Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-12-04
Action of Church Hill Grange on
County Fairs.

Your Committee on "Our County |
Fair" ask leave to present the follow
ing:
That properly conducted county
fair in great agricultural county
like this, would be of inestimable
benefit to the farming interests, there
can be no doubt, But how can such
fair be properly conducted? Opin-
ious diverge very widely on this sub
iect. Some believe in horse racing
and other kinds of gambling as as
sential to success; Others, and we be-
lieve large majority of the farmers
of the county, think differently. 1t
is certain that since racing and other
sorts of gambling have become the
most prominent features of our fair,
it has steadily declined in public ia
vor. And already very many of our
best citizens refuse to attend or give
any encouragement to it; alleging as
the reason, that under the present
management, the influence exerted
is detrimental to the morals of the
community. If this be true Then
the influence Of every good citizen
should be united to reform and make
our fair what it ought to be or failing
in that, abolist the whole thing.
What reforms are needed? Should
the A. Il NJ. Association of the coun-
ty, be conducted in the interest of
the few or the many? If it is to be a
county association and the people
generally are called upon to support
and maintain it, ii should certainly
be conducted so as to benefit the
greatest number. And those branch-
es of Agriculture and Mechanics
most important to the general inter-
est and prosperity of the county
should be most fostered and encour-
aged. Has this been done Let the
last programme speak for itself
| Sixteen hundred and ten dollars
! were offered as premiums on racing
alone, in which probably not twenty
persons in the county are i'll any man
ner interested. And nine hundred
and thirty dollars as premiums on all
the live stock of every kind, in which
every citizen of the county of every
profession and calling is interested
Many of our best citizens believe rae
ing not only to be useless, but posi-
lively immoral and detrimental t
the best interest of our people. Is
fair that they should be asked ant
: expected to contribute by their pres
!. ence and means TO such objects
n Certainly not. But what can b
done? 1t is said few persons holt
i a majority of the stock and can con
I troll the matters as they please; if thi
It be so, and these stockholders choos
so to conduct the future fairs as t
. make them repugnant to the mora
- sense of the people, then let ther
II have the whole thing to themselves
l. and let the farmers of the county &C
q up such an association as shall meC
= their own views. But the stock
y holders may ask what do the peopl
want?. We answer for ourselve
We want racing ofall kinds abolish
ed. There is no useful quality of I'll
J. horse, but can be sufficiently show
l. in the amphitheater. We want a
e. other forms of gambling abolished
A. We want matters so conducted TIN
- all can meet and have a grand re-ul
~ ion once year, without the fes
l. of harm to any from baneful il
D. fluences we want the entrance fe'
l. as low as possible, consistent with
Just and economical adminlstratiC
of the affairs of the Associatio
In fact fit be an Agricultural al
re Mechanical Association, let it be Oh
70 in truth. Fairly representing a
~ these interests, live stock and Il
IL mechanical arts, and not neglectir
of the woman's department in all
es branches, remembering, that nothil
IN good can prosper without the count
nance and aid of woman.
Believing the above to be a ia
statement of the matter as we see
ReSolued Isl. That we as Ora
gers and Farmers will use our be
endeavors to bring about the reforr
indicated.
al Resolved End. That unless sor
such reforms are adopted we w
withdraw our influence and suppo
ne from the Association. -aNs
ne Adopted by Church Hill Gran
Of Nov. 81, 1885, and ordered publish
in the SOUTH KENTUCKiAN aud Ke
g lucky New Era. 7l-
H. A. NJ. HENRY, Sec.