The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-11-16
The Cecil County Agricultural
Society.

The Cecil County Agricultural
Society.
As will be seen elsewhere in this is
sue we tender the use of our columns
for the gratuitous insertion of commu-
nications embodying individual opinions
relative to the interests and welfare Of
the Cecil County Agricultural Society.
In other words we invite from any friend
of the association a public expression
of what he believes the best course to
be pursued by the new management
which will be selected by the stock
holders of the Society at their meeting
called for the 25th inst. Elkton Fairs
have been in the past credit to Cecil
County. They have attested in the
character of Cecil County products the
intelligent industry of her farmers, the
skill and handicraft of her mechanics,
the tase and domestic attainments of
her women, and the fattering educa-
tional progress of her children. Every
class of her people has had material
and industrial representation at the an
nual exhibitions of the Society, and the
benefits of generous competition are
visable on every hand. The uncon-
sclous education of these annual exhi-
billions has stimulated exertion in every
field of local industrial and domestic
enterprise, and has proved a public
benefit. Making all due allowance for
mistakes in management, and the toler-
alton of existing abuses, the good which
the Society has accomplished for every
industrial class in the county largely
overbalances the possible evils resulting
from any questionable features of its
exhibitions. Believing this to be the
case, and believing further that the lite
OF the Society can be prolonged, and
its general usefulness increased by a
wise and judicious management of its
affairs, we hope to see such a radical
reorganization of its management as
will secure this result.
We are aware that one of the most
frequently repeated arguments against
agricultural fairs as now conducted, is
the very common assertion, that they
have degenerated into mere exhibitions
of horse racing and the legitimate OBJ
jects of their organization have been
overlooked in the encouragement Of
amusements and frivolous sports provi-
ded for merely money making purposes.
A moments reflection will convince any
reasonable person that the amusement
feature of such exhibitions is one abso-
lutely essential to their successful exis-
tence, but that such amusements need
not necessarily be reprehensible, or
such as to involve any question of con-
science in witnessing them. We be-
lieve the present management of the
Society committed a serious blunder in
sanctloning professional gambling at its
exhibition in October, and if the Socle-
ty by tolerating this evil escaped dis
asterous exhibition, they are not to be
complimented upon their success. No
organization that asks the support and
patronage of all classes of society, can
afford to offend the moral sense of any
considerable Or even uncomfortable
class to which it appeals for support.
The experiment of licensed pool selling
which the Society made this fall cannot
be repeated next tall. More than that,
If the injury done 70 the good name of
the Elkton Far IN 1850, is to be atoned
for in 1890. the stockholders must de-
fend that good name, by the election
on the 25th inst. of board of Mana
gers unequivocally committed against
licensed gambling at their exhibitions.
And we believe they will, not merely in
Difference to the religious sentiment of
the county on this subject, but because
individually they believe it an evil in
itself and an injury to society, and for
which reasons alone they would not
encourage it.
There is in our opinion no reason
worthy of serious consideration, why
the Cecil County Agricultural Society
should not have long and prosperous
life before it. Ten years should be,
and are insufficient to exhaust the VI
tally of as vigorous an organization as
it has been, and all conditions are still
favorable, under wise management for
fresh exhibitions of vigor and vitality.
The debt the Society carries can under
prudent management be readily iqui-
dated in instruments without jeopardy
to the interests of single creditor, and
If certain existing abuses are cor
rected, its annual revenues can be IN
creased, and its future financial success
be made a matter of reasonable GER
tainty.
1t is not our present purpose to dis