Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-10-24
Fair or Unfair!

We'll, if the question is fair one, VIII
has not II right To ask it for sake of inflr
nation? The season that excites the curl
'IsiLies of the masses and that stimulates
he lab )ring classes Of agricultural com
nunilies, in both town and counties wher,
,lrlfe aud competition seem to be the lead
ing elements, has now passed for 1877. ami
4 net once more seems to prevail through
nut the county, with some exception
tmOng competitors who hold in question
The fairness or unfarness of judges whose
luly it is 70 deal justly with all and with
ouI partially to any. An honest man
5 lid to be the noblest work of God; and
while none would dare to deny the truth
illness of The saying, yet who among tn
Unite would undertake to point out sucll
nobility among his fellow-mell, being onl
dscerner of outward appearance, an,
not of the inner man? do not wish to b,
understood that there are no honest mel,
lmUng us, for believe there may be, an,
doubtless are; yet | fear sometimes tina
hey are rs rare us June bugs in January.
III liking the old saying II trite one, Every
man for himself and the devil take the
hndmost." Sel6shness and partinliN
combined seem to be the ruling or pre-.
dominant elements in many natures, anu
pItIimes rule to his hurt.
| have been watching the movements OF
The times Tor some time past, and common
observation has taught me lesson that
nope to profit by; neither d. | believe
an he only pupil in this great school Of
nature. But the great question is, Shall
we as pupils be able to profit by he exam
pies OF others, whether such examples be-
good or bad? Dizziness of comprehension
may possibly hinder us. An honest man
Is supposed to be unselfsh in all his deal
ngS with his fellow men, and to seek the
highest good, not only of individuals, bul
i societies with which he becomes asso
GATED and which tend to elevate the mora,
and intellectual standard Of the community
III which he lives. And if none were ey, i
disposed to deviate from this grand rule OF
action, societies would prosper and flour
lsh, and agricultural fairs would be an
nonor and blessing to every community III
which they are held, carrying out tha,
grand principle Of encouraging and stimn
ting our common farmers to greater nc
WITTY in their pursuit, to the greater pro
lucllveness of their soil, to breeding stock
Of the various kinds of pure blood, and OF
making farming in every way far more
popr lar than in former days
But with IL disposition, that has become
III too prevalent among many of the
Judges Ul our county rs well us town fairs.
20 render partial judgment in their award
'hg premiums unjustly and without merit.
What can We expect but Il reard of the
progr' SIS Of our fairs, if not their utter ex
Cncuon? And when will The authorities OF
or agricultural societies take this matter
| n handP viii it be when the finest prod
| 'cts OF the soil and the finest blouded ami
mails that grace our fairs are driven from
The Held? Let me assure the Agricultural
society of Washington County that such -
Crisis awaits us unless Il wholesome CHANG,
IS Wrought for the better ere long. T1,
! aging is guile common, and with too
| much trulh, that men draw the premium
and not the animal or article on exhibition
Now ii this is to be the style of thing
IN the future us it appears to have been IN
lhe past, insist that the men that draw
the premiums occupy Il separate stall, be
side the swine Or the cattle he exhibits, s.,
tnat the visiting publi' can have the salts
action Of seeing some OF the fine points
70 ay the lcasI, that take the first prize,
whether those points be found in the men
or III the cattle or swine on exhibition.
1t is no uncommon thing for competitors
Tor premiums 10 watch with eager eyes TIL
Apr ach Of judges when about TO award
premiums, and Gas we use the common
phrase sometimes) to hnrSeshed them Ton
l'll IN hour, showing all the fine points ul
he animal, as though Il committee WAS
unacqualnled with their business; anu
hen TO enter strong protest against
another mans stock, for no other purpose
'han to prejudice the judges minds againsl
IT, and to cause an unjust and partial
award OF first premium TO be given to
tnem. | have II similar case in MINI
when certain individual, us learn from
good authority, entered u protest to the
committee on swine against five spring (or
May pigs, and said they had no business
on the ground; and furthermore, that the,
were not pigs, but hogs. would like to
ask the gentleman or the committee il
lney can inform me or the citizens of
Washington County what day they ceased
10 be pigs, or on what ground they had no
right to be on exhibition. As far us have
been able to learn, those same five pigs
won public favor, and many a man said
then, us they have said since, that the,
were the finest according to age that there
were on the ground at our County Fair.
Now while it costs our society nothing for
keeping swine through our fairs, the only
question to be determined is whether theip
exhibition is really detrimental to the in.
-teresLs of the agricultural society; and if
50, then the society ought to take measures
to prohibit their being entered upon the
grounds; and if on the contrary, then the
SncinLV nnVht To Lukn Innnsrrps To nnnnnr