The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1873-01-04
For the Hickman Courier


For the Hickman COURIER
Our Fair.
Mr.. EDITcR-By your leave. | will
say something in reply, through your
valuable paper. to an article which
appeared in -FOUR last issue. TOUCHING
our fair, and signed, a Stockholder )
Now if | thought that criticism inst
as It's author Is pleased to term il. |
should be silent. For far be it from
me to undertake the defense of an nm
just cause. or commend that which
merits condemnation and reproacb
/ But having every assurance. from an
intimate connection with its business
for years, that our fair from it's earliest
inception in 1867, to this good hour.
mas gwen, IN every important pariicu
/ lar OF ITS management, general salts
faction to Its patrons, feel constrain-
ed TO say word or so in defense of
those honorable gentlemen whom the
stockholders have from time 10 time
selected to manage and control its at
iairS. L mean the Director, for it is
upon their shoulders must rest what
ever OF blame arises in the conduct
OF Its business. " hatever of odium
attaches to the institution. they and
none other are responsible therefor,
Tor upon the directors devOlyed its leg
lslatIve and controlling power under
ITS charter. Now at this peculiar epoch
10 the history OF our fair, more per.
haps than at any former time, do
think It meet to uphold the past action
of our directors. First, because
think that simple even handed justice
demands it of Us, (when we reflect low
hard aud patiently they hdvr1
wieifT1r Ply aud withO1X s
the good of tses.rsqila z T r = i
the propriety of devi-i i s :.
which the Association - = - +
self sustaining. Now is it not pain C
every thinking mind that if the stock
holders get the idea into their heads,
through the criticisms OF the author
of the article which l am now answer
ing, or in any other way, that 1t IS
owing to the improvident and expen
sive manner in which the business OF
/ the fair has been conducted by the
/ directors, that the institution Is not
already sustaining, that their con
/ fidence will be so weakened aud their
! faith in its ultimate triumph will be so
/ shaken, all further efforts to obtain
| their aid 10 maintaining the Associa-
/ ton would result il, consummate failure.
Now it is not my purpose to mislead
or deceive any one, and by the power oil
/ beguiling speech whitewash the errors
/ of the fair managers, aud thereby IN
/ duce the people to still further con
/ tribute their money TO sustain the As
ISOLATION. But my prime object is to
/ show that the objections raised by "A
! Stock holder" as to the manner in
which the business Of our fair by its
directors has been conducted, are
groundlcss in part, and in part unavoid-
able Hence no just censure is merit
I cd by those upon whom it has been
visited. But "A Stock holder, by way
of showing off his liberaIity, says,
that he has done aud will do as much
as any other man on principal OF JUS
tice and equality to sustain the ialr.
Now this all may do, but let Us see what
others have done.
n 1865, we in consequence of the
large expenditure made III 1861. in the
way of Improvements of the grounds
and short receipts at the gates, fell!
behind 1922 90, and it became Deces
sary to borrow money to meet our
pressing liabilities promptly, and those
parties who had it TO loan were. I'M
willing to risk the bare name of the
Association for the amount As the
fair, like other kindred corporations,
had no soul as the money lender
thought ethegeltS5,re- ses, LEANS nssssss
somebody should become taC.gidu.-
responsible for its re payment. Now
whom do you think had the magnamity
to do this thing, though no law OF
equality or justice required it OF them !?
Why sir the very directors whom =" a
Stakeholder strongly iusiuuates have
not managed matters as well as they
might But "A ockholder" was not
in the board Again in 1869, in con-
sequence Of the last day being unto
ward aud foul. it became evident that
we would be short again in funds,
twelve men came forward aud offered
to advance on their undue stock an
amount entirely sufficient to meet the
emergency, while no law of equality
or justice required this Of them but
"A Stakeholder. was not one of the
tselve. Now such actions as these
may appear small and incOnsiderable
in the generous optics of "A Stock
holder" but they nevertheless saved
the credit of the fair al a critical mo
ment and gave her time to recuperate
her energies and discharge her every
obligation in the way of Indebtedness
Now is it not evident that others have
far eclipSed him in maintaining the
fair regardless of the quality of equali-
ty and justice; and but for such magma
nimity as displayed by these parties,
(be it said to their honor and liberality)
that cherished association would have
almost al its first struggle for existence,
received stunning blow which would
have sent it reeling to its speedy down
fall, to wit (: its utter inability to meet
its honest debts for so perishes all
kindred associations, who fail in this
particular.
Now to the points of objections as
raised by "a Stakeholder In the
first place he charges that for the first
day or tso of our fair our seats are
vacant, and says why, because on those
days the exhibitions were Insignificant
and undressing, and that no effort
was made to make them otherwise |
Now it is true that for the first day or :.
two Of the fair but fe&-na1 -
that the exhibitions
g. = 1 i1s :.ss
/ mos ss1nplfatically ~
gentleman or any othehf.- - s.
! the programme of the fair and -