Newark post., 1912-01-24
rARMER PROTESTS AGAINST
COMMISSIONS


~, farmer Governor Crothers, or
,,;ny highrr in the scale Of Of
;a;,idom, if not at philanthropy,
president Roosevelt. when these
Statesmen and publicists project
Commissions. - and other ami
,,,tp or inanimate plans. for the .
.n,nroyrnIrmt of the farmers lot
.'mJ life. they must be and are,
.rpditrd with acting from the very
h.vt Of motives: they mean
,yplI ." hui |. ior one. resent their
,nranjug. huWpver honest and
wrlI-mlrutioned it may be, and
ioubtlrSs is. | speak as farmer
and as farmer protest against
.hf, palrouizing attitude toward
the very best Of avocations.
,-and. aui rall upon my fellow
.armur, tn stand, upon the dignity
.fwr station in life. To say that
rnat ~.1iou cannot be improved
1."G. .. 10 write oneself down as
.,:iI and opinionutpd be-
.ana ~.arIuu.r. But the improve
:,..n can come and will come, nay
a., u.u. and is coming. from the
.nun..> Themselves: and is not de-
4.aI.uI upon governmental pat
..a.t-o -r thr wcIl-mcant help of
,ut,~~. mai statesmen. Why not
rp.u.H commission - on the
.rpfoyrincut Of the lawyers life,
.r Ike merchants. or the doctors?
WHy single out the farmer for
such patrouizIng projects! Is the
farmers life in so much deeper
4rrd Of Improvement | deny it.
.Nnd | speak as Il farmer. as one
whose furbvarS were farmers: as
pnr whose children Il trust) will
ne farmers; as one who believes III
the dignity and decency and
beauty and comfort and independ-
rnrr of the farmer 5 lite. | have
no word of disparagement for the
various callingS of my fellow men.
LET every man be content with his
NV II. lDltl IL Y WI ~ w lii'Ntll'iliii
comparisons. the farmer asks no
odds. shall not detain you with
argument. / simply undertake an
assertion. After Il somewhat eN-
tended acquaintance with life $
work in its varied forms and
pnaSr>. dare assert that, for dig
H,nrd and independent occupa
.;ou. lor III assured competence,
.or interest oi mind and hcart as
we'll as for health of body. for en-
-nr freedom from the little mean
.u>>rS Of life. as well as from It's
.rrrrr uuIratrrnal rivalries, the
s;lmer's lite can be counted a
.hIpSt pState' which calls for no
man 5 pity and should tolerate 10
Datrouiling purposes. | am not
ldcaliZing. | am speaking words
If SobernesS and truth. am there
tore sensible that the farmer S life.
like any other. can be 'lmproV-
rd. But why not intrust the tar,
mrr to improve it! Is his lntelll,
renee or his industry, or his ambl'
zion. less than that OF another
Has the tradesman. or the me
.hanic. or the professional MAI
wt>tripprd him in the highway OF
rr0urrss Come. now. where /,
.aur ground for Putr0niZlng com
A.>~ionS ON thr farmer ; DehaIf
.uu aWyrr-stalpSmen have Eot
>u lar perfected the machinery oI
..our own profession as that yot
,an afford to be consumed witt
anxiety for that OF the farmer
You gentlemen who measure
ruingS over the counter or east III
accounts forever and ever, Wht
rold YOU the farmer must go halt
ingIy and unhappy unless yol
could help him to strength an'
joy! If the farmer himself is re
>ponsible in any degree (and an
afraid he iS) for any such attitude
toward his occupation then tina
farmer dishonors his calling, JUS
as "shyster' lawyers an,
"quack doctors and slick
tradesmpn dishonor theirs. Let |
he so judged. Let the work ltsel
he defined by the man who honor
it and wins at it. That is you
real lawyer, or merchant, or fal
mrlS and that is the man who's
N"lf-rcSpect very promptly an.
property rescnts commissions
for the Improvement of his llt'
He is bent on improving it hln
self. That is what he is in tn
world for; and the shadow of hi
Influence will reach further an
rOuut for mnrp than all the Icon