44 



more to the land ; you are putting bim In a position where he is becoming a 

 more and more important citizen in that country. You are at the same time 

 helping in the diffusion of wealth, which, after all. is better than the accumu- 

 lation of wealth in the hands of a few persons in the State. In connection 

 with this agricultural work, then, those two things, it seems to me, ought to 

 be kept in mind, and perhaps they will enable us to tide over some of our 

 periods of despondency. In uplifting the agricultural connnunity you are in 

 the best way possible encouraging the diffusion of wealth, and yon are at the 

 same time building up a citizenship that makes for the best interests of the 

 whole country. You are building up men who will be the last of all to rebel 

 against constituted authority; you are building up men who will be attached 

 to their own homes; you are t)nilding up men who are at the foundation of 

 all the other industries in the country; you are Itnilding up, as a rule, men 

 who are strong in moral character and strong in moral fiber. 



16 we can only get that aspect of the question clear in our minds — that in 

 this great agricultural movement we are not simply working to build up 

 men's dollars, that we are not simply working to make our country wealtiiier 

 than some other country. Init at the same time by means of this work we are 

 helping to build up a citizenship — we are helping to build up a class of 

 people ; a yeomanry, if you wish to call them that, a great class of people, 

 who will be the backbone of that community, who will add to that community 

 those great moral forces which are so important in forming great public 

 opinion. If you will keep that before you, you will go on with your work 

 with fresh vigor and fresh inspiration and fresh hope of success. 



Not to talk at any greater length. I trust, in this work wherein we of the North 

 and you of the South can cooperate and wlicre tnriff walls and other things 

 count for nothing in the consideration of these great agricultural questions — I 

 trust that you will get through our movement whatever is beneficial and that 

 you will allow us to get from you whatever is beneficial to us, and that you will 

 cooperate as we have done in such associations as we have here, and that the 

 great agricultural questions of Canada and the T'nited States will be worked out 

 peacefully, quietly, and well, so that there may grow up on both sides of the 

 line a happy, contented, and prosperous jieople ; for so long as that is the case, no 

 matter what politicians or others that may VA'ish to stir ui) trouble may say, so 

 long as we have a ha])py. prosi)erous, agricultural iieople. so long we shall l>e at 

 peace and we shall help to work out the great destinies that Providence has or- 

 dained in connection with the North American continent. 



The convention was then entertained informally by Illinois delegates, and 

 after refreshments had been served the meeting adjourned to reconvene Thurs- 

 day morning, October 2U. 



Morning Session, Thursday, October 20, 1904. 



The convention met at 10 o'clock a. m., Mr. Kaufman in the chair. 

 Papers on Women's Institutes were presented and discussed. (For papers 

 and discussion on this subject, see p. 63.) 



Separate Sessions of Institutes tor Women. 



Mr. Creelman, ex])ressing his high api)reciation of the i)a])ers i)resented l)y the 

 ladies and of the value and interest of their contril)ntions to the discusions. said 

 that in his opinion arrangements should be made for sejiarate women's sessions 

 as well as union meetings, 



