The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-10-22
pArRoNIxE THE rsTR

PATEONIxE THE FAIR.
If there is anything in which the people
OF Richmond should take especial pride,
1t is in the manufacturing enterprise and
commercial Importance Of our city. We
occupy proud prominence in this respect
among the capital cities of the Union, and
the State Fair, soon to be held here, is to
determine in no small degree the justice
OF our claim TO the distinction awarded us.
There is no more laudable desire than that
which seeks the popular approval in the
first instance, and then strives nobly tc
retain it as against competition and rivalry
The old adage that he who has achieved
reputation for industry, can
sleep till noon if he will, is not applicable
to men in the aggregate, nor ought it to be
many Individual instance. tits q fallacisn,
Ito coin much-needed word) of the most
deceptive character, and will sooner or
later land the individual adopting it in the
gutter Of unthrift and penury. Certainly
no community can adopt it without falling
back in its industrial enterprises, and maxi
Ing wreck Of its fortunes, however
promising they may have seemed at the
outset Of its career. Whatever reputation
Richmond may have acquired, therefore,
IN the.past, as city distinguished for the
thriit, energy, and enterprise of its people,
may be lost in far less time than it took to
achieve it, by simply resting on its indus
trial aurels after the fashion of the indi-
yidual who retires from business after his
fortune is made.
But the fortune of city is never made.
l!ae extent of its prosperity to-day is only
a measure for that of tomorrow, and if
1t falls back but single pace in the race,
Its prestige Is as efiectually gone as if it
had never taken step forward in any in
dustiial enterprise of its own. The Rich
mond OF twenty years hence, with its two
or three hundred thousand inhabitants-
our children among the number--is the
one for which eur industry should be stimu-
lated. our energy taxed, our ambition fred,
or hopes mainly INDUCED. 1t should be
the great, if not chief ambition of our
lives, to transmit to our children nobler in.
heritance than we received from our fathers.
and especially anobler public inheritance.
10 do thisno opportunity should be neglec-
ted to advance the reputation of our city for
material wealth, industry and power.
Public fairs afford the best opportunity to
do this, since the extent and variety Of
their exhibitions is the basis of popular
estimate or the foundation on which the
popular Judgment is to blild.
We hope. therefore, to see our merchants
and manufacturers, each and all of them,
gielng with their neighbors TO make the
1est and finest display of their respective
articles OF sale or manufacture on the Fair
rounds next week. There should be no
lelay in making liberal entries at once.
There IS plenty of room to accommodate
III, and the desire of the managers is to
ave Richmond more handsomely repre-
snted in the line Of her chief
Industries than ever. In other states we
nd exhibitors not only filling every build
g on their fair grounds with the products
their industry, but asking the privilege
erecting other, if not more commodious
uiidings, in which to make exhibition of
lelr wares, merchandise, machinery,
manufactures, and industrial products {
enerally. They do this for the double pur- !
ose OF advancing the reputation of their
'spectIve states, in their agricultural, s
and general industrial L
Invites, as well as to advertise their own n
diyldual products. There is no better s
ace to do this than at their state CAPITAL {
,if Grounds, where thousands ftheir peo- t
efrom all parts of the state, and hundreds v
the most enterprising and industrious Il
ON other states, assemble every year to Il
ark either the decay or advancement of O.
CIR people in those great material indus. n
les which play SO important part in our ii
odern civilization. N
HE STATE JOURNAL has especially Il
ampioned the manufactures. industries q
Richmond in the last two or three years IL
1t will prove great source of NORTH. az
lion to us, if the splendid products Of sc
labor are not exhibited, in the ,6
dible spirit they should be, upon the Rich lie,
nd Fair Grounds. Wesppeal, then, to our W
zens--to those having the best interests en-
our city at heart Ito allow no material is
ustry to SO unrepresented in our ap. II
aching State Fair. See to it that our Ia
at iron industries are well represented aft