The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-06-20
Give the Boy on the Farm Square
Deal.

Much is said about the drift Of pop
ulation from the country to the cities
and towns. The extent of the move
ment seems to have alarmed many
public men and is generally regarded
with regret by all classes. But is
there really anything remarkable or
dangerous in this movement. AS
civilization advances our wants, and
even our needs become greater. We
demand and obtain more of the con-
veniences and luxuries. More manu-
facturers and engineers; more mer-
chants and lawyers; and more rich
idlers and politicians, if not more
necessary, are sure to come. The
cities are bound to increase in popu-
lation faster than the country. More
over, modern conditions render a
smaller proportion of farmers neces-
sary to produce food and clothing
for the nation. One-third of the pop
ulation is now better able to supply
the needs of the nation for food and
clothing than 80 per cent. was cen
tury ago. Modern agricultural meth
DDS and the use of machinery, enable
the farmers to-day to produce many
times what was possible less than so
years ago. These are but the natural
tendencies of our development and
certainly there is nothing in them
yet, which should excite alarm. The
South is yet more largely rural in its
population than most other sections
Of our country, but we hear much
complaint, even here, Of the boys
and girls leaving the farms. No
amount Of complaint or exhortation
will stop this tendency. 1t is certain
to continue. There is but one method
by which this movement from the
farm can be held within safe bounds.
The city man, the politician and
the popular orator, and in some cases
even the farmers themselves, are
much given to picturing the beauties
of farm life. If all these pleasant
word pictures were true to the facts,
there would be no need to use them
for the purpose of keeping the boys
and girls on the farm. But unfortu-
nately they are not true. There are
poverty, hardships and filth in the
cities, but are there not also poverty,
hardwork, inconvenience and lack of
social pleasures in the country. We
who are interested in building up
Southern agriculture will make mis-
take if we seek to keep the girls and
boys on the farm through false ar
guments or by holding out Of vain
hopes. AS conditions exist to-day the
social pleasures, the conveniences of
life. the wealth and ease and the
greatest honors are found in the
cities. 1t is not the dullest class of
farm-raised boys who go to the cities
and if the statements above were not
true there would be no continuation
of the exodus from the country, and
no need for the loud protests which
are now heard from every public plat
form and seen so often in the pages
of the public press.
We may as we'll face the true situ-
alton. The boys and girls leave the
farms for good and sufficient rea-
sons, and they will continue to go to
the cities so long as conditions re-
main as at present. Money is not the
root Of all evil, although the undue
love of it is undoubtedly responsible
for many of our troubles. On the
other hand more money-a greater
earning capacity-is essential If the
boys are to be kept on the farm. In
deed, unless the boys who are now
going to the cities could earn more
produce more than the average of
those who have remained on the
farms we are not sure that, in JUS
tice to the individual, they should be
encouraged to leave the farms. But
whether they be encouraged or dis
couraged, unless they can be equip
ped for more efficient service a large
proportion will continue to go to the
cities.
knowledge is power-more truly
so to-day than ever before. Pick out
man in any line of human >endeavor,
who hasmade sufficient success toraise
him above the common average, and
it is a better knowledge of his busi-
ness which is responsible for his sue
cess. No man wins success to-day on
his own efforts and experience. He
must by education, reading and study
add to his resources, the knowledge
accumulated by others during the