Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-07-26
THE COUNTY FAIR AND PUB
Lie MORALS.

The report that citizens in neigh
boring town are circulating petition
asking the managers of the county
fair to keep from the grounds all
liquor sellers and gamblers, goes to
show that there is a feeling that the
modern cattle fair, with it's ehorse
fare" attachment is not promotive
of good public morals. Being some
what familiar with how the average
fair in this state is run, we we'll I'M
derstand why temperance and relig-
Gus people have objections in regard
to them. We take the ground that
the people are to blame, as we'll as
the managers of fairs, for what may
be witnessed at these gatherings.
Somehow there is a strange demand
on the part of many for things, en-
tertainments: sports, etc., that are
not in any sense beneficial or elevat-
ing.
There is great deal of total de-
pravity" lying around loose, and
many people are eager to use it.
Men who are ordinarily sober, CIR
cumspect, moral, once In while go
on s'bender,' and boys who aver
age steady, now and then break over.
get drunk, gamble, fight, etc. They
are lying back for Fourth of July,
circus, or horse trot day, when they
go on spree. Then there is a large
class of men, and not a few women,
that have horse mania, and who
will leave home, business, the prayer
meeting-anything-to attend the
races. They like the horse, the race,
the excitement. They are not very
wicked, but they help support, and
give character to class of sports
that are productive of many evils.
Of course there are many excellent
people who patronlze the fair and en-
| JOY the best side OF it, but they have
to meet with the world, and they do
see some of the worst side of it on
| these occasions.
Now the fair manager has diff
cult problem to solve. If he seeks
to pay his expenses, distribute salts
factory premiums, give the public
such legitimate entertainment as il
sought, without yielding at all to th'
great clamor for something of thu
baser sort, he is liable to come GU
short financially. So we imagin
that he yields, against his best i'm
pulses, and permits the hoys to throw
away their money on the lifting ma
chine, the girls, of sort, to exer
else and perspire on the dance floor
the fast sshOss' folks to watch tn
racing, and those who are eager t
throw away their money, to drop
into the pool of chance. The goo
people, in the meantime, take in til
best side of the show, see the
friends, listen to the agricultur;
speech, and get an occasional glimps
of the horses as they come in on tt
last heat.
e The manager, besides looking aft,
/ the financial part of his enterpris
. and so managing the fair as to NAL
: it seem worthy of patronage, has
d difficult task to perform in keepir
d the fair orderly and sober. Some
! the classes of whom we have spo
d en-, as might be expected, come
: TO the fair exceedingly thirsty a XIII
}. of thirst that cold coffee and ice W
O ter does not seem to slake. Tn
search every tent, spot and hole f
g something liquid, and if they f;
( to find the stronger poisons, th
% drink themselves literally and vulg.
- ly .sfulf' of so-called cider or 'srC
n beer" They do not become su
u GENTLY drunk to be arrested by
I'D police, but make themselves so or.
III nuisances that ali their neighborho
81 is ashamed of having attended
e. fair. Beside the liquor peddlers,
liquor drinkers and other characte