RURAL DEPLETION 45 



problem. It has taken hold of this evil as a community 

 question and has therefore crowned its efforts with suc- 

 cess. It has not only socialized the reform, but to some 

 degree standardized it as well. The country newspaper 

 has to a very large extent barred out the liquor ad- 

 vertisement. And to this standard the urban press must 

 come. 



I might add that the country has made marked ad- 

 vance in regard to general practice concerning the use 

 of tobacco. Last autumn seventeen farmers, chiefly 

 young men, gathered at the home of one of my church 

 managers on silo-filling day. Of the seventeen not one 

 used tobacco in any form. 



Business integrity, in so far as tested by the older 

 ethical standards, is high in the country. But it is not 

 yet so in regard to the newer ethical imperatives. A 

 daughter of the manse and a daughter of the farm were 

 discussing some finer branch of cooking. " But wc use 

 cream, not milk," said the daughter of the farm. " Oh," 

 was the response, " do you keep the milk of a cow at 

 home just for that ?" " Pshaw, no," came the answer, 

 " we take a dipper or two from the factory can." This 

 is suggestive of much that is lacking bearing upon the 

 ethics of co-operation in the country. 



In other fields having to do with graver moral evils 

 I offer no attempt at generalization. But let me give 

 single instances of actualities in several moral realms. 

 Xear a certain hainlot which shall be nameless a farmer 

 sent his wife int(» the field l<j drive the team with the 

 harrows. When, wearied. sh(* sat down to rest, he rent 

 a splinter from a fence rail and beat her. l>y night men 

 forced his door, dragged him from hiding, rode him 

 upon a fence rail, and informed him that if he beat his 



