Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-10-06
Governor Virgin. speech n, .he Fair.

Governor WrIghi's speech mt the Fair.
Friday being the last day of the Fair,
a few moments before II O'Clock it was
announced that Gov. Wright of Indiana
would speak at the tent near the en-
trance gate of the grounds, and the spa
cious covering was Immediately filed
with eager listeners.
Joseph Gest, Esq, one of the Com
mittee, prefaced his introduction of the
Governor by remarking that in certain
features of the Exhibition the Commit
tee had been greatly disappointed. The
domestic and manufacturing depart
ments were by no means creditable to
the Miami Valley. They had not an
ticipated such meagre display in those
departments. The stock department
was excellent, and the conduct of the
visitors remarkably good. He would
now Introduce Gov. Wright, of Indiana,
practical farmer, and first rate spea-
ker. 1t was due to the Governor to say
that the Committee had only met him
that morning, and therefore his speech
must be an extemporaneous one.
Gov. Wright came forward. In ap-
pearanee he is a man about fifty years
old; tall, straight, and rather thin, with
a countenance indicating a plain, intel
ligent farmer.
He said he was on his return from
Yankee land, where he had been visit
ing the State Fairs of New England
He would occupy few moments with
the results of his observation. He had
found much to admire and commend
The manufacturing and mechanical de-
partments of the State Fair at Montpe-
lier were excellent. In agricultural
products and implements, New England
was in the rear of Ohio and Indiana
There was one fact which made deep
impression upon him, and he must speak
of 1.-THE perfect system and habits of
the New England people. AT Montpe-
lier, in a collection of twenty thousand
people, there was no confusion; scarce
word was uttered, not even a whisper
not a drunken man was seen, nor an
oath heard. People moved from one
department to another, examining every
thing in its turn minutely and regularly
There was another observation wor-
thy of note. Here there was great dan
ger of Capitalization. The county swal-
lowed up the towns. There the people
meet several times a year and talk over
their interests. If there was question
about a school they talked it out. Men
became personally concerned in settling
every question affecting their interests.
They even had two fairs, and thus they
contrived to counterbalance the tenden-
cy to county Capitalization. There was
also a great deal of State pride there.
One man he heard claim that because
Vermont had gone rather anti-Whig,
the tariff would be repealed and the
country ruined. Now, although he did
not admire his ignorance, he must COM
mend his State pride.
There was a constant tendency to
look to Washington for every thing
As soon as our young men became of
age in too many instances they rushed
into political caucus. Then they wan
ted to 90 to the Legislature and next to
Congress. If they couldn't sustain
themselves, then they were ever after
pensioned upon their respective parties.
He wanted his fellow citizens to turn
away from Washington to their own
glorious State-to the development of
their inexhaustible store of wealth.
He wanted to see more State pride.
A few years ago the centre of popu-
lation was at Richmond-then at Whee
ling. In 1910 it was near Columbus.
Now the centre of population is near
Indianapolis, the Capital of his own
State. Thirty years ago he came West,
into the centre of Indiana. Fifteen
years ago he went to see his mother who
was living in Iowa. He inquired for
persons he had known, but was told
they had gone WEST. But now he be-
lieved there was no west.
But the centre of population would
never pass the Mississippi. The belt of
States in this Valley must ever be the
centre of population. They would con-
troll Congress and give laws to the
Union. Did it not then become peo-
pie who were to WELD such influences
to turn their attention in earnest to the
practical development of all their re-
sources.
He would especially urge the neces-
sity of practical education, and above
all knowledge of Agricultural Chem
istry. Farmers should know what soil
was best suited to corn, and what to
grass, wheat, DC. They ought all to
take some agricultural paper. He wan
ted every child to have practical edu-
cation so that as citizen he should give
dignity to his labor, whatever it might
be. A prominent trait of our people
was that they did their own thinking
When he was young he remembered
then the Collins Axe had great celebri-
| ty. He had one, and he thought he
could not cut down tree with any 9TH
er axe. An English mechanic heard Of
the great celebrity of these axes, and
sent over to workman in the Collins
factory for description of them. The
workman gave him the dimeEsions-so
many inches one way-so long and so
thick. Well, the Englisbman made the
axes according to the dimensions fur
nished and sent over IN this country a