1889.] PUBLIC DOCUIVIENT — No. 4. 281 



or to proselyte any one to my church. I have spoken of 

 religious associations, not for the sake of thrusting upon you 

 a subject which does not belong to this discussion, but be- 

 cause I could not leave it out without marring my theme. 

 Religion cannot be kept out of life without crippling and 

 degrading life. Its expression may be almost infinitely 

 varied, and its philosophy subject to great changes ; but the 

 religious element in man's nature remains steadfast throuofh 

 all variations, and I'equires association for its right expres- 

 sion and healthy development. I certainly could not advise 

 any farmer to strangle or starve the religious element in his 

 nature. I believe in churches and the public worship of 

 Almighty God. I believe in the religious observance of the 

 Sabbath day. No class in the community needs its rest in 

 all fulness more than does the farming class ; and it is only 

 when rest day is sacredly kept that it is most thoroughly 

 restful. The farmer who neglects to avail himself of religious 

 associations, who fails to connect himself with some religious 

 organization, and who does not make use of these means to 

 develop his spiritual faculties and to clarify his perception 

 of the reality of that unseen world, so close to which many 

 of his own every-day experiences bring him, is greatly the 

 loser by such neglect and failure. 



Is there any need of a class association for farmers ? — 

 something which finds scope to work within the broad field 

 of the farmer's interest, and does not try to go outside of it ; 

 something selfish, perhaps, but, if so, not with a selfishness 

 which is narrowing or mean ; something which will lift up 

 the farmer's life, but not pull down any worthy interest ; 

 something which will put the farmer upon equal footing with 

 his competitors, enable him to do his best work, and secure 

 fair compensation for it. I have kept this question pretty 

 well in the background, but it is now time for it to come to 

 the front and receive attention. Do the special interests of 

 the farming class require association and organization for 

 their protection and furtherance ? Do the greater general 

 interests of the whole community which are placed in the 

 farmer's hands require that he shall employ the power of 

 association in the service demanded of him ? To my mind, 

 there can be but one answer to these questions. All the con- 



