Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-10-02
Abraham Lincoln ON Agricultural
Fairs.

Ben; Perley Poore, in the OultiVator, quotes
at the Wisconsin state fair the fall before he
was elected President, as follows:
Agricultural fairs, said Old Abe, ''are be-
coming an institution of the country. They
are useful in more ways than one they bring
us together, and thereby make us better ac-
quainted and better friends than we otherwise
would be. From the first appearance of man
upon earth down to very recent times, the
words stranger and enemy were almost or
quite synonymous. Long after civilized ma
tons had defined robbery and murder as high
crimes, and had affixed severe punishment to
them when prActised upon and among their
own people respectively, it was deemed no
ofense, but even meritorious, to rob, murder
and enslave strangers, whether az nations or
as individuals Even yet this has not totally
disappeared. The man of the highest moral
cultivation, in spite of all abstract principle
can do, likes him whom he does know much
better than him whom he does not know. To
correct the evils, great and small, which spring
from want of sympathy and from positive en-.
nifty, among strangers, as nations or as indi.
viduals, Is one of the highest functions OF
civilization. To this end our agricultural
fairs contribute in no small degree. They
make more pleasant and more strong and
more durable the bonds Of social and poiti-
cal union among us. Again, if, as Pope de-
clares, happiness is our beings end and aim, ;
our fairs contribute much TO that end aud aim
as occasions of recreation-as holidays. Con
stituted as man is, he has positive need of
occasional recreation and whatever can give
him this, associated with virtue and advan-
tage and free from vice and disadvantage, is
positive good. Such recreation our fairs
afford. They are present pleasure, to be
followed by no palma as a consequence; they
are present pleasure, making the future
more pleasant. But the chief use of agricul-
tural fairs is TO aid in improving the great
calling of agriculture in all its departments
and minute divisions; to make mutual ex-
change of agricultural discovery, information
and knowledge; 80 that, at the end, all may
know everything, which may have been known
to but one or to but few at the beginning; 10
bring together especially all which is suppos-
cd not to be generally known because Of re-
cent discovery or invention"
Instead of administering the usual amount
of "tahy," Mr.. Lincoln quietly remarked: 81
presume am not expected TO employ the
time assigned me in the mere hattering of
farmers ~ class. My opinion of them is
that, in proportion 10 numbers, they are Meth:
or better nor worse than other people. In
the nature Of things they are more numerous
than any other class, and believe there are
really more attempts at fattering them than
any other, the reason Of which cannot per-
ceive, unless 1t be that they can cast more
votes than any other. On reflection, am not
quite sure that there is not cause of suspicion
against you In selecting me, in some sort a
politician and in no sort a farmer, TO address
you"
When elected President Mr.. Lincoln prov
ed true friend to agriculturists. Under his
administration the agricultural bureau Of the
Patent Office, which occupied two dark rooms
in the basement OF the department of the in
terror, was elevated into department OF az.
Ticulture. Its duties were to acquire and diff.
fuse among the people Of the United States
useful information on subjects connected with
agriculture In the most general and comprs-