Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-11
Press Comment.
JAMES WILSON, THE USEFUL.

chicago inter ocean: WIN tue
change of national administration
last Tuesday there passed out OF
public life man who may we'll be
termed one of the most useful men,
bers OF the cabinet the United States
has ever had. We refer, Of course,
to the Hon. James Wilson, who on
March 4 ended sixteen years of ser.
vice as secretary Of agriculture.
Born in Scotland In 1885, James
Wilson came with his parents to
Connecticut in 1852. and at the age
of twenty took Horace Greeley's ad-
vice to young men to $50 west and
grow up with the country" He went
to Iowa and to college there, and
became not only personally sue
cessful farmer but one with the fac
ulty of showing others "how to do
it."
He was no narrow specialist. He
did his share of the work OF public
life, serving three terms in the legis-
lature and three in congress, on the
state railway commission and as re
gent of the state university. But his
main interest was in farming, and in
agricultural education, and in 1890 he
became director of the experiment
station and professor in the State
Agricultural college at Ames, whence
William Mckinley took him to be
secretary of agriculture.
At that time the department of
agriculture was still theme OF hui
morous paragraphs in the newspap-
ers, It had grown out of what is now
one of it's bureaus, that of animal
industry" at whose head was Norman
J. Colman. and whom Mr.. Cleveland
made head of the new department.
Mr.. Colman had done much good
work in his special line, but had no
opportunity to show what he might
do in the broader field.
President Harrison appointed for
mer Governor jeremiah NJ. Rusk OF
Wisconsin, practical farmer, but
without much constructive magma
tion. President Cleveland in his Sec
ond term named former Governor }.
Sterling Morton of Nebraska, VINO
had many ingenious ideas and filled
the Office with distinction.
OF the four heads of the depart
ment of agriculture it may be said
that Colman was the pioneer, Rusk
represented the farmers who were to
be benefited and inspired their conf
dence. Morton was fertile in ideas
and established high ideals of public
service, and Wilson combined the
talents and abilities Of all his prede
cessors and made his department
truly great and of worldwide renown.
Under the leadership of James VIII.
son the United States department OF
agriculture has become the model for
every country seeking to apply to
farming the discoveries Of scientific
research.
Nor was the public service OF
James Wilson limited to his own de-
partment. In the agitated days OF
the spring of 1898, when some con
snicuous public men were running
In circles and asking what there wes
IN the murder of the Maine that could
not he settled with money, James
Wilson stood az q stone wall among
the presidents advisers for the only
course consistent with the nations
honor. the course that was taken.
We have had cabinet ministers
who rendered more conspicuous ser
vice on particular occasions and in
great emergencies. We have had none
whose work was more useful IN so
MANY ways to such great numbers OF
citizens as that of James Wilson. He
broke all records in that way, as he
broke them in the length Of his term
Of service.