The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-14
Address of Hon. Es. q. Cook.
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,
SEPTEMBER 2Srn, 1868.

"-'1 ASN|'
You do not expect me TO speak to you to-
day of practical farming. You know that
can not tell you how TO raise large crops, or
the beet means. of tilling them. can not
speak OF the tttest time to SOW or to reap, for
the reason that you all are better instructed
IN these matters than [ am am sure YOU
do not wish to listen to any theories of mine
upon subjects in regard to which YOU have so
often practically experimental; nor can |
tell you how to increase the products of your
farms or diaries, or how to improve the breed
OF your animals. In all these matters must
be content TO be a silent student. Nor do
deem 1t becoming or proper that upon this
occasion should endcayor to say things
which shall be pleasant and amusine. only.
There is no machinery shown upon your fair
grounds By which the problems of social life
can be solved by turning a crank, and men
and women enabled to devote themselves
safely, to hearing and reading merely ANUS
ing and pleasant things. Until that time
shall come, those who would advance in
knowledge and strength, and enjoyment of
life, sometimes have the dSagreeablc duty of
looking at the facts of life as they really are.
aud of thinking carefully, candilly aud pa.
tiently of the remedies for the eyils they
must see and feel. In our various ways, it IS
the duty of all to do those things that shall
promote the welfare and happiness Of the
whole, and while you who have brought here
the choicest OF your fiocks ard herds. the
finest specimens OF the products of your farms
and orchards and vineyards or the lnechan-
lc who displays the results of skilled labor
have each done So much to add to the inter
est and profit of the occasion, who can do
none of these things, may yet be able to sug.
ssest to you subjects for your own reflection
which may be not wholly without benefit to
those who hear me.
The State Of illinois is peculiarly an acri>
cultural state. We have ia this State bu. one
large commercial city. The great majority
of the people of the State are engaged in
agriculture. The leading and paramount IN
terest of the State is the agricultural interest
Upon its prosperity depends the prosperity of
every other branch of industry IN the State
Every class in the community i benefited by
the success of the t;.iers Of the soIl. Il our
crops fail or our markets are closed. the effect
Is felt Immediately in the shof, OF the IIlcchaa-
ic, in the store of the merchant, in the office
of the professional men, and in all tie ave
nues OF commerce and trade. Inis state
ment needs 10 proof-you all have seen it
verified many times III the history Of this
State. In countries where manufactures are
the leading interest, they have always sue
ceeded in making the people md rstaud that
the protection and property Of the mauut:sc-
turers. IS Tor the interest OF that cocnmunitv.
But this lesson has been harder to learn IN
purely agricultural communities | mention
these facts only, however, to impress upon
your minds this truth. The position winch
this State shall occi py will be determined br
the tillers of the soil or or a smaller scale.
La Sale county will be in the scale ofinteili.
gepce, morality and prosperity. what you the
farmers of the county shall make her. The
standards Of justice and private virtue will
be liked by you, and you Judge rightly or
wrongly, so that standard viii be right and
will secure the prosperity and happiness OF
the community-or wrong, and will result in
evil and unhappiness. No man among you
liveth for himself; don't dismiss this thought
As one of little moment Look at the ,ati,,ns'
OF the earth. Is there no difference between
them-is there no difference in the amount OF
comfort and enjoyment of the people; is not
life far more valuable in some Communities
than IN others, because 1t is more complete
IN enJoymentI Is there no difference in th.
prosperity of different States in this Union
All that is valuable in life may be secured or
lost by wrong or right action. The ineyita-
BILE progress OF society may be turned upward
or downward, our communities NAV become
the happy homes of happy people or the
reverse. Farmers of Illinois, upon vou more
than upon all other classes, depends the ques-
ton whether the State is to any considerable
extent to be filled with want, pauperism and
human wretchedness or whether comfort and
plenty shall abound and from thousands of
happy homes. where families are bound to-
gether by the purest ties of family affection,
shall daily arise hymns of Thanksgiving In
all you do in such associations as this. in all
the incentives to thought ana industry here
presented, you are helping to work out the
great problem. At home in the culture of
your fields in all the influence you exercise
over your fellow men, aud especially in III
influence You exert IN your own homes and
over your own families, are you helping.
whether you choose it or not. 10 mould the
future OF tne community III which you live.
and OF the county and Stat? You know
the Inexorabe law. whatsoever man sowcth
that shall he also reap. lounone of YOU ex-
nect TO SOW in y0ur fields the seeds Of noxious
weeds, eui fe&P iheretrom golden grain
You occupy q most fortunate position to give
q satisfactory solution to the great question,
what shall be the future of this noble State
j ou stand as tr om.n upOn soil which none
but yourselves claim. The products Of Your
industry are lOr yourselves alone We are
working Out III TINS country. for the first time
in history on IN extensive scale. what can be
accomplished by tillers of the soil. who Them
selves own the land they work, and have in
their own power the means Of culture and in-
diligence and who form the great preponder-
ating Influence i'll the State. We have seen
in other lands, land held in large estates by
lords, or men of great wealth, handed down
by strict entail to the oldest son, and farmed
out by the owner to middle-men and by
them again perhaps to others, until the man
who tills the ground can receive but a small
proportion of the products of his labor. We
have seen the result. The few rich, educated
and refined the maLy poor, ignorant and
debased, two classes of men divided 50 widely,
that no thought of human brotherhood can
exist between them. We have had other ex-
amples, where the owner of the soil TILED it.
not with his OWL. hand, but by the hands of
serfs or slaves. We have seen the results of
such systems. Our experiment is widely
different Freemen living ana training up
their families upon their own lands, which
are titled by the hands Of the father and sons,
aud where the hand, that perform the labor
also receive the recompanse. Again in solV-
ing The question of the future IN this State,
you nad advantages peculiarly your own
soil unequaled for fertility and ease Of
culture, yielding to the most careless culture
magnificent returns; a soil almost the whole
OF which Is susceptible of the highest culti-
vatlon /; climate well adapted to the pro