more attractive to
give Il every adjunct and aid 10 develop
ment which has been given 10 the life OF
the man Of the cities Therefore. friends.
the conservation and rural life policies
are really two sides OF the same policy;
and down at bottom this policy rests upon
the fundamental law that neither man
nor nation can prosper unless IN deal
ing with the present hel steadily take
thought for the future.
Cities Are Necessary.
TIN one sense. this problem with which
we have 20 deal is very. very old.
Wherever civilizations have hitherto
sprung up they have always tended to
go through certain stages and then 70
fan. No nation can develop a real civili-
zation without cities. Up 10 a certain
point the city movement IS thoroughly
healthy; yet Il Is a strange and lament
able fact that always hitherto after this
point has been reached the city has
tended to develop az the expense OF the
country by draining the country OF what
Is best In II and making an Insignificant
return for this best In consequence in
the past every civilization IN its later
stages has tended really to witness those
conditions under which the cities prosper
and the men decay There are ugly
signs that these tendencies are at work
in this nation OF ours. But very fortu-
nately We see now what never before wa
seen in any civiiizatiOn-an aroused and
alert public interest in the problem. a
recognition OF its gravity, and a desire
10 attempt its solution.
The problem does not consist merely
In the growth Of the city. Such growth
in itself is a good thing and not a bad
r thing for the country. The problem con.
sists in the growth OF the city at tbs
expense OF the country, and even where
this is not the case IN so great ar
equality OF growth in power and Interest
as to makNthe city more attractive thar
{ the country and therefore apt 20 drain
4 the country Of the people who ought L
D live therein.
The farmers should benefit by the ad
vice of the technical men who have beer
trained in phases Of the very work tn
farmer does. I am not now speaking o
: the man who has had an ordinary gen
i eral training. whether in school or col
: lege. While there should undoubtedly b
such training as foundation Cexten
differing according to the kind OF wOrl
j each boy intends t9 do as mani It &
nevertheless true that our educationa
; system should more and more be turne
o IN the direction OF educating men towarr
s. AMI not away from the farm and tn
2 shop. During the last half century W
n have begun 20 develop a system Of agrl
d cultural training at once practical an
y scientific and we must so on develop
e ing it.
Must Make Life Interesting.
THE farmer, however. must not onl
!. make his land pay. but he must max
country life interesting for himself an
o for his wife ana his sons and daughters
|, Our people as a whole should realize tn
o infinite possibilities OF lie in the country
= and every effort should be made to max
T these possibilities more possible. Fror
O the beginning Of time II has been tn
ie man raised in the country-and usual
the man born in the countrywide Ia
d been most apt to render the service
s which every nation most needs. Turnin
|. to the list Of American statesmen, Il
n extraordinary TO see how large a proper
% ton started as farm boys. But II
}. rather sad 10 see that In recent year
e most Of these same boys have ende
e their lives as men living in cities.
z Country life should be as attractive a
city life. and the country people shoul
: insist upon having their full represents
L ton when il comes 10 dealing with a
n great public questions. In other words
n country folks should demand that the
y work on equal terms with city folks
: all such matters. They should have the
: share in the memberships Of commission
d and councils; in short, OF all the organ
METHODIST