The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-10-27
Ghe &armer.
GRAFTON BY HON. PERB L. WJGKRg,
Before The Maryland State and Carroll
County Agricultural Societies, at
Westminster, October u.s., 1877.

Hon. John Merryman, President Of the
State Agricultural Society, in introducing
Judge Wickes, said
Ladies' and GentJemea--Before intro
dueing to you the orator of the day | will
take the opportunity ofexpressing my heart.
felt thanks to all present for their atten-
dance here to day; particularly do l thank
the exhibitors in every department. Ifyou
go among the horses, you find the best
specimens in the land, the same may be
said Of the cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry
The machinery and implement display was
never excelled, rarely, if ever, equalled
What can say to your Ladies, particu-
larry those of Carroll county, for their con.
tributious, but God bless you. Tomorrow
We will receive upon the grounds the Pres.
ident, Faculty aud Students of the Mary.
land Agricultural College. | have cx.
tended, and now repeat, an invitation to
all the Students Of your Colleges, and chill.
dren in all Of your schools, to attend this
Fair during its continuance. now have
the honor of introducing to you Judge
Wickes, Of Pennsylvania.
Gentlemen Of he agricultural Societies:
If your effort in selecting some one to ad-
dress you to-day had been to choose one
who would most heartily appreciate your
courtscy, you could not, l am sure, have
succeeded better than by recalling to his
earliest love, and to his old allegiance, a
son of Maryland who has wandered beyond
her borders. State love and State pride,
so largely developed in all the children of
this, our mother State, seems never to
languish because of absence or of age; and
if my own experience is fair criterion,
can truly say for those of us, who have cast
our fortunes elsewhere, that we have borne
with us through all the storm and all the
calm Of our advancing years, the sweetest
memories of this, our nursing mother.
Never for an instant have her many claims
waned upon our hearts, never for an in
slant have our sensibilities failed to be
awakenen at the mention of her name.
These sentiments and feelings, gentlemen,
it is wise and benevolent purpose of your
association and those Of kindred character,
to strengthen and continue. You bring
together in annual and inspiring exhibition
her material wealth, the rich productions
of her soil, and you gather her sons from
far and near to rejoice in her prosperity
and to renew over her altars the pledges
of her love; you bring to this spot the
planter of a by-gone day; you gather his
friends and companions into his arms, sur
round him with associations and with scenes
which recall the story of his youth, and
thus you quicken the pulse and gladden.
the heart which the tramp of the world
had deadenod. You also bring together
the active workers of to-day, who have not
fallen by the wayside in life's struggle, but
who bear upon their brows the proud me-
MORALS of achievement. And here, too,
come the younger brothers just girding for
the contest, just going forth as reapers of
the harvest of life, to whom the future is
as yet but an enraptured vision. And
grouped and gathered with them, we find
their fairer sisters, who bring to grace the
scene cheeks as fresh as Rosalind's, and
eyes as bright as Juliet's, all yielding to
the claims of felt and kindred connec-
tion; all enjoying sweet sense of security
and repose. When | look around me,
gentlemen, and see all this, | can but think
that if your association had no purpose
more practical, it could not well be loftier
than thus to foster State love and State
pride by this annual reunion of friends in
familiar and pleasant intercourse; its mis-
sion would be far from fruitless. But /
know full well that this is but an incident
of your organization, and that its object is
to foster and encourage agricultural de-
to deal with its details and
practical methods, to bring home to the
bosoms of those who are engaged in this
cause a sense of the importance of the
great work which they have in hand.
think it is safe to assume that we all take
an interest in agriculture, even in its most
practical forms, whether we happen to be
mechanics, physicians, minis
ters, lawyers or judges, aud that more of
as do not follow it as business is our
for it is certainly true that
most of US would if we could. But, how |
ever this may be, when one who has been
trained as alawyer, profession which may
have had much to do with the boundaries |
md titles, the trespasses and possibly SONG
other sins of agricultural gentlemen, under |
'akes to talk about its practical features,
he would do well to remember what Car
yle so quantity and aptly said,--"No NOR
al (says he) has right to wag his tongue,
much less to wag his pen, without saying
something" And hence, gentlemen, 1 |
Snow you win pardon me if in what have |
written in the hurried intervals of very |
busy life / deal with agriculture rather as |
purifying and ennobling influence in a
nation than with its mere details and meth
IDS, and leave to others far more capable |
he more agreeable task of telling you by |
What processes its labors may be lightened |
ind its productions increased. Indeed il
vas rather hinted to me by the distin-
5uished gentleman who presides over your
society that statistics and details would