Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-03
The Farmers Excursion and Basket Pie
mic


The Farmers Excursion and Basket Pic
mic.
The excursion to Queen City Park on
the 2Sth was in point of numbers great
success. The day was pleasant, AMI be-
sides those coming by rail and boat, the
adjacent towns poured themselves into the
park with their own teams. Some esti-
mated as high as twelve thousand people
present, and there probably was nine or
ten thousand. The Central Vermont
moved about five thousand, and it may be
safe to calculate about as many more by
the Burlington & Lamoille, the boats and
private conveyance. On the railroads, the
same careful and vigilant management
which carried the crowds to the Benning
ton centennial without accident was
apparent, and we heard of but one acct
dent where young fellow who managed
10 get on top of a car and run his head
against bridge. The slow speed of the
train probably saved his life, but as it was
he got pretty ugly bump.
Of course Mr.. Beecher was the chief
card &c to draw" and fine stand had been
erected for him to speak from, and here
he came at 1920 2. NJ. The stand was
conspicuous by reason of the absence of
all the great Tor little) lights of the Yer
mont pulpit, but his honor, Mayor Hatch,
Hon. Daniel Roberts, Z. ID. Mason, presi-
dent of the Vermont dairymen's associa-
ton, with Mrs Beecher, Mrs. Beach and
Mr.. and Mrs. A. I. Barron occupied the
stand with him. After q brief delay
caused by some arrangement of dark
drapery TO break the glare of the sun on
the woodwork around him, Mr.. Bcecher
was introduced by Mr.. Mason as II man
known to them all, as preacher, cap
tain and farmer.
Mr.. Beecher apologized for the delay
made by arranging the shawls and cloaks
rs before mentioned, saying that he APP
peared there as an invalid, or he should
be if nature had her way. He was vic.
tim 10 hay fever and the glare of the sun
was painful to his eyes. He was very
happy to meet so many friends in Yer
mont, under any title. He was an editor
clergyman, captain and farmer, and which
he was the most of he hardly knew. He
thought he made more money rs a
clergyman and lecturer than as farmer
There are two kinds of farming. One to
make money and another to spend it, and
he belonged to the latter class. But he
was often asked, if his farm paidP Yes,
everybody about it but himself There
was no better land than his, no fields better
drained, nobody feeds better cows-Alder
neys, of course-but the great mystery is,
where does the great expense come from?
What makes the bills grow SO fast one
could never find out. But you might ask,
Don't you know enough to support your
self from your farmP And he would an
swer, probably should be in the poor
house in five years if depended on my
farm for support. This was not on &C
count of the poverty of farming, but from
expensive habits contracted outside the
farm. He did not propose to tell what he
knew about farming, if he did that it
would take but half an hour, but if he tried
to tell what he didn't know it would take
him three months; and beside, most OF
the men present, and all the women,
knew more of it than he did. But all men
were interested in the present condition OF
the country, none more so than farmers,
and he would discuss that aud endeavor to
do SO in non-partisan way.
1t is but one hundred years since we
became a nation. We have grown more
in that hundred years than nations did in
Il thousand thousand years ago, and we
should continue to grow faster and faster
for one hundred years to come. The
question of the hour is, has the experiment
OF self-government been such as to give
one hope in the future for the success
and stability of free governments? What
has absolute monarchy to boast of? Look
at Russia. Does she show any success in
wealth. in power. in the happiness of her
people, which should make us ashamed?
Russia is large, but her very size is an
element of weakness, with its population
of ignorant people who but yesterday
were slaves. Austria is recruiting her
energies, and who can tell what year
may see in Europe? Germany is the best
of all the monarchies, but she is not abso-
Lutte. In France the republic seems finely
established. England is as much repub-
lie to-day as we are. 1t makes no differ.
ence by what name the head of a govern
ment is called-whether queen or presi-
dent, and our president to-day has five
times the power in our government that
Victoria has in hers.
When one thinks what kind of people
are to determine the policy of our gov.
eminent, its politics, its finance. when
nincty-nine in every one hundred men
never thought much about it. and more
than half who don't care ANYTHING about
it-one might think FORTY millions of peo-
,,lo ,,;th c,.oh ,,,,,;od ;,o... - r.