The Portland daily press., 1872-10-25
AprieOIa FuriOSuS

The President of the Maine Board of Agri-
culture has violently reversed prophesy,
beaten his peaceful pruning hook of frugal
husbandry into the barbaric spear and again
turned back his well worn plough-share into
an ayenging sword. Or in less figuratiye Ian
guage, the pen that has written the dullest
treatises on rotation of crops and cranberry
culture has been dipped in the ink of news,
paper warfare, and, wonderful to tell, there
rolls from its point a turgid torrent of cpl
thets, punctuation, and italics that would lift
a southern partisan editor into transports
The Bangor Wing, because it made legiti-
mate criticism of the policy pursued by the
Board of Agriculture in relation to the State
Fair, has been made the object of this agri-
culturist's wrath. As to the matter in
questionable Maine State Fair, there is no
difference Of opinion; il was a partial if not
an entire failure. The fact OF this failure, it
strikes Us, legitimate matter for newspaper
criticism, and the management will hardly
help their cause by attributing that criticism
TO any such unworthy motive as the fact that
the Wig was not awarded a petty lob of
printing and advertising. When these gen.
tlemen get large and broad enough to realize
that the silence or approval of an indepen-
dent newspaper cannot be secured by half
column advertisement or a job of printing
that may net s25, they may possibly be bet
ter qualified to so run State Fair that it will
not be failure. Indeed this paltry and oft
repeated charge that the criticism of the WHO
was prompted by so unworthy motive CONS
pels us to believe that the almighty dollar in
the management of the State Fair is the prin-
clple object that has brought these gentlemen
70 the 'front.'
The Wing is amply competent to take care
of itself and in this connection we reit-
crate that it is within the province of indie
pendent journalism to criticise the manage
ment of any enterprise that asks the public
patronage and petitions for the peoples mon
ey.
A PRESS correspondent, who attended the
State Fair, criticised its management at the
time, and declared if the present managers
claimed the sanction of our Legislature and
asked for another deficiency appropriation of
money, change ofmanagers should be made
an indispensable condition. In an editorial
fews days before the Fair we urged Portland
manufacturers to encourage the enterprise and
indicated to what ends the managers of this
State Fair should aim if it was to be of use.
In every particular to which we referred it
was pitiable failure; in the errors of the past |
which we deprecated, it was success. We |
then said that the State Fair should be the
means of quickening and perfecling our de-
veloping industries, of bringing together SAM
piles of the enterprise and skill of our thous-
and different factories and thus creating a
healthy rivalry as the fairs in other States do
and as we believe ours might il the list of its
managers embraced the names of gentlemen
who are connected with these various indus
tries and who would conduct the exhibition
on broader and more intelligent basis. Even
the present board of trustees must admit
that, judged by this criterion, the Bangor ex-
hibition was failure Indeed we have no
hesitation in saying that several county fairs
excelled the State Fair in this important d.
rection.
In his Maine Farmer philippe, the Presi-
dent intimates that all their advertising failed
to awaken our manufacturers to take an in
terest in the exhibition. Does he, by impli-
;ation, charge that the men who own our
actories and workshops and have the future
'f the State in their keeping, are less inter
'sted in an exhibition that is intended to
how how much of state Maine is, than are
dozen men who never added dollar to the
cal wealth of the State or an iota to her fair
anne and who have been stigmatized as the
'ruffiaas of the NJ inc race course ?" We do
lot believe it, and we do believe if the State
air shouldbe so managed as to make ma lufac-
ures as prominent as horse racing these par
les would soon be interested. The fact is i
cannot be disguised for the purpose |
f getting crowd to make exhibitions pay $
he present managers have run them in the :
interest OF the race course, and thus are in ,
irectly giving the influence of the State So !
ety to sanction and develop a system that
oes not add to the general wealth or intclIi-
ence of the people. t
We know that we represent the better por-
on ofour people when we demand change
l the policy of this State Society-such a Z
hange as shall bring the real interests of the i
tate to the 'front.' fit can be so changed the II
'e islature can afford to appropriate ten -
lousand dollars. fit cannot be so changed a
he coming Legislature ought to revoke its it
barter. tt
The President claims that the Trustees q 3
'ent money freely in advertising they W
mt out posters by hundreds and pamphlets al
scores. This is doubtless true; but in no II y,
spect have the managers disclosed their own "
efficiency more plainly. People don't read ii
'sters, nor do manufacturers care for the o.
'tty premiums that any society can offer. .;
secure large and successful show, there OF
ust be personal and efficient canvassing I'M n,
the enterprise is once inaugurated. We D(
slleve II Portland, Lewiston, Bangor and u'
re iocalities had been carefully canvassed by or
me OF their enterprising manufacturers. w
e State Fair would have been gratifying TIL
ccess. This course. with their ADVERTISING Sc
the management of an experienced ad YER ~ IL
jer and presented in every paper in the u
ate at even less cost than their posters and in
mphlets, would, we are confident, have Sc m
red magnificent exhibition of the results VI
the skill and enterprise of the State.
But this result will not be accomplished so
ng as the Society makes the race course its pl
ointment feature and neglects to employ the as
pances that business men have learned to m
e to secure success. lie
Shall we have this change or policy? If d.
1t abolish the society or at least withdraw gi
ON 1t the aid and sanction of the State.
IHE gods, who scourge us for our sins. and -
nd forth DISCRIMINATING epidemics. have m
st made very serious mistake. II WASN'T st