New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-24
IN AGRICULTURAL FAIR lat WORCESTER.
SPEECH OF GEN. BUTLER.

WORCESTER, Mass. Sept. 23.-Gen. Butler
delivered the opening address at the Agricultural Fair
here to-day aud in the of his remarks he said
AT the time l was considering tho topics Of my ad,
dress there was put into my hands book OF over 800
octave printed pages containing the laws passed by the
Legislature of the Commonwealth In 1862 Five hundred
thousand in 10 years, and 10000 IN 20 years, for
single State The world Itself will not contain the laws
the end we are told that the General Court Of az
sembed Wednesday, the 9th day OF JANUARY, and
having occupied one hundred and seventy days. that
they passed ACC acts and 1O3 resolves all of which had
without touch OF grave humor we are informed that
the acts may be classified follows: General statutes,
to individuals corporations 49, The resolves do not
seem to have been classified at ALL although
vor of individuals and with almost only the
same same exceptions each one took money from the
how many Of these $50 acts and resolves the index
under the head of agriculture found there only
Of Secretary may employ clerk" and the act provides
for expanding for clerical services and for lectures to be
given before the Board OF Agriculture the of AGO.
What one act only out OF nearly CO., to promote agricu
single Industrial interest Of the State and the NUM-
toent sum of g. 400 to be expended for clerk and lee
that 50 expended viii not raise Single potato or
snckle single calf IN the sate-always exceptng the
however, to the law-maklng power TO say that they
passed resolution appropriating the sum OF $4,000 to
the Massachusetts Agricultural College for the erection
of buildings and the Improvement the same; and they
also repealed section of former act which allowed
each agricultural society, under certain restrictions to
send delegate the State Board OF Agriculture This
Is all the aid direct Indirect that the farming interest
%b SS pe SSeVse Of bread s only @ 1902
The direct expenditure in behalf OF agriculture
while OO in addition to 900 heretofore appropriated
in the year appropriated for the purpose Of
publishing the "Hstory Of the Invertebrate Animals OF
Massachusetts, which beng interpreted is the history
OF animals lacking backbone Iby means wish to urge
that this last expenditure yas unnecessary party be-
Massachusetts yet as Is supposed that the politicians
generally Included in that class SO therefore the
State necessity STILL think the farmers may well COM
pare the expenditure authorized in one case with that
appropriated for the other.
It somewhat difficult to classify the "act to prevent
the tSwns of Caremont or Heath Whoat Written
license from the owners or lessees At first thought one
of the trout is crime to be recovered by complaint
Indictment in the name of the Commonwealth, 10
classed as public one Again one would have thought
that the act concerning the manufacture and sale Of in
amned not require supplemental legislation ut the
session Of its PASSAGE and yet within three days
that the word constable wherever in chapter
AS in the acts Of the present year shall be TO
ties" Why not have said ia the original act as every
6oay he% cers as Tor 70 no % seeca ee
lation. IL is not benefited by any legislation what
the people aud the rights OF property and per.
son. Indeed, tho best legislation to aid the till
alone But what ought be complained OF the foster
ing Of every interest by special laws giving them every
that law give 10 association and combination
all interests save one Looking through this large vol
me OF acts we ind no act IN aid OF labor or authorizing
association OF labor We do find acts authorizing be-
and charitable associations religious and
educational associations, temperance associations and
vs and S at et a Of OF Of to
the paid into the courts OF progress OF litigation
for their benefit, and to be held and invested
does any one believe without fee and re:
ward Are not the funds In fact TO be held and invested
for tho and benefit Of the corporaor who are to
make profit theresromi Everywhere under every con;
men TO get living In other way than by honest
bI we LOOK IN nam Se any ~
association to- any form OF labor whether mechanical
agricultural.
When our fathers abolished primogeniture and entail
by constitutional enactment they proposed that the law
through the death OF the holder that man could get
Unfortunately rich. They assumed that IN single
successful or however enterprsing man might be-
That true In their generation In 1872 two men ded
aud great merchant OF the country E. Haskell Derby
OF Massachusetts The fortune of the merchant was
very largest fortunes Of that day obtained under the
most advantageous circumstances. But now, by manp-
in their transit from the farm to the market;
by = employing NOR in large number 20 work
by taEnS advantage d or evading the laws relating
20 the importation Of merchandise by eyading the
by lOaning the money received from the Government
ns the Of the Itself by subsidies
and grants Of special privileges BY law by the power OF
association capital under tho forms of law by and
every way except hard labor, we see many hundreds
aye thousands OF colossal fortunes such as In other coun
tries and other times only the result OF the long
continued nurture OF wealth locked in single families
for generations Indeed all special legislation tends TO
make rich richer and necessarily by comparison the
poor poorer.
This state OF things has yet past remedy Let
us take timely warning Let us examine carefully into
the evils OF this system OF legislation. Let reform
them altogether one means OF preventing too much
legislation would be meetings OF the Legislature once In
two or four years only. We have system OF general
laws, come down from fathers. with all their wisdom
perfected through than 80 years OF careful re-
vision ample all the general wants of the peoples
ample 10 punish crime, to determine rights TO protect
person and property ample for all the purposes
for which laws good.