Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-07-20
COUNTRY LIFE BOOSTED
Virginia Rural Life Conference at
University of Virginia
VIEWS OF NOTED SPEAKERS
Efforts to Stimulate Better ant
More Profitable Methods

versity of Virginia last week, Pro
fessor L. Fl. Bailey, head of the
New York State College of Agricul-
ture at Cornell University, and
chairman of the Country Life Com
mission created by former President
Roosevelt, declared that the coun-
try life movement now abroad in the
nation was more than an aggrarian
sentiment; that it was an effort to
even up civilization and balance So
city. He predicted that the move
ment would take on a political as
pect within the next twenty-five
years.
Professor Bailey said the country
life commission had found a dozen
reasons why agriculture was not as
commercially profitable as it was en-
titled to be for the labor and energy
expended but had found the level
Of country life now as good as in
any other time or place.
Not only must the country youth
Of today be taught to become a bet
ter farmer, said President Bailey,
but a new social order must be de-
veloped in which the open country
would be made over and the human
element become the central factor.
I'VE are likely to deplore the fact
that country men no longer repre-
sent us in high places" said Presi-
dent Bailey. THE farmers repre-
scented all society because in their
day it was not closely differentiated
between city and country. There
were country men and city men.
but the city was the incidental
part. Today the situation is re-
versed and the country is second
airy as far as the shaping Of policies
is concerned.
I'VE are now entering q time OF
marked revival of rural interests.
At bottom, this country life move
ment is an effort to even up our civ
iliZation. We NAV over exploit it,
= but it is sound at the center. For
the next twenty-five years we may
expect it to have great influence
on the course of events for it will
: require that length OF time to bal
I ance up society. Politicians will
5 use it to ride into power, Dema
5 gogues and fakirs will use it as ;
? means of personal gain.
{ But there will also arise coun
+ trymen with craftsmanship in them
s If not o, then we cannot make tn,
: progress we need The movement
/ will have it's significant political as
= pect and we may look for governor
a of States and more than one presi
t dent from it.
Country life, Professor Bale.
said, demands the fighting edge
Theodore Roosevelt has given us
fine rallying phrase in the fghtin
a edge. When a man ceases to be
= conqueror he loses his virility an
will begin to retrogade. AS loca
r ism gives way to brotherhood, mill
d tarism will pass out but that doe
" not mean mankind will cease to cor
'f tend. Mr.. Roosevelt himself is
n fine example of man who fights i
the moral sphere and fights hard. y
70 In conclusion Professor Bale
n said:
I'VE have scarcely begun tn
70 physical conquest of the earth.
( is not yet all explored. We hav
l. made a tremendous mistake, in N
estimation, in trying to make farm
is ing merely an easy business. W
IS are giving the young men moi
r, means and tools by which to wag
< the contest, but the contest ca
ID never stop. In the nature of thing
farming can not be easy and simp
OF business, and this is why it hi
r. produced virile lot of men an
women and why it will continue
e do so. 1t will attract folk with I'll
ID feeling Of mastery in them. eve
more in the future than in the pas
g; because the hcpelessness will |
taken out Of it. want you e TO
SO to go into it just because it demand
S the fighting edge"