306 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doo. 



me, "we cannot all be heroes." My reply is: Every man and every 

 woman who ha® the courage to make an effort can be a hero. By 

 vigorous effort, intense application and invincible perseverance you 

 can be a hero in your profession — a hero on the farm. Some one has 

 rightly said: "No man brings into the world any other nobility than 

 that with which the God of Nature has endowed him — sovereignty 

 of mind — the sceptre of genius; and in this freest, broadest field of 

 action he must become the architect of his own fortune, the master- 

 builder of his own destiny." 



Some of you may say the farmer can't make a fortune. Others 

 who have perhaps never made much of an intelligent practical effort 

 will tell us things so bad that the farmer can't make a living on 

 the farm. 



The Democrats tell us now that if McKinley is re-elected the times 

 will become so bad — the farmers will be so much oppressed — that it 

 will be utterly impossible for them any longer to stay on the farm; 

 and some perhaps may start working in our cement mills where they 

 have harder work, less liberty and no more money. 



Our Republican friends give their side of the story. They tell us 

 since Grover Cleveland happened to be President four or five years 

 ago, he made the times so bad that it now requires a lifetime of Re- 

 publican administration to remedy the evil; if indeed it can ever be 

 remedied. Meanwhile our Republican friends leave the farm. Thus 

 the follower® of both political parties leave the farm for some other 

 occupation, while they let their legislators legislate for them. 



Would it not be wise for the farmer to stay on the farm and do 

 a little legislating for himself? We admit that the farmer's times 

 are not as brisk as they might be; we admit that their rights are 

 overlooked; that corporations and trusts are sucking their life blood; 

 but the proper way for the farmer to begin business is to make a 

 strenuous effort to remedy these evils, and do it too — as the Bryanites 

 would put it — do it without the aid or consent of any other nation on 

 earth — do it himself. The time has passed when the farmer can ex- 

 pect aid from a few sleek politicians, whether Democratic or Repub- 

 li{ an. Like all other professional men, he must learn to help him- 

 self. I seem to hear you say: "How can all this be done? How can 

 we help ourselves, poor oppressed mortals? How can we make the 

 farm pay?" I venture the reply. By i^ersevering, intelligent effort, 

 farming can still be made to pay. "Oh, nonsense!" you say; "we 

 can't make farming pay, and we have tried our best." It may be 

 true that you have tried your best at that which you have tried and 

 failed; but if one failure has dismayed you, you are yet far from a 

 hero in your profession. Why not try something else, and not leave 

 the farm to do it, either? If you can't make money on chickens is 

 that a proof that you can't make money on turkeys? If you can't 

 make money on horses is that a proof that you can't make money on 



