SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 851 



not a curse. He must, as a class, be morally, mentally and intellectually 

 up-to-date. In fact any great advance in the financial and commercial 

 condition of the farmer as a class must be coincident with a great intel- 

 lectual advance and this intellectual advance is now in progress. The 

 up-to-date farming communities have their rural phones and rural free 

 delivery. 



The rural free deliverj- is one of the greatest factors in brightening 

 up the rural mind that the farmer ever had. The up-to-date farmer 

 realizes, as never before, the necessitj^ for placing before his children 

 every possible opportunity and incentive to acquire a thorough and prac- 

 tical education. One of the most substantial and storm-defying founda- 

 tions for a useful and lovable human character and life may under 

 present conditions be laid in the Iowa farm home. Good books, the 

 entertaiLfing features of which do not detract from their great value as 

 character and ideal farmers for children are abundant, and properly 

 selected, are the best investment ever made by a parent for his children. 

 From these they form the splendid habits of good reading, and thinking. 

 One or two of the thoroughly good farm papers printed in Iowa should 

 go to every farm home in Iowa once a week. Their cost is insignificant 

 compared with their great value to the farmer and his boys who have 

 formed the reading habit. Call their attention to good articles in the 

 papers. Compare suggestions in them to your own methods. The boys 

 will grow interested in these comparisons, no matter how young, and are 

 soon interested in the best methods of farming. Their comments on 

 politics and politicians are fair, unbiased, and pure political reading. 

 It is good for boys. At least one among the best of our state dailies 

 should reach every farm that has rural free delivery. The current 

 events, the trend of popular thought, the doings of public men, the 

 throbbing life of the county, state, nation and the world as it comes 

 to j'ou each day through the paper tends to brighten the mind, to broaden 

 the mental horizon, and makes one a more potent and useful part of the 

 great republic, which today sadly needs the corrective political influence 

 of an intelligent, independent, thinking common people. A great number 

 of magazines of only nominal price furnish entertaining and valuable 

 reading for young people. These magazines are usually non-partisan 

 and their discussion of important moral and political questions are 

 generally free from political bias and contain a fair statement of the 

 facts. Encourage the young folks in the study of political economy, 

 of practical politics, of the great moral and public problems. Upon the 

 moral intelligence and mental activity of the rising generation, among 

 the middle class, depends the future wellfare of the farmer, and of our 

 nation. Unless we are up-to-date politically and are capable of defending 

 and securing our political rights, it matters but little how much wealth 

 we produce, for it will be appropriated by our American aristocracy 

 of corporate wealth who already have much more than their share of 

 commercial and political power and in their hands will do common 

 humanity but little good. 



