The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-06-04

Speech Of Pr Sid;nt Woodward Before tho
State Agricultural aud DlrrIlunical As.
SOtiaiiOn. Gl SUnIh Carolina, April 2Sil!,
1873
Beng drsirous Of rmon:aing with
t.c views Of our Charleston friends,
nnl thinking that II few days differ
C .cc in our time Of meeting would bc
Il matter of littlc. ininortancc to YOU,
instructed tho Secretary to advcr-
tlSc the change. The peculiar fca.
lures Of tho mcotins arc the reading
of essay, aud tho discussion Of agricul-
tural aud nechaniccl, topict. There
are, boweve some matters Of a busi-
ness nature, and others Of personal
character, whi:h think arc entitled
to the urSt serious conSdr rusion of
this bpdy. The financial status Of
tho Society will be set. forth by the
s;ccrctary, who follows r!c with HIS
annual report, more conciscly than
could be done by me. From this will
DO asccrtain.l tho fact that our
monetary aft f'irs are not in 50 healthy
coudition as cu1ld be desired. This
question IF finance being one that
voivos the success or failure cf cvoly
association, aml one on which VIC arc
81 peculiarly dependent, WILL claim
YOUR Inst an / most earnest attention,
thiuk II proper that l should hero
notice charges that have bc,n made
against us in order that both F!los
lnuy bc heard. An effort has boon
made to put about the Impression that
this Society has Lecn influenced by
spirit Of favoritism in its awards of
premiums, or in othor words, that the
position and influence of CONTESTANTS
his been moro looked to, than the
merits Of the article o1h;bitcd. Those
r'aking this charge belong I'd that
peculiar, but not uncommon variety of
the human species, who really think
that all articles exhibited by them
arc ip$o jacto better than those of 9th.
or parties, and honco ohould they fail
to procure n premium, they, SEQ un-
mistakablc evidence of fraud upon
our part.
There is another class Of ind.vilu"
als, who hold up their hands in holy
horror at our multitudinous sins, and
with much sorrow, but vcry lou3 1,a;l-
i"g, bcmoan tho departing morals Of
our visitors, who see no thing at our
Fairs but drinking, gambling, horse
racing, and noisy, humbug shows.
Those latter, arc usually puritanical,
narrow minded, would-be sanctimo.
nious, and sometimes hypocritical set,
who have much prayer but little broad
Tor the way-farer. Dictatorial in
their doctrines, and cgotistical in
their views, all parties who diItor
with thou, arc regarded as Legitimate
subjects for continent and criticism
Much harm has bccn done us by these
slAndcrcrs who certainly could have
expended their 9igAlcous indigna-
tion upon rilcr organizations, and
more pcrnicious examples than are
horc practiceI.
~ careful reader ofour prococd'ufs
heretofore, will discover amongst
those to whom premiums have been
given, tho names Of several parties
who are certainly not favoritcs,, and
those Of you who have been officers
and members Of the Executive Com
,nittcc we'll know, that in the selection
Of committee mon, (who roally make
the awards) nothing was considered 9th.
CIR than the qualification Of the indi
vilual as judge Of the department. to
which he WAS about to be ass: s:sucd.
That is to say, if u mem er OF the
horse committee was to DO solicited, q
gentleman who was Of rcputcd au.
thorty in all matters appertaining to
horse flesh was always chosen. And
tho same rule prevailed in reference
to all tho other dcpartm onts. l. does
scom to mo that here is evidence tend
ing to exonerato your former and
prosont Executive from any charges Of
favoritcism. Nor am ! now, able to
suggest o.. fairer and more judicious
mode Of procedure. You might re-
Tuiro Of exhibitors that thoit articles
be entered upon book in tho posses.
sion Of the Secretary, thcro to be num-
bored, the article being shown with
no name attached but simply a card,
upon which was figure correspond.
ing with the number upon tho boob
it being understood that parties
designating their articles to my mem
Der of tho committee be immediate.
ly considered disqualified from farth.
or competition. This would work
we'll in tho household and other dc.
partments, but would DO impractica
bic with stock, mackinory, &c.
Tho plan recommended nigh
be regarded rs an increased
disposition upon our parts, t.
bc influenced solely by the merits o
articles shown, and would DO calcu!s
tod to strengthen tho confidence o
the country, without which wo cannot
and ought not to exist think thai
it would be we'll also to insert
clause in your constitution, requiring
Nour Executive Committeo to be ii