Proceedings of Seventeen'^ h Xoemai Institute 193 



pay the price of indepeiidence, with the resultant smaller returns 

 for what he produces ; and, as a producer, if history repeats itself, 

 the inevitable evolution will either make him a renter or the 

 laborer on a large estate. For, if the trend of modern business 

 is economically sound, the farmer can not afford to fight against 

 it nor let it consume him in his individuality. 



Doubtless every one here, as he continues to reflect on the 

 present and past of American agriculture, finds more and more 

 evidence that the social life of the pioneer community had its 

 roots deep down in the soil, and scarcely looked beyond the com- 

 munity for any satisfactions in life. As every economic change 

 brings a resultant social change, the compelling fact that these 

 changes are now with us, — 'that our agriculture is a part of the 

 world's agriculture, that our ideas and ideals of society do not 

 come for the most part from the Bible — means that the roots 

 of our social ideals and organization are no longer primarily in 

 our own community, but that our auto and our daily paper takes 

 us out of our limited world into a perplexing larger world. As 

 an example, consider the problem of religion in the country. The 

 physical fact is apparent in many communities that there are 

 fewer people to go to church, but what is of more importance is 

 the attitude of those who are still in the country. All our struggle 

 with dogma, evolution and inspiration affects the life of the 

 country churches, and will continue to do so until we have com- 

 pleted the transition stage w© are now in, and have reached com- 

 paratively tranquil waters and a satisfactory philosophy of life. 



In last analysis all our social problems are of the same general 

 nature. We have the physical facts, easily gotten at, and our 

 ideals or lack of ideals, to contend with. To me it is just here 

 that the individualism of the American farmer will be either a 

 great force or a gi'eat hindrance to the solution of our problems. 

 If the initiative born of individualism is gradually eliminated 

 by subtle forces, we need not expect a satisfactory social life in 

 the rural community. Consider for a moment how local political 

 power and initiative is imperceptibly disappearing from the 

 American rural community. The roads and the schools are con- 

 trolled in the capitol. Our health is regulated from Albany. Our 



newspapers come from the city. This is not saying that all this 

 II -7 



