208 THE FARMER AND THE NEW DAY 



ered in a clear-cut way the business requirements of 

 farmers. Some, however, have failed to appreciate 

 the cooperative movement or have overdone the atti- 

 tude of bitterness toward the middleman. Others have 

 been inclined to cater to the farmer's prejudices and to 

 hammer incessantly at the city man and his interests and 

 his theories. Probably, as a class, the agricultural pa- 

 pers have neglected the country life aspects of the rural 

 problem. Various organizations of farmers have their 

 organs which deal much more with the machinery of the 

 organization than with broad policies. In some re- 

 spects the agricultural press is the most important sin- 

 gle agency in developing rural public opinion, as it is 

 the most widely read of all publications relating to 

 agriculture. It arrives in the farm home regularly and 

 frequently. It assumes to be the spokesman of the 

 farmer, and usually it meets him on his own ground. 



Our agricultural editors are among the clearest 

 headed leaders in the whole agricultural field. If one 

 outside of the fold might offer advice to the agricultural 

 press, it would be the importance of seeing the light of 

 the New Day and interpreting fundamental democracy 

 to American farmers. 



THE STATESMANSHIP OF RURAL AFFAIRS 



The great war is coming to its close as these words 

 are being written. The world has been made safe for 

 democracy. The war is over, but the great struggle of 

 the New Day has but just begun. Democracy must be 

 made safe for the world. 



If the development of real and permanent democracy 

 becomes the main peace task of the nations of the 

 world, it will be found that it is a task affecting hosts of 

 rural people. It is true that in highly industrial coun- 



