The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-07-29
Demonstration Agent
EDITOR FAYETTE FALCON


When the Roman Senate refused all
manner of relief to the farmers of that
ancient empire. levied high burdens up
on its rural regions to pay for magnif-
icent edifices, great system of pub
lie works and horde of office-holders
which complex system of government
had created, it wrought its own destruc.
ton.
When the king and mobiles of France
ignored its farming peassntry ground
their faces in the dirt to paw for luxury
and revelry they gave no heed to the
rumblings that arose
After Us the deluge, said the king to
bis favorite and the deluge came,
1t has ever been thus the history of
mankind teaches US that any system of
government however large or small
which ignores the welfare of its farm
ing class will get into trouble because
farming is the basis of all wealth and
the most ancient industry on the planet,
II tayette county contained a large
city or even alarge percentage of urban
population whose economic interests of
might be assumed to be opposed to the
the farmers. there might be some rea-
son for the refusal of our ce1nty court
to grant the request Of the formers for
demonstration agent but such is not the
case, our county Is almost exclusively
a county Of formers and not town or
city dwellers aud this makes it so hard
to understand why the court federal
government in any measure or relief of
instr uctiOn or Improvement for it's sole
industry.
Adjoining Us en- the west we have
county containing the largest city in the
state and we might expect inasmuch as
the population of Memphis exceeds and
dominates the remainder of Shelby
county, that there might be some ex
cuse for such situation as exists to
day in Fayette county.
On the contrary what do we find 10
Shelby county We find not only that
its county court cooperstes With the
federal government in employing two
demobstration agents and assistants for
the farmers of the county but its great
Chamber Of Commerce one of the most
progressive and able bodies of its kinds
in America employs likes agents as
aid along this line. The
businese men Of Memphis realize that
the.growth and prosperity of their city
depend upon the welfare of the farmers
in the Memphis trade territory,
10 the several years that Fsyette
courty ssbeen employing demonstrs
tion agent there have been certain mis-
guides and ignorant members of our
county court who have always opposed
the idea, It has always been q hard
fight to get the court to appropriate
half of the agents salary. This year
the matter has been up before the court
three times and ithas failed Of adoption
by . tie vote. Before the last. session
of the court q farmers committee
pledges. more than enough members to
carry the appropriation for the remain
ing half Of the year but certain members
went back on their pledges the vote was
d tie, the chairman refused to vote and
delared it lost,
II is we'll that the advocated of better
farming should know who are their
friends in the court and show the
members voted because the battle has
Just started.
In District enc the four magistrates.
Boyd, Wilkinson Scott and Shelton,
all except Chairman Shelton can be
counted as friends of the measure and
have voted for it. Chairman Shelton
has always lodged the issue. On two
occasions he has had chance to vote
on il when the court was tied but has
refused to commit himself. Chairman
Shelton was once farmer but sold out
several years ago and moved to town
where he has been making living from
HE ssiafy as chairman of the court and
loaning money to farmers. Just why
he should not be an active advocate of
any help for the farmers of the county
is hard to understand. 1t can be noted
that he does not always refuse to vote
in event Of tie in the court as witness
the recent election of school board
directors.
District two has two magistrates
Tatum and Simmons, the latter is q
stanch friend of the farmer, Squire
Tstum was opposed to county agent
until recently, but the deiopment Of
dairying in bis community by the pres
ent agent has convinced him of its
value and be can now be counted as q
friend.
District three has two magistrates
Pepper and Johnson. Squire Pepper is