THE SILENT FORCES. 27 



of public money, or the management of important official 

 trusts. 



One that has Nature's teaching so constantly before him 

 must surely be reminded of the forces at work among the 

 masses of our people, and through them affecting the govern- 

 ment itself. The press of to-day is one of these forces, pow- 

 erful in its influence, and not less effective because so silent. 

 The noisy demagogue and the blatant declaimer, in their 

 tirades against social order, are not so much to be feared as 

 those products of a corruf)t press that strive to array labor 

 against capital, to evade by specious argument the sacred 

 promise to pay, to clothe vice in the spotless robes of virtue, 

 or to desecrate with foul suspicion and distrust pure Vesta's 

 holy shrine. With equal power the press may exert its 

 silent influence as the effective ally of an unselfish patriot- 

 ism, and of public and private morality. 



Education is another silent force, working with mighty 

 power, expanding, elevating, ennobling, the minds of the 

 people, and fitting them to be intelligent citizens of a great 

 republic. The family, too, is performing its silent yet power- 

 ful work in training those, who, if they would govern well, 

 must first learn to obey ; while religion, with its silent yet 

 beneficent ministries, is ready to bring all hearts into loving 

 subjection to the one perfect government. 



These and other silent forces must be recognized by the 

 citizen-farmer. Those which tend to destroy the government 

 founded by the fathers must be held in check, and overcome, 

 while every influence must be fostered that shall make the 

 government permanently prosperous and powerful. 



We have thus considered some of the lessons that the farm 

 is teaching the farmer respecting his duties as a citizen. If 

 these lessons are heeded, the farmer will perform more faith- 

 fully the duty devolving upon him, while the government 

 will receive renewed security and strength. 



