26 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Perhaps an equal or greater difficulty than the ahove is found in the 

 selfishness of exhibitors. Some persons seem to bring their articles to 

 the Fair with a determination not to be satisfied unless they secure the 

 first premium. Others are like the criminal before the Court, their only 

 fear being that justice will bo done them. 



Then again, some who are engaged in stock raising and the improve- 

 ment of the blood of horses are in favor of ignoring all other depart- 

 ments, and converting the Annual Fairs into horse shows exclusively. 

 Others, engaged in manufacturing and mechanical pursuits, declare with 

 equal earnestness that the State Society can never prosper until it puts 

 down what they call horsemania, and gives more prominence to the de- 

 partments which they represent. Then comes in the agriculturist and 

 the miner, representing each separate branch of those industrial pur- 

 suits. Each protesting stoutly against the partiality exercised by the 

 Board, and claims equal justice at the hands of the Society, and threat- 

 ens an appeal to the Legislature if their demand, as they construe it, is 

 not granted. And so on to the end of the list. Then, again, particular 

 localities become impressed with the idea that the Society is of no ac- 

 count because it does not hold its Fairs at their doors, and straightway 

 set themselves to work to counteract and defeat all its efforts for the 

 accomplisment of good, and try to induce every body else to do the 

 same. 



The particular answer to those classes above named is, that it is of as 

 much benefit to the State that the mechanics should be encouraged, that 

 the iron horse may be improved in beauty and strength, as that the 

 Arabian steed should be improved in blood and bottom. And the agri- 

 cultural and mineral departments should be encouraged and fostered, 

 that both the horses may be well fed and furnished with profitable em- 

 ployment. 



But a more general and unanswerable reply to all such complaints is, 

 that the Legislature created and makes annual donations to this depart- 

 ment for a grander and nobler purpose than to administer to the special 

 interests of any particular individual, or encourage exclusively or prin- 

 cipally any special calling or branch of industry, or to hold its Fairs at 

 any particular place for the benefit exclusively of that locality. The 

 money appropriated by the State for premiums is drawn from every 

 citizen and every branch of industry alike, and the department has not 

 the authority, if it had the inclination, to prefer one class of citizens 

 or one branch of industry to another. He would therefore appeal to 

 all who have the future welfare of the State at heart, to lay aside all 

 this selfishness, to forget all the heart-burnings of the past, and resolve 

 that for the future they will be governed by higher and nobler mo- 

 tives, and put their shoulders to the wheel and shove forward the car of 

 improvement. 



There are many other subjects connected with the society we desired 

 to discuss, but space will not allow. We do, however, deem it of great 

 importance that this Convention should, by unanimous action, reduce 

 the price of membership to the society from ten to five dollars. It will 

 increase the number of members, extend the society's sphere of useful- 

 ness, and, we believe, put more monej^ in the Treasury. 



The General Government having donated to this State, upon certain 

 conditions, one hundred and fifty thousand acres of land for the estab- 

 lishment of an Agricultural College, our Legislature of last winter pro- 

 vided for the sale of the same. There is a proposition before the present 

 Legislature to accept the conditions and notify the General Government 

 of the fact. 



