Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-19
TWO GREAT ISSUES
COUNTRY LIFE AND coNsERvA.
TON As VIEWED BY COL.
ROOSEVELT.
FARMERS WELFARE IS BASIC
Nation Must Cooperate to Better His
Economic Condition-Resources Of
Land Should BE Conserved for the
Average Man and Woman.

The following editorial by Theodore
Roosevelt, entitled Progressive DEM
ocracy; Country Life and Conserva-
tion.' ia from the outlook for Sep.
TENDER 7:
There Ia no body Of our people
whose interests are more inextricably
interviewer with the interests of all
the people than Is the case with the
farmers. The country life commission
should be revived with greatly in.
creased powers; It's abandonment was
a severe blow to the interests OF our
people. The welfare OF the farmer 10
a basic need Of this nation. II Is the
men from the farm who In the past
have taken the lead in every great
movement within this nation, whether
In time OF war or In time of peace. II
is well to have our cities prosper. but
It Is not we'll II they prosper at the
expense OF the country.
am glad to say that in many sec
lions Of our country there has been
an extraordinary revival Of recent
years In Intelligent interest in and
work for those who live in the open
country. In this movement the lead
must be taken by the farmers them
selves; but our people as a whole,
through their governmental agencies,
should back the farmers. Everything
possible should be done to better the
economic condition OF the farmer, and
also to increase the social value Of
the life Of the farmer, the farmers
wife. and their children. The burdens
Of labor and loneliness bear heavily
on the women in the country; their
welfare should he the especial o
Germ OF all OF us. Everything posi-
BILE should be done to make life in the
country profitable so as to be attrac-
tive from the economic standpoint and
also to give an outlet among farming
people for those forms OF activity
which now tend to make life In the
cities especially desirable for ambiti.
Gus men and women. There should 10
Just the same chance to live as full.
rs well rounded. and as highly useful
lives In the country as in tho city.
The government must cooperate
with the framer to make the farm
more productive. There must be no
skinning OF the soil. The farm should
be left to the farmers son in better,
and not worse, condition because Of
It's cultivation. Moreover, every inven-
ton and improvement. every discovery
and economy, should be at the serv-
Ice OF the farmer In the work of pro-
duction; and, In addition, he should be
helped to cooperate In business fash
lon with his fellows, SO hat the money
paid by the consumer for the product
OF the soil shall to az large a degree
as possible go into the pockets of the
man who raised that product from the
soil.
SO long Is the farmer leaves co-op
eratiye activities with their proflt-shar-
Ing to the city man OF business, 30
long will the foundations Of wealth
be undermined and the comforts of
enlightenment be impossible In the
country communities. In every re-
spect this nation has to learn the les
sons OF efficiency in production and
distribution. and OF avoidance of waste
and destruction; We must develop and
improve instead Of ~exhausting our re-
sources. 1t Ii entirely possible by i'm:
provenents IN production, In the
avoidance OF waste, and In business
methods on the part Of the farmer TO
give him an increased income from his
farm while at the same time reducing
to the consumer the price of the arti.
c'es raised on the farm. Important al
though education Is everywhere, II
has a special importance in the coun.
try. The country school must TT the
country life; In the country, as elGe-
where. education must be hitched up
with life. The country church and the
country Young Mems and Young Won.
ems Christian associations have great
parts to play. The farmers must own
and work their wi land; steps must
h' taken at once to put a stop to the
tendency towards absentee landlord.
nm aud tenant farming; this is one of
the most imperative duties confront.
ing the nation. The question OF rural
banking and rural credits is also of
Immediate importance.
There can be nc greater issue than
that Of conservation In this country.
Just as we must conserve our men,
women. and children, 70 we must con.
serve the resources OF the land on
which they live. We must conserve
the soil 30 that our children shall have
a land that is moro and not less fertile
than that our fathers dwelt In. We
must conserve the forests, not by dis
use but by use, making them moro
valuable at the same time that we
use them. We must conserve the