The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-11-11

AhAS question more defr1ss /
Sun. how can We protect and pro
mote the material Of the
Hoihe OF the productive man on the
,oiHh or II We picture NorthAraro-
ma civllization from aNy angle we
moose iooklng at it through the
School the church. the store. the rail
Iodo' the town, We see as the saving
grace or II the prosperous farm. titled
ny us owner There * the living heart
OF the matter. II our civilization i
piahteu on the prosperous home
owned farm II viii be as a tree plant
eo py rivers Of water: planted on a
poilticai and social that pre-
vents ana d~lscourages home owner
snip It's leaf and fruit will be withered
ana barren. Under present condi-
ions IT seems more profitable to move
70 town, the stock in the bank and
run a store, and We may expect The
owner to move, but we needn't expect
the one-year tenant to borrow at the
Oank, buy at the store and have
enough money and ambition left TO be
a forward-looking. pwar building
citizen. None of our institutions will
De sa1ely prosperous, if this product
I've farm home is not safely prosper
Gus. The facts tell Us il is not safely
prosperous.
Home ownership Of our producing
farms is decreasing instead Of increas-
ing. In 1880, 33 per cent of the FARM
in North Carolina were enants: in
1890, "a Per cent; in 1900, al per
cent. in 1910 ~ per cent. In our
own town, Of Charlotte, population
and wealth have multiplied at a fairy
IKE speed. We have gained 80 per
cent in population and practically
doubled our wealth with each decade.
But population in the county has
shrunk il per cent. ga per cent of
4 ~ fnpr,r - -.
waited by tenants, against So per cent
in 1900. In spite Of the great in
crease in the cost Of farm products
very few more acres, relatively speak
ing, are under cultivation, and only
SO per cent OF the land is improved
Over ID Of the total area of the coun
ty is in woodland and unimproved
farm land.
The Blight Of Tenancy.
Tenancy mss left its black bligh
across civilization after civilization
:, s%corching the spiritual as we'll as tn,
: material life of the people. Unde.
! tenancy aud other bad economic con
ditions Of agriculture the whole socia
> scheme falls into decay. Sir Horac
= Plunkett, prinle-moyer in ~restorin;
= 1endless peasants in Ireland to Ian,
. ownership-and England is spendin
. $94O, 900 900 in this enterprise-an
: thereby r~edeeming Ireland, says q
Z our farm tenancy system: 1T is tn
? worst Of which l rave Any knOWledg
: in any country
But l do not mean to discuss in an
), detail the question of farm ne~
1t is a symptom rather than a diseas,
. l have dWelt on it because it is typiC;
= of many questions set for US to so]v,
. and to emphasize the great fact thu
it and many other seemingly materi;
questions are vitality related to ever
higher aspect of citizenship, and thu
they are to be solved not merely h
: the cooperation of farmers, but b
the cooperation of all good citizen!
e the preacher, the merchant-by tt
s Charlotte Club as we'll as by II
: Farmers Union.
|e Nor do I mean TO paint a gloom
IF picture. Quite the contrary; | a
II all optimism and faith that the 500
citizens Of our State can solve tn
Y. and all of the other complex pro-
IF lens Of cur rapidly expanding indu
s. trial life, if they can be brought
Sc see clearly what these questions ar
IS [ have the temerity to believe tn;
in good citizenship in solving them W
0: express itself here in some form mo.
in constructive, ~statesmanlike, al
democratic than great ~philanthrOp
ia gifts to alleviate human poverty al
Il | SGllSl AtN 49,
$. citizenship and philanthropy are tho
that prevent poverty and crime rath
q than attempt to relieve them aft
20 they have been created. Asylurns al
jailsare. more often a sign Of bad CT
st ic economy than OF deliberate sin al
10 bad human motive. Education tn
rs goes with a plan Of increased tax
es one hand, should so with a plan
Ell increased ability to pay III he ole
nd Christian philanthropy that goes VI
Nv a plan of salvation in one hand shou
go with !, liberal and lease and cree
tc system ~ the other; politicians al
public men who on election day Vi
K with alarm" iniqlitious conditions
90 Wall street. should also look with st
re iious care and sympathy on facts tn
lie EVERYDAY are making o. n1arfinS Il
on Trade street and the Pine|i
n road. The real fight for represent
at i've IS To be fought
,te fore conditions Of ordinary livi
J. grow through neglect into 8reat eEi
Conferences For Common Coco.
or We need conferences on cducaU
cd ly the school people, and on roads
MT the roads people, conferences or
Ee ;iols SPECIAL interests BY labor peo1'