The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-09-16
AGRlCULT TURAL SOCIETIES AND FAIRS

AGRiCUl TURAL SOCIETIES AND FAIRS.
A. the tinr of these annual fair, and exhibitions
al hand, il is well to turn and inquire what is
faer real object, what the of their profit TO
fhc people and whether, a usually managed, 4hcy
profitable as they ought to be.
Ihc fact may he new, if not interesting. to most
otour reader, that. individually at least, are in
l.Iej for cur Maine agricultural societies to Thai
errM patriol and observation-disclosures jefferson.
Fen when in 1870 Maine was about becoming It
-iar, md ne Nho Wis dcl ards our first governor
MIR King consulted Mr., Jefferson as to what
4Ir state constitution should hc,-he replied ''Scc
tu II aboHc ull things that your organic law Shall
lpoNUc lor lh5 diffusion of knowledge among the
pnopio." Hence came Article VIII of our consu-
ti'H which makes il the duty of The state Ito pro-
mote genera! diffusion of education" &c.
Upon this WISE provision is based tho origin Of
pur county agricultural societies. nj least 50 far as
lhel had their heng and have their continued eX-
-icnco in state houn1ics. For turning To th, early
STATUTES establishing these societies, it VIII be seen
thal their true Object was educational; ii being eX-
iro-~lY provided therein that state bountce
,f;Il be paid to the societies, and no premiums to
parties claiming them, ill al competitors tor pre-
Aiiun.a n, UP the blanks required 10 be furnished
I.y thy society ct the boari Of aercultllc-Whch
1h' article Wcr. produced. Hence She object Of
lhcpropC at large for HE State is only the people
in pay u4 tho-,. buunlirs and premiums, amount
ae annually, onr way aHd another to not les than
-a,0oo. Was not much. IL j. commonly ~uppO>-
l ar.Narl tile successful competitor for tho I;n-
fituu Thin which receives thr prrmiun to bay
.t. hnoWl4lac Il. lo how Tn, thing was produced.
ml to spread thai knowledge abroad among I'LL the
lc,tir o, means ftlr written reports ~ the law
uYjuir.~. so thai uil. and net few, may hayc the
u-.l of ii.
lA1~ if Mr., A. gets !; premium on big pumpkin.
jl hog pr M extra ul:-if that is all There i, to
t.Why should the people be taxed To pay him for
HIlus, uuil hi- own Worl tor what benefits nobody
Nu himself, 1t is all wrong. A. well tax them 10
lalN somebody for budding line ship, digging
a.,ud well. But when Mr.. y. tells people in writ
lA4 the law does did. require him to do, how
u. made hi~ pumpkin big, his hog fat and his bull
Etrl good What were the soil, kind, dressing. cul-
'urr. 40, of the one the breed, feed and all the
conditions relating to the others. there j, mfornH
Iuu which does on may. benefit all.-as it teaches
tj' h4W to do the same things; and il is right
lud u-t that every one should pay another for all
.uIur received from him, so rightly and justly may
ih,. lulir be taxed lo pay bountics and premiums
oa .-rcuiural and other products when they re-
tuu to thc public this equivalent of information;
n.l Otherwise.
" ,'.rr lcA tuthcsc remarks from learning through
..mu Il the officials Of the Waldo Co. AZ Society,
lnd for several wears this society has simply taken
ID. ,tde hountie~ and paid out the premiums With
tut ia the least conforming 10 tht laws requiring
.~ precedent conditions. this written intormaton
uu blanks, they state. have been furnished the ~oc-
.tr inr that purpo~. for number of wears.
Ia thi- ease the society would seem not to be in
lhr Wrong; but wrong there is somewhere. If
tur law requiring the secretary OF the board Of a@l
-Jiture tu obtain this information through furnish
tn. th, proper blanks, De ai in force. that olicia
,lirey.,llo with a great ANA fatal neglect if that
ei-t l,n,. i~J"u "f law has been repealed rs to
.p4tp, The peppl, to pay out large sum of money
nnually without any adequate retulM. great
D,.1n. It-t~ on Tile legislature; II ht. been sadly
!r,cct ul tmt,. Nur column, are open 70 those
uiil can show which horn ul this sel,mma is %ol-
lua lr pnorlt
Nau lo-t-au-- Friends and members of the >oc-
tiN-u-a dr~ir Us to- state the fact, which they a-
..Aa IL tI pa. that There is mach untanrS- and un
u llo. in the way in which frequently the society
l- aJu ;"mc influential persons it is said, succeed
o packing H. Officers, A. ihric1 and rauruSe~ are
.uuinnc- ,unr. 50 rs to ecl committees fay orahIt
Il wculunn+ on their Stock or other thing, While
udDl alp-ie~ belonging to persons not in the
'u, th".ll much morr mcrtoriou-, se the 90
N. know nothing Of these complaints from any
IU..-aH: knew ledge Of them; hui they come from
ul .ou~ emitting Them to rtrnc, considerations n
..u. Wt truSt they arr; lor when it shall appear
l4I these societies are merely machines, hike most
operations, fo promote the selfish interests "i The
i.,, to the INJURY ct lhc many, il would hc shame
,ni ID cl1ne to fax a ~a,lly hurlcned people lor thc
Gulhpr support Whether from this cause OF many
..u-,.- combined. onc thing j. painfully evident
tmi. except a, a holiday show. especially the bone
.ud muscles peope-the pruducers-,n NOT feed
lpr take that mtcr.~ IN these societies and their
..Aima fairs which their read value and the cost ot
HIuuiug Them demand.
10 make them, therefore, of much rca pglli,u-
.j ,huntaec, Two great and instant reforms, we
lIuul are urgently demanded.
10 return 10 The original idca olmakn@ them
u-tlution~ for getting and dntsing knowledge
.unpug the people by requiring, a~ formerly, every
.Yu,ptitol 10 furnish in Wrlin" fun information
.Ilhr HOW Of tbs. thing claiming premium; to be
.un. nv making the present officials do their duty
l -ocurina This iniormaiiont the fault lies here,
and hN further legislation the subject, if it lies
ihrrr See The immense profit of this both to the
public and To every premium person. For what
itrrl producer wants is not more labor bat more
thinking in thai labor and to require of him to
re otl. or cause it to he done, all The facts and
mdUionS relating Ia his premium articles would
b. 70 lIni ice and discipline worth forty times
unt, than the money premium. In fact as already
shown, ti, ~ulc Object of the reward Is to secure
t3a,t discipline r,--to obtain knowledge which shall
De for a men. and to last for all time, when Tie
ln.fc pumpkin and the pig are only ior one, and
hIl soon be no more.
. 4 srirtcr Vigilance, if need be, against sci
l-u clqucS and managing persons Two things
m,ty aid in this One is TO provide for larger ana
'.-i,r membership. If we rightly understand
lhr lhin@ in the Waldo society, there is only this
.u-InbcrSh-a so one for life. This, we think, is
foo cNchi~ive, and savors too much of the ariso-
0-liIr, For people Of means ten dollars is not
much; but for the million, for people with small in
and large out-socs it is great sum, and one
The majority would not feel like paying. Hence for
such yearly III membership, though more costly
10 ihe long rum, would be convenience and Il ben
rht 10 the socety'N finances. A life membership of
~ hn il, ;,,lr