542 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOUBXAL 



it is true, are tremendous. All the ad- 

 vice given the farmer that does not rec- 

 ognize his necessary adaptation to his 

 environment is useless; and useless ad- 

 vice is harmful. It is of no advantage 

 to rail against the farmer any more 

 than against the wind or the rain. It 

 is idle to try to apply to him the pres- 

 sures that are exerted on corporate 

 business. It is of small consequence 

 either to praise him or to condemn, to 

 take sides for him or against him, ex- 

 cept so far as it may affect his spirit as 

 a man. When, under pressure of great 

 crises, we radically change tlie condi- 

 tions under which the farmer works, 

 we must allow liiiii time to readjust 

 himself: he must take account of the 

 latitude that he may reasonably expect 

 in weather and soil and human forces. 

 He needs not favors, but conditions 

 that will allow him to operate. The 

 natural conditions within which he 

 works cannot be changed, but they can 

 be modified in some ways and he can 

 make new adjustments within certain 

 limits: these possibilities he begins to 

 understand, and they are parts of his 

 problem as a farmer; when the eco- 

 nomic or outside conditions are 

 changed, the modifications must be 

 such as will match the natural limita- 

 tions, if he is expected to adopt them. 

 In the present crisis, our public 

 agencies must understand and recog- 

 nize what reasonably can be I'cqiiired 

 of the farmer. 



From this caution I do not omit 

 many of those connected with our agri- 

 cultural institutions and agencies. I 

 am afraid that their advice is not al- 

 ways sound. It is likely to be depart- 

 mental. We always need the specialist, 

 but in the present crisis we are also in 

 urgent need of the general ist, who sees 

 the agricultural situation as a whole. 

 It is easy enough for the department- 

 alist to say that we can double our 

 poultry product under an emergency, 

 but yve now need other things than 

 poultry. One cannot feed grain to 



poultry, grind it into flour, and send it 

 to the Allies all at the same time; and 

 the management of the farm scheme is 

 to be considered. An increase of a cer- 

 tain dependable percentage in the 

 staples, brought about by proper adjust- 

 ment and stimulation, is the need of 

 the hour. To talk about doubling the 

 output in some special department, 

 considering limitations and particular 

 issues at stake, may be nonsense. 



The cohesive force which we know as 

 '"labor" does not contribute, in its or- 

 ganizational method, to democracy: 

 quite the contrary. The force we know 

 as "capital" does not contribute, in its 

 corporate capacity, to democracy : quite 

 otherwise. These forces exercise or 

 usurp powers that inhere properly in 

 government : they practically govern 

 classes, more or less independently of 

 the general public weal. They are forced 

 to take action in self-defense because 

 government does not act. It is often 

 said that we have too much govern- 

 ment. In f;Kt. we have too little gov- 

 ernment. .Much of what we know as 

 government is only compromise or the 

 balancing of forces between different 

 factions. 



The great and abiding contributions 

 to democracy are made by the vast mid- 

 dle classes and by the rural people who 

 are not organized for the purpose of 

 securing collective or mass advantage. 



It is an old adage that appearances 

 are deceitful. I wish to add that they 

 may be misleading. Persons manag- 

 ing corporate, industrial, labor, and 

 professional affairs have a certain air 

 and habit of presentation. The farmer 

 operating his farm may not have this 

 air. He has nothing to present. He 

 may be following a plow in the back 

 lot, unshaven, trousers in his boots, 

 working until the work is done even 

 though the clock points to five. Per- 

 haps he would not discuss politics or 

 civics or religion, at least not until he 

 knew you; but, good or bad, he has 

 worked out the management of his 



