The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-16
THE CHANGERS, WELCOME.

TAE CHANGERS WELCOME.
Address OF Col. T.. NJ. Rueker. I,eIiv-
cred Before the State Grange and fair
1877.
81 the request Of The Pomona Grange
OF Anderson County, the duty devolyes
on me TO extend their cordial welcome TO
the distinguished visitors here present.
trust, sir, we are all intelligentIy appre-
ciat::o os those principles and interests
iii whose TaHo and for the promotion of
which we are to-day assembled We
meet 70 confer together in the highest
interests Of agriculture and the agricul-
tural class. That class is the most nu.
merous in the community, and its SUCCESS
and prosperity are essential to the welfare
and growth of all rther classes Wemay
therefore, legitimat ly claim that we meet
in the best interests Of the entire people
OF South Carolina. The necessities of
civilization require that country should
become institutional, by means Of which
human progress may be efFectualIy assis.
ted, and beneficent influence diffused
throughout the length and breadth Of the
land. Otherwise, prosperity wealth it,
self-bears sort Of charmed life, be-
comes petrificd, 80 to speak, and is inca
pable of being utilized properly for it's
P05sea5or or for otiiers
The society Of which yDn are members
has already effected much good for the
country much remains to be done.
There is no reason why you should be
discouraged by partial successes and
even by. temporary disappointmcnts.
Such is the law Of all life All growth
To be steadfast and sure must be slow.
1t is true in the business and social rcla-
tiOns rs in the natural order Nufura
non .fecn suHhm mature makes no leap.
She loves the soft approach Of dawn, the
slow spr0nting of the seed, and moves by
a delicate graduation through her round
of calm and storm, Of growth and life.
The human mind, like the human body,
takes but one step at time, and that
step indicates the fceblencss and dccrcpi.
tudc of age rather than the energy and
elasticity of youth. A boundlcss area
lies before you Of noble possibilities to
be achieved for yourselves, your country
and fDr civilization. 1t is for YOU TO I'M
press upon the class Of which you are
representative members the dignity of
agriculture "a pursuit, and its proper
social status. And az legitimate conse-
quence Of that dignity that its members
should be educated mun-ccl,catcd as
farmers and IL citizens. They should
wildly realize the truth uttered by the
most eloquent of the Romans, TINT Of all
the pursuits followed by man, there is
none more beneficial, so necessary or
more honorable than that of agriculture.
They are to be impressed furthe. of the
importance Of skilled and ingenious la
bOr for unskilful labor does not prove
rc'nunerativc. A necessary requisite of
success is the union of intelligence and
labor-a clear understanding of the OBJ.
jects for which men should strive and
:orcibic and intelligent adaptation of
ones work for their accomplishment.
As no thought is hcalthful without labor,
so no labor makes the laborcr prosperous
and happy unless attended by thought.
All that man has achieved in any field
of action, the splendor Of civilization, all
the beauty Of art and science are founded
on necessary basis of hard physical
labor. Labor is thu true i,hiosophcr's
stone which tranynutcs all things into
gold. You have naught to do with poll
tics as partisans, nauglit to do with rival
ries and competitions of parties. But as
citizens you are profoundly interested in
whatever concerns government and the
purity of it's administration. You should
lend iii eiiectuhi nssistunce 10 the eicva-
ton Of the whole tone Of politics, to the
exaltati0n of the standards by which
men are To be measured who aspire to
oihce, In competence integrity md pub
lie spirit, and in the removal of the par
tlsan aims and ambitions that are 30 rife.
The noble science Of politics are not ur-
frequently lowered into a temporary
scafioldng of shifting cxpcdients to per-
lsh with the occasion. Exert your
heaIthiul influence to restore it TO Origi-
mai purity and true menning-a solid
framework of principles on which society
mny securely rcposs. applicable to all
emergencies and proper for ali times.
There ia no department. Of our American
life in which improvement is more needed
and in which more can be done to pro.
mote the public welfare.
congratulate you. gentlemen, on the
place selected for your annual meeting.
We are in the midst of n territory which
hns made great advancement its agri-
culture in the last decade. There are
farms In this vicinity and in other por-
tions Of the County whose high culture
1 "outN iOt pC IuOu6ut SiUW UT
tive in the prosperous North. l indulge
the hope that the whole State may soon
present the same fair face and growing
prosperity. 1t is your duty, gentlemen,
in your individual and organized capaci-
ty, to assist s;icii results ;.s tho ca.!;cs:
day. When you look back upon the
history of South Carolina its record must
encourage you. In ante.6elium time., the
State had attained to degree of pros.
pcrity and wealth which had never been
paralleled in the annals of human affairs
The noble possibilities of the future ami.
mate you. All things inspire yon. We
have climate in which it is Glory to
live. We have fertile and versatile
soil. We are members of q race on whom
kingship has been conferred wherever
they tread. feel sure all the advanta.
ges of the present, the forms of progress
of which we are most proud, are only the
unpublished rudiments Of the coming time
The obligation rests upon us to transmit
the country improved to posterity.
We extend " you, gentlemen, a hearty
welcome to the town and county of An.
derson. May your visit prove pleasure
to yourselves, and of lasting benefit to
the State.
Small manufactures.