The record-union., 1896-08-19
INTELLECTUAL TOURNAMENTS.

The suggestion Of William H. Mills to
the State Board of Agriculture to have
new intellectual entertainment and in
struction at the State Fair has not only
received the Endorsement of the board
officially so far as heard from, but has
the concurrence of all who have consid-
cred the subject. AT the State Fair
there are gathered large numbers of
people from day to day. They come for
two distinct purposes, one is instruc-
ton and information by observation,
the other is entertainment.
1t has, therefore, been found that
with all such affairs it is desirable, and
indeed necessary, to add features Of en-
tertainment, hence 1t is that music, tab
leaux, historical exhibits, athletic
games, pleasure gardens, revival of an
cient sports. and a variety Of other en-
tertaining features are now necessary in
all public expositions Of this character.
The exhibition Of agricultural pro-
ducts, of the arts, of inventive genius,
of rich goods, of examples of experiment
in cultivation, of fine stock, of agricult-
ural implements, of we'll bred horses,
examples Of domestic handiwork, and
the introduction of stock parades, speed
contests, and various other features
constitute the object lessons of instruc-
ton at fairs. Heretofore the intellectual
features have consisted of one or two
addresses upon agriculture and topics
OF domestic economy, and in the interim
Of the fairs the gathering and publica-
facts concerning cultivation of the soil
and the conservation of profitable pro-
ducts. reports and papers on agricult-
ure, horticulture and viticulture, etc.
Mr.. Mills proposition, which may
now be said to have assumed form
that insures its success, is that to these
features, all worthy and of high value,
shall be added the further intellectual
attraction of forum, In which there
shall be delivery from day to day Of the
result Of thought and research upon
topics Of interest that are engaging the
public thought, and should have the at
tantion Of all citizens who wish we'll for
their country.
These deliveries are not to take the
form Of debate. but are to be expositions
upon both sides Of the reasons for sus-
tanning different views upon such sub
1ects as restriction of immigration. the
financial policy of the country, coinage
OF money, the protective principle, and
how far it Is wisely to be applied, the
extension of the suffrage privilege to
women, the question of differential OF
discriminating duties upon our foreign
commerce carried upon American ship
bottoms, and so on-we do not under
take to say how many more such sub
jects may be profitably introduced.
On each of such topics of that order it
is proposed to have some distinguished
citizen, publicist, scholar or scientific
politician address the people at time
in the day when there are not other at
fractions, and when there will be no in
reference with the privilege of exhib-
itors. There is a time between nine in
the morning and noon of each day when
such addresses may be made, and we
believe will draw respectable If not i'm
mense audiences.
For be it noted it is stipulated that in
these forum deliveries there shall be no
partisanship, no advocacy of candidates
or parties, no assaults upon persons, no
challenging of motives. On the con-
trary, these gatherings are to rise to the
lofty plane Of honest desire for reliable
information and frank expression OF
view concerning the best means Of con-
serving the good of all the people and
advancing the Nation upon the highway
of prosperity.
To say that the people will not gladly
come into such a forum and for the time
being lay aside partisanship. prejudice
and bias and constitute themselves an in
tellectual jury to hear. receive and think
upon subjects that interest everyone o1