Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-18
RUTLAND VT. THURSDAY MORNING, sEPTEMBER

They have neither contributed to nor
will they be benefited by this entertain
ment. Proceed further and ask why are
they not here The answer is this, lack
of desire, the result of ignorance, has
held some; poverty, having for its
parent the same cause, others the alb
sence of anything worthy of exhibition
far more. Looking at these grounds to-
day one might think that New England
is full of progressive agriculturists, and
her, acres but so many gardens; but II
you will look over the heads of this au-
dience and beyond these grounds, where
the mass of the people actually live, you
| will see that ignorance and poverty, and
lack of ambition are embodied on all
sides. In houses unpainted and gardens
grown to weeds; in fences neglected and
orchards unrenewed; in stunted stock
and impoverished acres in unditched
meadows and ungathered harvest; in all
these signs you will behold proof that the
knowledge of New England agriculture
is but superficial, which prompts me to
say that the average farmer has been,
and is to-day, stupidity slow to act in
| those directions in which action means
| success.
For one, then, l do not blame the
young men of New England because
they have left the farms They desert
| ed agriculture only because agriculture
| could furnish them with no worthy OBJ
| iect of ambition or effort. In the place
! of a reasonable amount OF wealth as a
| reward of application, it could hold
forth only bare livelihood, and as to
/ honor or culture it promised nothing at
| all. Such being the condition of things
! the young men had right to leave the
farms. They had no right to remain on
/ them, even as one has no right to remain
| ignorant when he can become learned,
or poor if by honest effort he can become
rich. .-.se
The true way to prevent this desertien
/ of so essential and noble pursuit on
the part of our young men is not found
/ in exhorting thenoto beware of cities
and wealth, but by providing some way
by which wealth and culture shall come
to them while engaged in agricultural
4 pursuits. When our young men shall
see that in arborculture, Horticulture,
/ horticulture, stock raising and other re-
fined and educative branches of husband
| rY, they can earn one, two, three ana
five and ten thousand dollars per year,
| who ssupposes that the cry will longer
be heard in the land that "our young
men are Edeserting agriculture. In
| materalistic age like this you must put
materialistic influence upon men and
| hold materialistic rewards before them
in order to keep the just equilibrium be-
tween the several industries, and the on
ly way to make our young men choose
farming as their profession is to make
farming pay.
But allow me at this point, lest some
misanDrehend me, to declare to these
young men near my own age, and indeed
before you all that / am not believer
in the maxim that s'money gauges 8
mans success in life" Riches as 9
means of benefcence to ones self anc
others = re to be desired, but as the OBJ
iect of life to be despised. Riches may
come, but they do not express the OBJ
iect of individual or governmental eX
istence. Our fathers did not fight thai
we their children, might be rich, but
thai we might be free. If the Republic
stands for anything it stands for laws
wisely framed and impartially admins
tered for economy in administering
the Government and honesty in collect
ING the taxes; for virtue protected anC
intelligence spread abroad amid the peo
pie; and in the personal rectitude o.
those who are elected to honor. No on'
so illy represents the republican idea a
the man who gains and uses wealth only
for selfish ends; who having been elect
ed by the people to frame laws for thel
protection filches money from thel
rockets with one hand and votes Il
iegalize the villainous transaction BY
holding up the other Applause.
No. never let it be said that the wortl
and dignity of any pursuit are measured
bv the money standard. There is tina
in every honorable calling which make
it dearer to its followers than the coli
if brings them. And agriculture is full
- of what might be called these conpe7a7d
: ti0ns. In bodily health and menta
Dcace in the absence of temptation
and tumult; in the domestic joys ant
home privileges that it allows and In
sures: in the knowledge and love .
Him who presides benignly over hill an,
: nIain. house and fold, in these the agri
/ culturist finds a wealth which rust can
not corrupt nor thieves break through
and steal.
, The wealth for which | plead, whic
every faithfully and intelligently fol
| lowed industry should yield, is tha
z amount able to satisfy just and reasona
} BILE minds. To put the agriculture OF tn
country east and west on such a basl
5 that it shall yield this should be the earn
t est effort. as it must be the desire OF eV
5 cry patriotic citizen.
There are in our midst class OF men
! composed of representatives or Amos
: every prominent pursuit and profession
who are directly engaged in this endeay
! or. having been fortunate in acqulrln
f large means, being intelligent and nile
with true love of country life, the
have devoted large sums of money an
? not a little thought to the improvement
: of New England agriculture. To th
: ignorant and such as gauge the value o
effort by the financial returns alone
: their enterprise seems foolish, and a
: epithet has been put upon them whic
] served, indeed, only to describe the ig
5 norance of those who used it-I refer t
$ the phrase clancy farmers. | am gla
/ of this opportunity to publicly expires
the sense of my indebtedness, as farm
r er and a farmers son, and the indebted
: ness of the country at large, to thos
5 men who have spent their moneyso free
lv in behalf of the public interest. Es
} Decialiy in the introduction of improve
r breeds of cattle and sheep, swine an
: horses, and in the popularizing of prat
: tical chemistry do |, and every agricu
/ turist, stand indebted to them. Thei
2 bIunders, which some seem to regard a
: matter to point their satire, appeart to m
a to be only the inevitable accidents al
1 tending all new enterprises and unteste
t methods, while their successes have rt
suited in the benefit of all. The briet
$ est examination of the fruits and flow
|, ers, the cattle and sheep on thes
e grounds, and especially an inspeC
Q ton of the magnificent horse stoc
/ here exhibited, will reveal to an
! thoughtful visitor at this fair how muc
t we we to these men by whose pul
It lie spl.ltedness such a magnificent di
I play has alone been made possible. TT
d fact is, there is not herd of cattle. or a
+ improved breed of sheep, or crate of ell
# CANT fowls, or family of noted hors,
V here to-day which does not owe its il
k PRODUCTION and existence to the ente