STUDEXTS AXD THE RURAL PROBLEM 211 



Amherst College, recently said : " For the next 

 twenty years we may expect the country life move- 

 ment to have great influence on the course of 

 events. Politicians will use it as a means of riding 

 into power. Demagogues and fakirs will take advan- 

 tage of it for personal gain. Writers are even now 

 beginning to sensationalize it. But there will also arise 

 country men with statesmanship in them if not, we 

 cannot make the progress we need. The movement will 

 have its significant national aspect, and we may look 

 for Governors of States, and perhaps more than one 

 President of the United States, to come out of it." 



I almost feared to quote this passage, lest my pur- 

 pose should be misconstrued, lest you might suppose I 

 said: "Then you too may find position through this 

 crusade." My purpose is simply to point out that this 

 estimate of the movement by such a man as President 

 Butterfield implies that an important field of service 

 is found in the country church to-day. The country 

 call is one to stir the blood, alike because of possibilities 

 of failure and of achievement that lie before the country 

 community. 



Her risk of failure which may affect the world is 

 evident. In " Who's Who in Canada " for last year 

 85 per cent, are country-born. Xinety per cent of our 

 ministers of the gospel come from country homes. 

 Henry Wallace, of Wallace's Farmer, Iowa's leading 

 journalist, writes : " It is from the rural population 

 that the cities of this land, of all lands, in all ages, have 

 drawn the vigorous blood with which to replace the 

 enormous waste incident to city life. It may in fact 

 well be doubted whether cities of over 50,000 could 

 continue to prosper, to govern themselves, or even con- 



