Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-04-04
THE WELFARE
OF THE FARMERS
RETIREMENT OF COUNTRY LIFE
THEME OF RoosEvELTs
ST. PAUL SPEECH

dore Roosevelt delivered the follow
ing address in the auditorium last
evening. His subject was "The We'll
fare of the Farmer"
''The purpose of the progressives
in this campaign is to restore and
secure to the plain people that posi-
tion of control in the government
of their own country which in the
working of our institutions is being
incidously wrested from them. We
make our appeal alike to business
man and professional man, to wage
worker and farmer. In this speech
propose to deal chiefly with the
needs of the farmer; for there is no
body of men whose economic liber-
ties and opportunities we progressive
ties and opportunities we progress
sives more earnestly desire to con-
serve and enlarge. Speaking to the
farmers, and to all others who have
insight to grasp the essential depend
ence of the nation on the producers
of it's food, 1 shall briefly discuss
two great public questions of vital
and far-reaching Importance; the
conservation of national resources
and the betterment of country life.
.'It is one of the chief duties
and it is the highest privilege -of a
president of the United States to be
the active leader and exponent of
policies which will help the people
to obtain such legislative and admin
istrative reforms as are required to
meet and reasonable popular demand
which makes forsth common good.
While 1 was president I had found
that in the first matter the con-
servation of the natior's resources
the national conscience had been
moved, and that in the second the
condition and outlook of rural popu-
lation-there was widespread feel
ing that things were wrong. Con-
sequently I took definite action in the
hope and belief that adequate rem
edies would be provided, and now
stand for the revival and develop
ment of the policies thus initiated.
II pass now to the equally impor-
tant but far less understood policy
of country life. In sense you may re-
gard this policy as one part of con-
servation. OF all possible husband
ing of physical national resources
none is comparable in its. value to the
nation with the conservation Of the
natural fertility of the soil; and even
more important is it to keep the
right type of men and women on the
soil. Moreover the public opinion to
which we must look to make collser-
vation an effective national policy
will not come from the cities where
big business Is in power. 1t will come
from the farmers who alive to
their duty in regard to the resources
at their command will see that they
get their due share Of those other
resources which belong to the peo-
pie at large and to no privileged class
Thought upon the betterment Of
country lite ideas as wesknow it to-
day, had not reached APPOINT where
action would be taken until very near
the end Of my term Of office. obvi-
ously the first thing "a DO was to as
certain the facts, and especially to
find out whether q real demand for
action and effective support for ac-
tion we're likely to come from the ru-
raj communities directly concerned.
/, therefore. appointed an unpaid
commission of experts who held pub
lie inquiries all over the United
States and also circulated through
the mail large nuember Of printed
questions. believe in drawing upon
volunteers for great public service as
much in civil as in military matter
and I did it in other connections.
Problem Of the Farmer
ssWe are brought face to face with
the fact that the farmers Of the
United States have not enjoyed their
due share of the progress and pros
perity Of this God prospered coun-.
try. / want to say to you that there
is no more urgent problem before
the people Of the United States to-
day d, than that Of endowing the coun-
try side 81 our civilization With econ
omics opportunities educational facil-
tiles, social advantages and political q.
recognition. more nearly approxi-