The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-14


your agricultural fairs, and for everything
that tends to develope and elevate the com
munity, and then contrast the total With this
immense annual sum drained from the pock-
cts of the people to degrade and debase.men,
and to overthrow all that is good and pure
and ennobling and then determine whether
you will, TO any extent and to any degree, aid
or countenance this traffic. You can Keep,
up this stream of desolation if you will; if
you choossto ,haserit tlow.4 1tut no man c:sn
do II and preserve pninlpa ired slIs own self
respect; nor can he do it and comfort him
sclt with the thought that he is doing what
he can to add to the dignity of his calling, or
to the happiness of the community. | have
spoken only of the saloons of this city.
Think Of the yast sums paid iq III the cities
aad villages ef this county Think of the
crime OF which it is the prolific source. |
can speak on this matter. Fer six years |
prosecuted crip1Inais IN Your coarts, and
nine-tenths of the cases l had to try were
traceabe directly TO this source. | have
prosecuted men In this county for killing
their wives and their brothers, but never
sober men for such develish deeds. This is
the fruitful source ~of sorrow and crime
among us; aud now what. shall be. our (
future, and the future of this great Valley of
Tie Missippi, which though but few wears
old, is already possessed of the last physical
results aud achievements Of civilization, and
which is surely destined to exercise a con
trolling influence in this nation? What
must be our future if the intellectual and
moral development is not comm ansurate
with the physical? And this intellectual and
moral development depends to a great ex>
tent upon the til!ers of the soil, preponder.
atlng as they do in NUN bers and influence
Nor have an other class of men the same
advantages Tor forming perfect characters.
or exercising pure ana elevating moral
influence. Ia the great marts of trade the
great excitement 10 wtich competition yves
rise, is yai ayel ahlc to the deyeiepe ment OF
those noJler qualities which form g perfect
character. Where man is jostlnc his neigh.
Dor and being jostled in his trtr; ;u the
eager competition Of trade where money
getting IS reduced to an exact science, and
absorbS every thought, and requires the con
eenir.tiOn ot every power of the mind to
attain ITS end. men are subjected to those
strong temptations which so often make
shipwrcck OF all that is fair and lovely ana
OF good report. Not in the excited throng
of men all eagerly and sometimes uuscrupu.
lousy pursHInS gain; not IN the fierce striies
and contests IN which professional men must
develoPe thJsc sterling qualities that aiorn
and dignity Humanity; but ia the quiet and
shaded waiAs Of liie, with their roiden hours
tDc'meIitaiiOn aHl reflection t3-eir eou,psrs.
tive freedom from all the fierce and stronr
temptations Of Hfe, an,l,the absence OF those
herce contests il which men il other spheres
Of life are compelled 10 engag Is 20 sbe
found the place sShere tie higher and nobierl
nature IS ,Eicst readily AMI easily dcsciSped.
Some classes OF men make mJley by admin
lsteTlng 10 the lUllles and vices OF society,"
GOT so. the farmer. j corrupt and vicious
state OF soclets can psger b. OF adyantase u
MIN, bat pay i'orsS him gIeai evil. lie sup
pics tile actual wants OF men, and does not
make money By catering to their vices hence
hc has-notaiS aJi lose !es everything f.
gam; BY having . high tone OF morality in
t:.e co.nmuu.ty in which he lives. ard m
which his chid-tc grow up. tie owes it to
society that kis ghL4rcI shall Je trained up,
to become useful nsembcrsiof The sco;np unity j
ard not a burden % II; and society owes il
to him that his children shall not be tempted
from the paths of virtue aud honesty, by
Temptations placed in the way by others
The idea that sometimes prevails. that iittle
care Is necessary in the education Of child
who IL 10 be a f.rmcr, has a pernicous inhu-
eucc upor the child. One result Of this
opinion IS that the home IS not furnished
with proper books and newspapers. The.
child is nGealL5ltGo cxctcise land Dis ipi ne.
Lis o"n mind by becoming acqu4intcd with
the thoughts Of others. If he is sent to
schoo. iOr few months 1t odd spell; when
bis labor can be spared as well as
not, 1t IS deemed sufficient; and ut the
father who has never interested himself
enough to look personally after the edu-
cation o. his c'Ii'ti, who Is surprised and
ereged that bis untanght son does not keep
peace in life with the bettcr7 educated child
ren Of his nei9t5or5: for this he kas mo- one
to blame bat himself Your children must
be Taught hlbhs Of patient thought. 4ou
must provide them suitable means Of iuior.
nation make hQme pleasant by kildne,s
and sympathy; ana only when you have
done this, viii YOU have discharged Your duty i,
to them ana to The community. l have said
that 1t was ihe duty OF every man to make
his home as pleasant as possible. N1t only
the comfort, but the morals OF his amily
may depend OF it. Where home is made
cheerful and pleasant where there is mel huleSs
and kindness and COZ. fort where tliete are
pleasant shades ard fruits and flowers where
the tastes are gratifed aid the affections en-.
listed, cords are every day drawing around
and lasting attachinent to the scenes ofchild.
hood and youth formed aad to children so
sltuated there is in AL the woc,I ',io place
like home. GA the contrary, let home be |!
without neatness and comfort; let it be des- |
tItutc OF shades and fruits and flowers: let !
there be no newspapers or books and let !
there be instead OF Kindness and affection, |
harshness and fretfulness; and to children |
50 situated there Will still be no place like |
home--nOne so distasteful Is it wonderful |
that children so reared, when they do escape |
from home, frequent places Of low amusement, |
and .orm habits which blasts ali prosnec.., IN |
lie, ana wi1lrer the hopes of fh6irs paten.s p
But while the influence ofhome care and in
structioa is thus powerful in forming the |
characters Of the young, the means of public
instruction demand your earnest care. Popu- |
lar ignorance IS the deadly foe Of all progress
and prosperity. In our country, where tie |
power Of the state is in the hands of,he peo-
pie, it is esssnt4.5f that they be intellige6t
that in every neighborhool be found the
means of public instruction. Among all III
titled and well kept farms, let conf Portable
school houses be found, and as you produce
in lavish abundance the fruits of the earth, |
forget not that the well being Of the State
requires that man be trained ready for all
the emergencies and faithful for the duties
of active life. Your duty is not done as Il
citizen and as fathers, when school house
is built and teacher employed. The time
that your interest should be manifested has
then but began. You are to know that the
education OF your children is not entrusted
to incompetent hands. Your children mist
see and feel the interest you take ih their
advancement in knowledge There is no
escape from this responsibility. You may
refuse your children all the luxuries OF life
you may require them to be content wi fh the
merest netessaries perhaps without harm
but you cannot famish their intelIects, you