The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-08
OUR FOREMOST CITIZEN-THE FARMER

Hats off to the farmer, our foremost citizen
 His has been a huge job-that of starting the world and keeping it go- ing. But he has never flinched, and has done it cheerfully, never casting about seeking praise or glory. While the metro politan centers of the world and con centrated wealth have reaped a harvest off his daily toll, he has whistled and laughed. The world almost forgot whom it owed first for it's achievements.
 And a. last 1t has taken a calamity and catastrophe without precedent in his- tory to remind us what we never. should have forgotten-that the farmer Is carry ing in his strong arms the destinies of the nations and that our very lives cling closely to the results of his work in the fields and orchards.
 And today finds the farmers of Amer ica charged with duty that in ordinary times would be shared equally by the tillers of all nations. The past rnree years of war have shifted the burdens of pro ducng the worlds food that the greatest load of responsibility now rests on the strong shoulders of the farmers of our chosen country.
 iilS LdIiiltI anu HIS WIG df6 I1Culy fitted to meet this great emergency. Their ancestors builded for character While laying trails through vast wilderness tracts, beset with dangers of frontier life. This was only foundation work. They themselves have been carrying on the work of production ard fruitfulness.
 Hand in hand they have worked with nature.
 They have met every crisis in the past, oY16 i, J NS1ox standing guard at the threshold in the hour of need
 Again I say, hats off to the farmer.
 The southern cotton fields and the sseep of the west give us the clothes we wear. He furnishes us with the neces- sities of life and generous surplus with which to follow the compass to all the corners of the earth. His work is one of peace. His fields we'll planted and titled, support everything in this big world of ours-industries, sciences, hu- manities, and those clusters of human life which we call cities.
 The farmer needs now to be kept in- formed never before concerning the events of the outside word in politics, in commerce. in industries and last but not least-war His future destiny is to be affected by all these world move ments
 Idh6 lDb tOLLOH SllQdliOI lOQdyy TUT lli- stance. Twenty-Five cent cotton doesn't rest well on the consciences of New Eng land manufacturers. They are calling for an embargo, and the regulars of supplies are insisting on the elimination of the speculator and the control of all the crops. When cotton went down to 5 cents in the south, no one even sug- gested that the government buy it all at 10 or 15 cents. The farmer himself had to bear the burden and apply the remedy, which he did. There's some difference m which fellow is being pinched by 100 small shoe.
 And there are many other instances of how outside forces are affecting farm fife.
 It is therefore up to the farmer to keep informed-in regard to all these matters. In order to keep abreast with current events 1t would be wise for all Daily Age-Herald readers to send the Weekly Age-H Herald to any farm rel atives or friends they have. It costs but 2o cents for a years subscription, 52 copies.