The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-04
This leaves a deficit of $4,000 to

This leaves deficit of $4,000 to be
made I'D by the citizens Of Richmond, and
the question is VIII they mace it up OF
rather, Can they make it up? We find
opinions divided on that subject, both
among the newspapers and among the citi-
Zens of Richmond and we have not been
able to find parties willing to canvass the
city for subscriptions, though the effort has
been made to obtain them. Moreover, we
doubt whether the city of Richmond can
afford her accustomed hospitality on such
an occasion, and we are unwilling to
mortity and embarrass them by an appll-
cation, which implies that they must open
their doors as we'll as their pockets.
We have estimated not more than three
thousand persons at the outside will con-
vene here from distance, and those will
not spend on the railroads, at the hotels,
and in the city, more than twenty dollars
each, which is an object certainly, but not
much inducement to the class that has
heretofore subscribed most literally, as
the funds have never been divided in pro-
portion to subscriptions. But still more
serious objection appears to the sub-com-
mittee to lie in the disturbed political
condition of the country. If the fair is
held at ALL it must be on the last Tuesday
| in October. or the first Tuesday in No
vember, Just at the time of most violent
political agitation, under new, and, to say
the least, most unpropitious circum-
stances.
The city of Richmond will probably be
the focus Of that excitement. Very few
people, it seems to the committee, will
leave home at that time and if they do, it
is questionable if they should be congre-
gated where they will come into contact
with negro populace intlamed with ideas
of equal social rights and superior poll
tical privileges. and most probably exas-
perated by the failure Of the Constitution
| which the Convention will have submitted
to the people of Virginia. All this may
be mistake; bat il things brighten in
this latter respect in time for q fair, we can
yet held one if the means can be raised.
And to that end we would respectfully
suggest that the editors Of the DtSpdtch,
who "are convinced the money Tor the
premiums can be raised" and who assume
to speak authoritatively for their fellow
townsmen, collect the fund and hand 1t
over to the Society. This would be a
much more convincing argument Tor thelr
correctness than general statements IN
fluent editorials. The Dispatch thinks the
convention of farmers which met some
thing over year ago in Richmond "was
of very little advantage to any one," be-
cause ga larger part of the meeting con-
sisted of politicians and impractical men,"
Perhaps both opinions are correct; but if
our memory serves us, that was not the
opinion of the Dispatch at the time. The
committee fully appreciates all that the
Dispatch says in regard to the Importance
of holding a fair, and are anxious to meet
the public wishes as far as they properly
can, in their Judgment; but they hope to
be pardoned for saying that they cannot
regard the utterances Of one newspaper as
sufficient expression of the public sense.
SUB COMMITTEE OF THE VIRGINIA
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.