The Holt County sentinel., 1912-05-24
OPTIMISM vALUABLEQUALITY


cient nations that they placed their
golden age In the past. Thus they
looked back instead of forward for
their highest ideal. Ovid. In his
" Metamorpliosis," dwells with
poetic pz'hos on the time
long gone, Wien Saturn
ruled the world and all VAS harmoni.
Gus and happy. The Greek poets had
. similar tendency and were always
singing OF the ''has BEEN" The Ash.
atics generally. the Egyptians and oil
those peoples Who left = literature
constantly preached the doctrine Of
the good, old times" There never
will again liz such happy time rs
wien some particular king reigned or
some favorlte deity blessed the earth.
There was one exception. Tie Jews
always looked forward to a Messiah.
under whose benignant reign their
troubles would end. Their history
had been one Of misery and misfor.
tune. they lad nothing TO look back
on With pleasure, they had leen con-
quered and overrun BY foreigners
many times, misgoverned by their
own rulers and reduced to despair by
poverty and slavery. Few understand
how great an influence was exercised
over this people by this hope, this
confidence Of better day coming. II
~as the principal agent In holding
them together, the chief factor IL
that marvellous solidarity and persist.
ent union which has been pronounced
the miracle Of nations" Other Ieo-
pies who based their civilization upon
that Of the Jews Inherited this val.
liable characteristic Of looking for.
ward. Their heaven Is always IN the
fu, urc. There Is something to hope
for. something to strive for.
Looking forward means progress.
Looking backward means decay.
One brings about that most fatal Of
all states. u condit ion Of arrested de.
velopment. The greatness and gran.
deur Of the American union l. largely
due to the fact that Its people never
regard their work as finished. They
refused to believe that the hest Il
past. l, II beyond. 1t Il behind the
star. There are better things ahead
than have been passed upon the road.
al undiscovered Fl dorado far richer
In gold and precious stones.
THUS We see agriculture buOyed up
by optimism and all our farmers Ia.
fected with the spirit Of Improve.
nent. Otler peoples are content to
raise their crops In the same old way
from year to year. perfectly satisfied
with living, never dreaming that
there can be anything better.
Tie American farmer Is ever
searching for . better way. lie vel.
comes new inventions, Is hospitable
to new disco .eries, In short Is salts.
tied that the golden aye Is still To
come when he can raise nifty bushels
Of wheat to the acre and one hundred
and bushels 81 corn where heretofore
he has not harvested half that
amount. lie wants better roads
more comfort able houses, all the con.
veniencrs aud "all the modern i'm
proyemcnts." u Is this spirit that
has pushed him forward To the pres
ent condition Of uneXampled prosper
ity. while not dissuading him tina,
still better l. In store. Thus the idea
age. which Is In the distance, II made
possible by the very lervency of the
Diet erminat ion to attain II. Twenti
eth century agriculture i great, bu,
poor compared to what the next cen
fury will show.
Optimism Is AN Immensely valuable
mental quality and To none more 81
than To farmers. without II VI
would s,agnate. Fort unately for us
We belong to race which long sinct
ceased to pillow with q forked stick, Il
winnow wheat In sheet, to sit OF
the fence watching the procession
20 by. II Is for this reason, based
upon knowledge OF the American
character, that close observers lOOl
confidently forward to a time wheI
the Mississippi and Missouri Valleys
will Ike a veritable garden. when ev
cry foot OF tillable ground will be cul
tivated like q flower bed. when all tin
roads will lie equal to Pennsylvani;
A venue, when every stream will b
bridged At the crossings with concrete
structures and every residence III To-
q king to live In. II the bag Of golf
Is really at the end OF the rainbow
the American farmer will find II. ]
the land Of promise Is over the noun
tain, his eyes will sooner or later gaz'
upon its beautiful vistas. Happy i
the Land OF Hope; pitiful the people
who sing dolefully OF the Isle Of tin
Long Ago. Bellamy gave to his beau