282 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Moses, who has risen from the rauks, have changed the spirit of the 

 farmer. He is beginning to realize that instead of standing humblj 

 alone, he has but to grasp his brother's hand, and he in turn, another 

 until he reaches across the continent, and can ask what he will. 



In our own State in 1890, over 500,000, more than half the popu- 

 lation, was outside of cities and boroughs. Then ^^hJ should the 

 farmer rob himself of his dignity, and his God given rights, and give 

 his business, his present welfare, and the legislation that will edu- 

 cate and train his children for their life work, into the hands of 

 lawyers, bankers and politicians? He is beginning to see the folly 

 of this, and to realize that he holds the balance of power, and is try- 

 ing to impress upon the minds of the above mentioned legislators 

 that they are not fixed stars in the political firmament; and should 

 they fail to do the will of those who placed them in their present 

 position, will be retired to the darkness of priA-ate life as suddenly 

 as a comet (that dazzles the observer for a time, and even creates 

 fear and consternation), disappears and is seen no more. The farmer 

 in time past merely waited for the crumbs to fall from the govern- 

 ment table, and if none fell he was resigned, saying he really had no 

 right to expect anything. Now in the days that are so full of events 

 of grave import to him, he is beginning to expect large slices of the 

 main loaf, which he is just beginning to realize is really of his mould- 

 ing, and the distribution should be partly at his dictation, and this 

 nev»'ly awakened power is being felt^in all the legislative halls of our 

 country. 



AVhen our senators and representatives ask of their farming con- 

 stituents what are their wishes in regard to bills pending in Con- 

 gress; and even our President sends for a committee representing the 

 organized farmers of our land, and inquires of them what legislation 

 they most desire, it is such a tribute to the intelligence and power of 

 our agricultural classes as this old world has never before seen. 

 And yet we occasionally hear a farmer say, when speaking of Free 

 Rural Mail Delivery or some other improvement, that it is ''Really 

 too much for us to ask;" but these are growing fewer every day, as 

 one by one they come to claim their birthright. 



Let us in no way give this grand upward movement an impetus 

 downward. Let us in no way make it possible for the next genera- 

 tion to entertain the same feeling in regard to agriculture that we are 

 now rising above. Let us allow the young people to approach the 

 time when they will choose their vocation without being prejuddced 

 against this one — without having had drilled into their minds for 

 years that to be nothing but a farmer or farmer's wife, is to have no 

 position of dignity. Teach them that advancement in life should 

 no longer be measured by the material gain, but by the development 

 of the highest and noblest tyj)!* of manhood and womanhood, and 



