Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-09-28

When ne sees the varied industries
conducted in his country how impor.
tant 1t is to have those old ideas that
John Sewer founded in the wilderness
that are embodied in every common.
wealth in the land made more than
theories by being carried into actual
operation. With these ideas-that so
far as authority created by the people
and entrusted TO men of their choice
is concerned-there shall be absolute.
ly no discrimination for or against
any one; they all shall stand equal
before the law
like to go to an exposition; l don't
like to go as the honored guest be.
cause / don't get to see much of the
exposition. | like to go to an exposi.
ton and wander about and see the
really interesting things. l have only
seen one-I hope nobody will be mad
because l didn't see more. l only went
to one, and what l saw of that one
made me sorry that l could not stay
there and enrich my mind with what
| there found, and that was this Ii,
brary showing the products of south,
ern authors, and | confess it was q
revelation to me. l saw many things
there of deep interest and some sur.
prise, but l did see enough and have
heard enough to know that this expo,
sition of yours ranks very high for the
variety of the things which it has to
show, for the tribute 1t pays to the in.
dustries of your people; to the public
spirit.
A good many people talk about parts
of our country being worn out-why,
up in Ohio people have actually gone
to leaving the state, or had up to two
or three years ago, going to other
countries. They said the land was
worn out. Now the land never wears
out-men who work it may wear out
if they do not apply intelligence neces,
sary to aid that wonderful miracle OF
nature which is repeated year by year
and by which the human race lives.
The land never wears out, and instead
of our great country being fully occu.
pied and worn out, it will have to
maintain many many times more mil
lions than now inhabit it, and in or
der that it may do that we have got to
have capital and labor and the ener,
gies of our people directed to securing
better results for their investments
and their efforts; and | see part OF
this is agricultural exhibits Now,
you don't think of East Tennessee as
an agricultural country 1t was orig.
inally, but it has become to be known
more for it's mineral resources, but
will say that l saw some good farms
along the railroad to-day, as good
as have seen anywhere, and it shows
you are not letting that greatest and
most important of our industries go
neglected in East Tennessee. You can
pull all you please out of your lands
you can invent all the machines you
please-you may develop your produc
tive interests in the mineral and in
dustrial line as much as you wish, but
we have all got to live on what the
farmer brings out of the ground, and
therell never be any machine to take
its place. (Applause). Therefore, that
is the basis of all the enterprises, and
] am glad to see that along your val
leys it is not neglected, and to learn
that there is most attractive display
of agriculture here.
Now, as soon as | heard up in Ohio
that the people were moving off eX,
pecting to get better land | set about
to stop it. | found out that the depart
ment of agriculture was not efficient
and | set to work until gradually |
have increased the number OF county
fairs in the state where experiment
stations have been established, with
exhibits showing good seed, the differ
ence in fertilizers, and the means of
dealing with pests, which by some I'M
explained decree of Providence assail
always the work of men, and we set to
work getting list of unoccupied
farms. We arranged to supply the
lack of farm labor by having a repre-,
sentative in New York where the immi-
grants land, and it has made a most
remarkable difference already, and
that same thing can be done in any
enterprise.
understand that your exposition
has become permanent institution.
That when you started out it was only
for one year, but that you expect now
to keep it going from year to year, to
keep before all the people of the coun
try the resources that you have here
and the opportunities for investment
and l hope at some other time to come
when | can get line on your pro-
gress. 1t could not possibly show in
my judgment, in so short a time, the
progress that has been made since the
Southland was in the days of recon.
struction. Thank God | had that les.
son given me, and | never again ex-
pect to see such thing. and | thank
God that the privilege has been given
me of seeing the resurrection and tri.
uprising of the people. | do
not know how many men in my region
got those two pictures. got one right
after the war when | went clear down
to Southern Alabama, and the other
when since the war we have seen the
New South rise in her magnitude and
greatness to astonish the world.
Now, want to say one thing, and
l. d, Lok \ hi