The Ottawa free trader., 1866-10-06
Il nnes or less are counted a square.
LA SALE COUNTY FAIR.
ANNUAL. ADDRESS "a
Delivered mt the Fair Ground,
On Thursday, Oct. 4th. ~ -
by Hon. y. ID. Cation.
Afr. President, Ladies and Gentlen,en ::

Ar. President, Ladies and GenfleDep: &
1t is a source Of qualification to me, to have
been selected to address YOU at yor annual
meeting, for mutual improvement and social
intercourse. Annual Agricultural Fairs,
both State and County, have become estab-
lished as permanent Institutions of this coun.
try. If they are not peculiar here, they find
in the United States their greatest develops
nent, and here they are productive of their
greatest usefulness. THIS results from the
peculiarly of our agricultural and laboring
population. As the object of agricultural
fairs is TO improve the general agriculture of
the country. so it is that those who take an
interest in their success, are those who are
interested in the soil which they cultivate
In this country general rule the owner
of the soil cultivates it with his own hands
There IS no Cne above him IN the scale OF
society, who is interested in keeping him in
Igro o'au,e III It he mlv maintain an ascenden-
cy over hun. As he lal,orer is The voter, and
hence Iart of the governing class, all are
interested in his elevation in the scale of
education and intelligence. that he may gov.
ern wisely and well, for ii is n self evident
truth that wise government cannot be expect
ed from Ignorance, prejudice and s'u2idity.
All history shows that men having these
negative qualities more apt To be in
iiuenced and controlled by the arts Of IL.
demagogue, who will resort TO the mas
despicab.e means to attain his end, thanLy
the patriot and the philosopher who alone
capable of addressing their Intelligeace---.
Hence ii is that in this country all axe iatei-
csted il the highest culture of every member
of society; hence it is that it has aways been
a cherished object with us to extend ibe.
4 IA,
one, and to elevate the standard of general
intelligence to the highest attainable point.
Hence it is that schools are everywhere pro-
vidrd By the state, which are opeu to all, and
where all may be the better qualified to take
part in the government of the country. This
universal education and intelligence Is pro-
gresSive 10 it, effects aud consequences. The
Young man who has been thus educated and
informed gets married TO one worthy of him,
whose mental culture has been equal L. :
own, commences his agrIculturtl life upon a
farm which he may have pnrchrsed by the
accumuiations OF his own industry. but tul>
lows the bent of his tastes. formed in these
public schools, By being daily reader of the
agricultural or other journals. which throw q.
constant flood Of light all over the land
Thus Is his education constantly progressing:
everyday adds new Thoughts TO his fund of
IDEAS. He reasons correctly from his obser-
yation of things around him. He meets with
his neighbors of like intelligence with him
self They compare notes and IDEAS, ard
reason together upon subjects of mutual in
terest. Thus each is benefited by the eX-
parience and observation Of others. The
tneasur: of Intelligence aud education of the
farm.r OF the present day must necessarily
be of II higher order Than that which formerly
sufiiced. speak of education in a broader
sense than the mere learning acquired at
school or c-en from books. 1t embraces
every department of information, as well that
whict is useful TO him as a member cfsociety
As tkas ~hisl, ables him to conduct his own
hrrSa-ss .'ith success and profit. By the
in:-aauet;ou of labor SAVING machinery
which has been so conspicuous withia the
last tcw years. and bv which one man can
DOW ac.omphsh as much as many could but
taenfv years ago, our farmers were enabled
80 spare their sons and laborers to answer
the call of our common country to put down
the late rebellion, great III wlckedness as IN
magnitude. and to preserve Constitution
and union which had so happily illustrated
the capacity of men for self government, and
in the preservation of which alone the patriot
could see the continued prosperity and lap
piness of this great land. ] say great rebels
bellion: and it was great and was the
treason great BY which it was begotten. and
so it was befttiug this great country, whose
lakes, rivers and praries are great beyond
comparison and so are its intelligence and
enterprise and industry and predictions
greater than can be found among the people
of other countries, or those who have gone
before u.s. These could be seen and were
acknowledged III tore,gn lands. but ii needed
this great emergency to demonstrate To the
world our great power aud our great resources
which are now fully though reluctantly
acknowledged by those who were before real
IL sceptical of our ability to stand any great
strain upon our instit Itions.- ~. -
Pardon this DEPRESSION. The Introduction
of machinery to econon. Use agricultural labor
has necessiated the farmer to become q
mechanic, machinis,, an engineer to GER
tain extent, and II is astonishing to observe
with what facility he has cultivated education
in this regard. Without this, the improved
machinery which is now found on every farm
would be practically useless, and it is almost
in exact proportion to his skill in keeping
his mschrnery in perfect order that the far
mer is ablcd u utilize it. Deprive You OF
your mechanical knowledge and your costly
machinery would be useless. In most other
countries there is Il prejudice against I'M
provemeuts which they call innovation, which
is an ehectual bar TO the Introduction #
agricultural machinery. They look upon 1t
almost as Sacrilege to change the imp!e>
ments or depart from the customs or habits
of their ancestors. In this country hardy a
vesiige of this feeling is met with Here
every one is on the alert TO fird some real
Improvement to economist labor or facilitate
the execution of mis- work. .,or. do cur
farmers wait and depend upon the Inventions
of professed mechanics and engineers for
this,-they become Inventors themseI"es.-
Many If not most of the valuable improve
ments in agricultural machinery. have been
invented and patented by the farmers them>
selves. They think boldly and independently
on al subjects. They investigate the reaso'
of things adopting and acting upon demon'
strated truths, and dscarding ;ha, which
reason and observation, prove To be failacions
though 1t may be sanctioned by the practice
"f ages. oanguine and self reliant, they
think they can accomplish everything. i
they do not do this, they certainly accomplish
vastly more than they could without thi:
answering faith in themselves.
These are characteristics which, distin'
guish the great mass of our rural popu'atior
from that of any other country or which
have a knowledge, and this it is tina, accounts
for the wonderful progress of this country
We have no antiquaied prejudices to over
come, but all gladly receive every improve
ment as If ne was expecting it. The human