The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-19
FROM OTHER PENS

Iheodore N. Vail will bequeath his
splendid Vermont estate to the uses of
the farmer youth, so it is reported. He
thinks Vermont is a wonderful state,
and so it is. He hopes to teach scien-
tific farming, so that the boys will
prosper there and love the Green noun
tains enough to make contentment and
happiness of residence the rule The
Vermont girls. always proverbial for
their health and beauty, are to remain
there in preference to seeking homes
elsewhere.
What magnetic charm. just now, has
this farmer problem.i Every scientist
is at it, every philanthropist has It on
his list. But there are several of the
old factors left out, because money
cannot buy them nor science produce
them. The original New England farm
er plowed and sowed because, as he
said, it was root. hog. or die
That is a bucolic picture in single
sentence. When the farmer got short
of grain and other foods for the hogs,
he turned them into the old orchard
and let them root with their hard noses,
getting food out of the ground as best
they could, with what spare waste he
could pitch over the fence to them.
The whole subject, hogs and hard
fare, is most unpoetic. But that is a
large part of farming. The early farm
er worked the soil, and raised snch ami
mails because he must do it or die. The
memorable command of dig or starve
was laid on him. Whether he liked
pigs and COWS did not count Did he
love he own children and their shelter?
That was the question. The trouble
with farming today is that it must
compete with better wages for a more
congenial occupation elsewhere
The profiting farmer must love
manual labor. He must even inherit a
liking for bending his back. soiling his
mir
sociating with cattle, and often himself
actually helping the with the load.
No agricultural school can furnish this
love of work. any more than classical
college can furnish brains.
This love of work was equally the
inheritance of the "hired man. His
pride was in his muscle. He could lift
q barrel of cider He would break q colt.
He could work from sun to sun anC then
go to a dance or q school house sing
ing school. Something of that old
fashioned friedman spirit must be
taught in Mr.. Wallis school, along with
scientific knowledge, if it to be a COM
plete success.-New York Mail.
AMENDING THE AMENDMENT.
A wave of common sense has come
over the Democratic leaders since the
single presidential term amendment to
the constitution was approved in the
senate and sent to the house. 1t is now
reported that the amendment, w.lich
goes over to the next congress, will,
when again taken up, be changed so
that it will not take effect until 1921
that is not until Mr.. Wilson shall
have served one term. and he, or some
one else. shall have served another
term. This change will directly af-
feet the possible political future of
three eminent citizens. 1t abandons|
the project of extending the term of
Mr. Wilson by two years-a project
of dubious wisdom at best, and
couched in a form that might have
given rise to infinite confusion in
matter that experience has taught us
ought to be perfectly definite and
clear. 1t will leave. to Mr. Wilson the
chance to receive the verdict of "welI
done" in the manner that has become
almost unwritten law, by reelection.
Finally it will leave to the American
people the opportunity, should they
wish it, of recalling Mr.. Taft to the
presidency, and a much higher esti-
mate of his merits prevails even now
than a few months ago, and it will
leave Mr.. Roosevelt freedom to make
another dash for the White House in
1916, if he still feels that he is abso-
lutely the only man for whatever
Sob" may turn up at that time.-New
York Times.