The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-06-19
THE FARMER AS
He IS TODAY
NO LONGER THE OBJECT OF PITY
eUT AN INDEPENDENT MAN OF
INFLUENCE AND POWER.

trial effort of man.
How to make the lands of all sec
tions productive and thereby contrib
ute to the wealth of the world is {
problem that is increasing with the
growth of population and the necessi
ties of life.
Ancient methods were crude and
meagre and the evolution that has
taken place in the pursuits of agricul
lure is lully as great as in all the
other fields of human endeayor
The farm is no longer looked upon
as place where the hope of wealth
and competence is a torlom prospect
and he who engages in farming leaves
behind him the opportunity tor matet.
ial advancement and consigns himself
to life of drudgery unbroken by any
of the pleasures that accrue to men in
other yocations.
There is now a sense of security. OF
independence of hope and eventual
success in the farmers life that is su-
perior to any of the yocations of man
in the universal and general dstribu-
tion of benefits resulting from the ap.
plication of brains and labor
The farmer in the United States is
really master of the situation. All
| classes of people are in sense de-
pendent upon his prosperity and are
equally interested in his success.
The tiller of the soil no longer
stands as a synonym of ignorance,
whose personality is made the subject
of the humorist and whose manners
make him the subject of ridicule.
The proverbial hayseed has given
away to the erect and self-composed
gentleman who comes to town in his
automobile. who is consulted as to
political policies, who stands as the
rock on which financial institutions
are founded and whose opinions are
worthy of consideration on every mat
ter pertaining to the communities vel
fare.
His family generally is dressed
housed and fed as well as the beet
families in the cities, they have the
advantages of the schools and colleges
equally as favorable as the children of
city parents, they possess social ad-
yantages that keep them abreast of
the times in social etiquette and de.
meanor and have usually the adyan-
tages of superior physical development
that produce strong men and women
and thus contribute large proportion
of the best mentality of the nation.
The majority or the farmers of the
country are thinkers. The questions
involving the best interests of the ma.
tion are given deep consideration and
the magazine, the periodical, the week
ly and daily newspapers can be found
in superabundance in his household
His occupation is conducive rHI
weighing the problems of life with
careful thought. His conclusions are
generally based on reasoning from
cause to effect and watching carefully
the trend of events as unfolded in the
pages of history and the experiences
of the present. By habit the trait of
economy is instilled into his nature
and thrift and industry add to his ac-
until he can be classed as
a man of capital.
1t is revelation TO attend some of
the farmers institutes of the states of
the central west and hear the intelli-
gent discussions of subjects that are
not only of importance to the prosper
ity of the farmer but an absolute ne
cessity to the future of the nation.
Not only the crops, the methods of
production. the markets and the var
ious subjects that are closely identi-
fled with agriculture, find here a full
and free discussion but almost every
phase of human existence. gathered
with discrimination and careful pre-
become features of these
meetings and are Interestingly talked
about, with as much force and skill as
can be found in gatherings OF those
whose scholastic training is of a more
pretentious nature.
1t is this spirit of research. of in
dependent thought. of careful investi-
cation that is working decided
change in the political affairs of the
country and producing a disregard for
party obligations that in years gone
by has been the potent factor in hold
ing parties together under the rule
Of partianship whether right or
wrong.
The man with the loudest voice and