Paris Express

MR. FARMER: QUIT APOLOGIZING
In recent years the farmer has gotten in the habit of self-admitting poverty. We believe that the farmer will prosper more if he respected his profession the same as those do in other businesses, and we believe that he should command more respect than those in a great many professions.
In the August issue of the Arkansas Farmer, Stanley Andrews, its very able editor has something to say on this under the entitlement, "Farmers Lift Up Your Heads; Quit Apologizing:"
The other day we were out on the place of one of the fine young farmers of Arkansas about the noon hour. He asked us to dinner with him and his family, adding, "of course, you will have to put up with the grub we ordinary farmers have."
Now we were brought up on a farm; we have eaten our meals on farms since we were a child. We have been in many farm homes outside our own and we have yet to sit down to a meal in any farm home anywhere that any man would be called upon to apologize for.
Usually the farm home has more food and more substantial food than the city home. Probably at times the city home makes more frills and fuss about what it does have, but a fellow out walking over cotton patches and pastures is not interested in frills.
A few days later we attended a large meeting of farmers and their families in company with a banker.
The banker called to a gentleman crossing a lot and said, "Mr. Andrews, I want you to meet Mr. So and So." We shook hands. and it so happened I had heard of this gentleman before and I remarked as much.
He said "Yes, I'm just an ordinary. clod-hopper of a farmer" as if to apologize for being a farmer. It so happened that we knew that fifteen years ago that man had quit a responsible position in a large business firm because of his health. He had nothing, but he went out with his family and settled down on a little plot of ground to fight for a living and his health back.
That man who called himself a "clod-hopper," is one of the well-to-do farmers of Arkansas -he is doing with his farm what any man will admire -he is a real citizen and he is making the ground he lives on make him a living and care for his family.
Every little bit some of you folks write to the "Forum of the Farmer," starting your letters with, "Well, I'm only an ordinary clod-hopper of a farmer, etc." Now, folks, some of the most sensible letters we have ever read in public print have come from some of you folks out there calling yourself clod-hoppers. We don't like the name.
Of every person of profession in the world it seems to us the farmer should be able to stand up and look the world in the eye and say, "By the living eternal I'm a farmer and proud of that fact. Without me about half the rest of you folks would starve."
The one man in the world that the world cannot do without should make no apology for his profession.
The story is told of the old Grecian who was given the job of scavenger for the city of Athens, because his superiors wanted to disgrace him. But he turned the trick-so well did he do his job--so respectful did he make it that his position became the prized and honored position of all Athens. There is a good deal of truth in the illustration. The world hardly has time to give credit to whom credit is due. We have to demand credit sometimes. We think the farmer has an inferiority complex and is letting a lot of the frills and the bally-hoo of the towns get the best of him. He is not giving himself credit for what he does and what he is. If this editorial aims to drive home anything it is the fact that folks in the country must keep pride in themselves and their profession if they expect the rest of the world to respect them. The farmer who it looking after his family, who is doing a good job with the ground under his feet has no apologies to make to a living soul. Let's lift up our heads, quit calling ourselves clod-hoppers, and demand the recognition that a man following so fundamental a profession to the preservation of the human races, deserves.