Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-05-26
Not a Good Doctrine for Maine.

A farmer in attendance at Farmers
Week, Oron0, where large number oi
young men were present, is authority
for the statement that in one Of the ad-
dresses by professor at the university
he advised young men present mot to
run In debt for farm" and urged upon
them "the taking of one under the ten.
ant system" II there's any one thing
We of New England have reason to be
profoundly thankful for, it is the west.
ern tenant system has not been grated
on to our agriculture, and God grant 1t
never may be.
Men from the west have brought here
many ideas which cannot be recognized
az good gospel, but this is tho limit. Go
where you will, and when you touch q
territory cursed by the tenant system OF
farming, you find both parties the suffer
srs. Sec. Houston, in his report to the
President, names tenant farming as
lone of the chief reasons for rural inef-
ficiency and bad conditions generally"
and Herbert Quick, of Farm and Fire.
side says, "All observers admit the
truth of this to-day and the problem is
getting worse all the time."
In the face of the experience of the
years and the authorities quoted, Maine
boys are urged to engage in tenant farm
ing. Talking with young man of thir-
ty-tive in New York recently, one who
years, asked as to results and found
that while he had made some money, be
frankly admitted that the only care he
had was to keep within the contract ;
that the thought of improving the prop
erty, keeping up the buildings, making
a home, or building for a future, was
not in his mind. He did what almost
every tenant does-kept faith with the
letter of the contract between owner and
tenant. In all those sections where this
system prevails, you will find the build
ings and farms telling the story of neg.
lect. Owners complain, tenants COM
plain, and no one is satisfied.
The glory OF New England, and espe-
cially of Maine, has been, is, and l be-
lieve is to be, in the character of the
farm homes, their stability, neat
ness and general appearance of thrift
Such conditions cannot be dupli-
Gated in any tenant farming local.
ity in the United States, ifit can in the
world. This is the outcome Of our sys-
tenn of ownership and it is one to be
not overthrOwn. Encour-
age young man to run in debt for q
farm? Surely l would every time, pro-
vided be had firmly fixed the determine
tion to some time own the property, and
has wife who is helpmeet. Under
kau
any where. In this reaching after own
ership through labor, self-denial and
prudence, there follows a conception Of
home, a consciousness of the dignity Of
farm life, a realization that in mastery
there has come a balancing not possible
where one uses the tools, the animals,
the house, the farm, belonging to some
one else, Just to coin a few dollars. Own
ership develops, tenant farming destroys
ambition and lowers the standard of
living. Something is wrong when an in
stitution created, endowed and support
ed to promote higher and deeper ap-
probation of agriculture, instructs
young men to look to the low level of
tenant farming for their life work. I do
not believe such instruction will meet
W no was the authority urging this upon
the young men present at the lecture.
1t is 80 contrary to all the standards of
Maine that it should never again be re-
peated from any platform, in the east
surely. Going back over the thirty
years spent in work for the farm, can
point to large number Of men who to-
day are successful in their farm life,
who, as young men came to me to ask,
"Can l afford to run in debt for a
farm?' During my recent New York
trip, two young men there came with
the same question, saying, 81 don't want
to be tenant farmer" Did err In my
advice? Should have said, 1.-THE ten
ant system is the best for you, the ideal
toward which you should be looking?
This unfortunately was the position
by the professor at Orono, sim
ply because he grew up under the tenant
system and failed to realize that here in
the east we have something far better In
every way. Let's have no more such In
struction given our boys.-Dr. G. NJ.
Twitchell in Maine Farmer.