Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-23

Island. where Eve. To have them see
what has been done. not as pbilanthro-
by. but as plain business proposition.
by men connected with the Long Is
land railroad. who believe ii pays to
encourage the development of farms
along the line of that railway. They
have put practical men in charge of
experimental farms. cultivating them
intenSively and using the best mod
crn methods not only in raising crops.
but in securing the best market for
the crops when raised.
The growth has been astounding.
and land only fifty miles from New
York which. during our entire national
lifetime has been treated as worth
less. has within the last three or four
years been proved TO possess a really
high value.
Interest to Farm Life.
The farmer. however. must not only
make his land pay. but he must make
country life interesting for himself
and for his wife and his sons and
daughters. Our people as a whole
should realize the infinite possibilities
of life in the country. and every eff
fort should be made TO make these
possibilities more possible.
From the beginning of time ii has
been the man raised in the country
and usually the man born in the coun-
try-who has been most apt to rem
der the services which every nation
most needs. Turning to the list of
American statesmen. it is extraordi-
nary to see how large a proportion
started as farm boys. But it is
rather sad to see that in recent years
most of these same boys have ended
their lives as men living in cities.
1t often happens that the good con-
ditions of the past can be regained not
by going back, but by going forward.
We cannot recreate what is dead; we
cannot stop the march of events. But
we can direct this march and out of
the new conditions develop something
better than the past knew. Henry
Clay was n farmer, who lived all his
life in the country; Washington was a
farmer. who lived and died in the
country. And we Of this nation ought
to make it our business to see that the
conditions are made such that farm
life in the future shall not only de-
velop men of the stamp of Washing
ton and Henry Clay, but shall be so at
tractive that these men may continue
as farmers. for remember that Wash
ington and Henry Clay were success
full farmers.
/ hope that things will so shape
themselves that the farmer can have
n 81 -
a farmer so that the city man will
look forward to living in the country
rather than the country man to living
in the city.
Farmers should learn how to COM
bine effectively. as has been done in
industry. am particularly glad to
speak to the grange. for l heartily be
lieve in farmers organizations. and
we should all welcome every step
taken toward an increasing co-opera
ton among farmers The importance
of such movements cannot be over
estimated. and through such intelli-
gent joint action II will be possible to
improve the market just as much as
the farm
Equal Terms With City Folks.
Country niv siuuid bc az attractive
as city life. and the country people
should insist upon having their full
representation when il comes to deal
Ing with all great public questions
In other words. country folks should
1emnnd that they work on equal terms
with city folks In all such matters.
They should have their share in the
memberships of commissions and coun-
ellis. IN short. OF all the organizeO
bodies for laying plans for great enter
prises affecting all the people.
am glad to see ON such bodies the
names that .renresent financial inter