164 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



tion is mainly foreign, Scandinavian and German, while the 

 native Americans occupy themselves with trading and railroad 

 management. However, the Scandinavians and Germans ac- 

 quire in a few years many of the characteristics of the native 

 farmer, and follow the political lead given by the latter. In the 

 early days of the Republic, the agriculturists were, especially in 

 the middle and newer parts of the Southern States, the backbone 

 of the Democratic party, sturdy supporters of Jefferson, and 

 afterwards of Jackson. When the opposition of North and 

 South began to develop itself and population grew up beyond the 

 Ohio, the pioneers from New England who settled in that country 

 gave their allegiance to the Whig party; and in the famous "log- 

 cabin and hard cider" campaign, which carried the election of 

 General Harrison as President, that worthy taken as a type of 

 hardy backwoodsman made the Western farmer for the first 

 time a noble and poetical figure to the popular imagination. 

 Nowadays he is less romantic, yet still one of the best elements in 

 the country. He stood by the Union during the war, and gave 

 his life freely for it. For many years afterward his vote carried 

 the Western and especially the Northwestern states for the Re- 

 publican party, which is still to him the party which saved the 

 Union and protects the Negro. 



THE INFLUENCE OF FARM LIFE ON CHILDHOOD 1 



CHARLES W. ELLIOT 



CHILDREN brought up in the country get a deal of invaluable 

 training from their rural surroundings. They roam the fields 

 and wade in the waters, observe plant and animal life, use and 

 take care of domestic animals, and help their fathers and mothers 

 in the work of the house and the farm, and thereby get invaluable 

 training first, in observation, secondly, in attention to the task 

 in hand, and thirdly, 'in good judgment which prevents waste of 

 strength and distinguishes between the essential or immediately 

 necessary in productive labor and the unessential and deferable. 



i Adapted from Report of the Board of Education, Connecticut, 1903, p. 

 290. 



