The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1922-01-13

termlned, II not angry, protest, 'ahd ''n
omlnous swarnhng Of occupationaI con
ferences, Interest groupings, political
movements ana propaganda. Such
turmoil cannot but arrest our attcn'
ton. Indeed, It demands our carefni
study ard examination. il Is not Ike
~ that six million aloof and i1iggedly
independent men have come to2ethcr
and banded themselves into active
unions, societies, farm bureaus, ana 5"
forth, for no sufficient cause.
Investigation OF the subject concia'
siyely proves that, while there Is much
oyerstatement Of grievances ana mis-
conception of remedies the farmers
arc right in complaining Of wrongs
Tong endured, and right 10 holding that
# is feasible to relieve their ills with
benefit to the rest If the community
This being the case Of an Industry
that contributes, in The raw material
form alone, about one-third or the ma
tional annual wealth production and
ia the means OF livelihood OF about ~
per cent Of The population, it is Oh
vioGs that the subject is one OF grave
concern. Not only do tie farmers
make up one-half of the nation, but
the well-being OF the other half de-
ponds upon them.
SO long as we have nations, wise
politcial economy will aim ut a large
degree Of national self-Suflclency ana
self-contalnment Rome fell when the
food supply was too far removed rom
he belly. Like her, we shall destroy
our own agriculture and extend or
sources of food distanty and precari-
ously, IL we do not sec to it that our
farmers are we'll and fairly paid for
their services. The farm gives the
nation men as we'll as food. Cities
derive their vitality aud are forever
renewed from the country, but an i'm
poverished countryside exports intelli
gence and retains unlnteiligence,
Only the lower grades Of mentality
and character will remain on, or seek
The farm, unless agriculture is capable
Of being pursued with contentment ana
adequate compensation. Hence, to en-
bitter and lmpoverish the farmer is to
dry up and contaminate The vital
sources of the nation.
The war showed convincingiy how
dependent the nation is on the full
productivity OF the farms. Despite
herculean efforts, agricultural produc-
ton kept only a few weeks OF months
ahead of consumption, and that only
by increasing the acreage Of certain
staple crops at the cost Of reducing
that Of others. We ought not to for
ret that lesson when we ponder on
the farmers problems. They are truly
common problems, and there should
be no attempt to deal with them as
il they were purely selfish demands
Of Il clear-cut group, antagonlstic to
the rest of the community. Rather
should we consider agriculture in the
light Of broad national policy Just
as we consider oil, coal, steel, dye
stuffs. and so forth, as sineWS Of ma
tionaI strength. Our growing popnla'
ton and a higher standard OF living
demand increasing food supplies, and
more wool, cotton, hides, and the rest,
With the disappearance Of free OF
cheap fertile land, additional acreage
and increased yields can come only
from costly effort. This we need not
expect from an impoverished or I'M
happy rural population.
Ii will not do to take a narrow view
Of the rural discomfort, or TO appraise
it from the standpoint Of yesterday.
This is peculiarly an age OF fluX and
change and new deals, Because 4
thing always has been so no longer
means that it is righteous, or always
shall be SO More. perhaps, than ever
before, there is a widespread feeling
@bat all human relations can be inn
proved by taking thought, and that 1t
Is not becoming for the reasoning ami
NAL to leave his destiny largely to
chance and natural INCIDENCE.
Prudent and orderly adjustment of
production and distribution in accord
anee with consumption is recognized
as wise management in every business
but that of farming. Yet, | venture
to say, there is no other industry in
which it is so important to the pub
nc-to the clty-dWeler--that produc
ton should be sure, steady, and in
creasing, and that distribution should
be in proportion To the need. The un
organized farmers naturally act blind
~ and impulSively and, in conse
quencp, surfeit and dearth, accompa
MED by disconcerting price-variations,
harass the consumer. One year pota
toes rot in the fields because of excess
production, and there is a scarcity OF
The things that have been displaced
ia make way for the expansion of the
potato acreage; next year the punish
ed farmers mass their fields on some
other crop, and potatoes enter the
class of luxuries; and SO on.
Agriculture IS the greatest and fun
aamentally the most important of our
american industries. The cities are
hut the branches of the tree of ma
,jnaal life, the roots of which 20 deep
X into the land. We all flourish or
decline with the farmer So, when we
of the cities read of the present uni
versal distress OF the farmers, of
slump of six billion dollars in the farm
value Of their crops In s. g.e year,