The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 227 



that Iowa, that Missouri, that Illinois, that the great central 

 agricultural part of this great nation has lost population in its 

 rural life in the last ten years? The cities have grown apace, 

 but the farms are gradually being deserted. We are becoming 

 a purchasing nation, teaching food values in the raw material. 

 This is not as it should be ; and the deep significance to me of 

 this movement here — the broad basis that is at the base of it — 

 is that you are teaching the youth of the land here in the South 

 that the prime necessity of the hour is. Back to the soil. 



My friends, we are living in the most classic period in the 

 world's history. We read the history of Rome and the peoples 

 of the past, and our own early strife and struggles ; but at no 

 period of the world's history were there such great things at stake 

 as right now ; and this great nation is to be a pathfinder in this 

 new order of things. (Applause.) She was the harbinger, and 

 we led the battle, for freedom originally. Her example has in- 

 spired the hearts of the people of Europe. Today we see China America as 

 and Russia and movements in other countries evidencing the the Path- 

 desire for freedom. We have gone into this great conflict, not finder of the 



with the desire of coneiuest, but that democracy may be the ^^ * 



,. . . , ^ , , 1 , » , N T^ , . Democracy 



rulmg prmciple of the world. (Applause.) Democracy — that is 



the spirit abroad in the world today. It is the great contest that 

 is being fought on the bloody fields of Europe; and here in the 

 South, in the presence of you fine men and women, I want to 

 say that you are doing a great patriotic duty and helping this 

 cause of freedom by urging the cultivation of the soil, that our 

 people may be fed, and that we may feed the soldiers who are 

 fighting your battles, and your children's battles. That is the 

 significance of this great meeting here. It is the spiritual thing 

 involved here. Why, sir, to me it is an exalting thought that 

 you haven't heard a man today talk about profit ; not a man 

 today has been talking about how much money he could make ; 

 everything has been in the spirit of helping the little fellow — of i^nselfish 

 doing something for the state and the nation. And, my friends. Co-operation 

 is it not something to be proud of that we have that spirit? Spirit of the 

 Why, it is the spirit that was in us when we defeated Spain and ^-^^^ference 

 took the Philippines from her, and then paid her for them. It 

 is the spirit that animated us when we went to Porto Rico and 

 built roads and gave her schools and an efficient government ; 

 when we went to Hawaii and gave her order and industrial pros- 

 perity. It is the spirit that makes us want to help construct and 



