The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-08-24
Roosevel's Speech Made at
Utica, New York

great indu6tf1ai concern can huWa0Ats
be carried on save b. the aid Of q
swarm Of men who have received a
high technical education in chemistry
in engineering. in electricity. in one
or more Of scores OF special subjects
The big businessman, the big railway
man, does not ask coIlege-trained ex
perts to tell him how TO run bis busi-
ness: but he does ask numbers OF
them each to give him expert advice
and aid on some one point indispensi-
bic to his business. He finds this man
usually in some graduate Of technic-
al school or college in which be has
lhaen trained for his life work
IN just the same way the farmers
should benefit by the advice Of the
technical men who have been trained
in phases Of the very work the farmer
does. am not now speaking Of the
man who has had an ordinary general
training, whether In school or college.
While there should undoubtedly be
such a training as a foundationg lthe
extent differing according to the kind
OF work each boy Intends to do as a
mani it is nevertheless true that our
educational system should more and
more be turned in the direction Of edu-
eating men towards. and not away
from. the farm and the shop. During
the last half-century We have begun 10
develop a system Of agricultural edu-
cation at once practical and scientific.
and we must go on developing Il. But
after developing it, It must be used.
The rich man who spends a fortune
upon a fancy farm, with entire indif-
ference to cost. does not do much good
at farming, but, on the other hand.
Just as little is done BY the working
farmer who stolidIy refuses to profit
By the knowledge Of the day: who
any effort at improvement as absurd
on its face. refuses to countenance
what he regards as newfangled ideas
and contrivances, and jeers at all
book learning. / wish could take
representatives Of this type OF farmer
down To- Long Island. where | live, to
have them see what has cen done, not
as philanthropy but as plain business
proposition. by men connected with the
Long Island railroad, who believe it
pays TO encourage the development Of
farms along the line Of that railway
They have put practical men in charge
Of experimental farms. cultfyating
them intensively. and using the best
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 life time has been
treated as worthless. has within the
last three or four years been proved
to possess a really high value.
The farmer. however. must not only
make bis land pay. but he must make
country life interesting to himself and
for his wife and his sons and daugh-
tersu Our peeplelss Whole should re-
aIIze the infinite possibilities of life in
the country; and every effort should
be- made to make these possibilities
mere possible. Fro mthe beginning of
time II has been the man raised IN the
eguntry-and usually the may born in
the country-who has been most apt
to render the services which every ma
ton needs Turning to the list OF
Ameriaan statesmen. it is extraordi-
nary to see how large a proportion
started as farm boys. But II Is rather
sad to see that "a recent years most
Of these same boys have ended their
lives as men living in cities.
IT often happens that the good con
ditions OF the past can be regained, not
BY going back. but by going forward
We cannot recrsate 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 farmer who lived all his life in
the country; Washington was a farm
er who lived and died In the coanfry;
and we 81 this nation ought 10 lmhke
Il our business TO see that the condi-
tions are made such that farm life in
the future shall not only develop men
of the stamp Of Washington and Henry
Clay, but shall be SO attractive that
these men may continue as farmers;
for remember that Washington and
Henry Clay we're successful farmers.
| hope that things will SO shape them
selves that the farmer can have a great
career and yet end his IGfe as farm
er; so that the city man will look for
ward to living in the country rather
than the country man living in the
city.