l^ROCEEDJNGS OF THE EXEOUriVE COMMITTEE. 195 



TimotI V Pitkin, who had been elected to the House of Representatives of the General 

 Assembly thirty-five times, and went by the distinguished title of Squire I'itkin. At 

 the annual meeting of the Fx-eemen at that time, it was the constitutional law and prac- 

 tice not to vote for the State officers and representatives at the same time, as at present, 

 but the Freemen first elected the representatives one at a time, and so accustomed had 

 the people become to electing this gentleman to the House of Representatives, that as 

 soori as the meeting was oj^ened, and I suppose with prayer by the minister, as was tho 

 custom in those days, the moderator, instead of calling on the people to bring forward 

 their ballots for a representative, would say, briug forward your votes for Squire Pitkin. 

 And it should be added for the credit of the good people, that they always obeyed thii, 

 order of the moderator. So you see we cannot have the credit of inventing th:? kind 

 of sharp practice of which we are accused. 



Now, 1 cannot believe that any candid man, who has been at all familiar with the 

 motives and management of this Society, would undertake to vindicate any such decla- 

 ration as is set forth in those articles. Whatever arrangements and agreements have 

 been entered into with our neighboring States, have been done purely for the purpose 

 of protecting ourselves. 



Some seven or eight years ago those States were holding their Fairs the same week 

 we were holding ours, and it became evident tliat it was greatly to our disadvantage. 

 To overcome this ditficulty, we submitted to those States the jjropriety of holding their 

 Fairs on other weeks, we claiming the third week in September as our week, it havmg 

 been adopted by our Society for a number of years previous to that time ; to which tliey 

 consented ; and it was then thought we could benefit one another by an interchange in 

 advertising, which would be a mutual benefit to all with little expense to either ; and 

 thus far I have not been able to discover any bad results from this arrangement. 



Find fault with our elections ! This is too absurd to be entertained for a momeni. 



I don't suppose the greatest genius on the face of the earth could invent a plan that 

 would be fairer, or work more equal justice to all interested parties, than that whicn 

 has been pursued by the Society for the past number of years. The Society has a gen- 

 eral rule, which has been carried out with exact precision, requiring the appointment 

 on the first day of the Fair, of three persons, who are members of the Society, to act as 

 judges of election, and requiring at the same time the selection of tlie place on the Fair 

 ground where the election shall be held. Notice of the names of the judges, together witn 

 the place where the polls will be held, shall be given on the second day of the Fair, oy 

 publication and posting of notices on the Fair ground, in at least twenty places, the elec- 

 tion to be held on the third day of the iair. Members only can vote, on presentation oi 

 membership tickets. The vote to be received by the judges and deposited in a sealed box, 

 the ticket first having been stamped and nauiv' of voter registered. Every member is 

 free to vote for whom he pleases, and with a secret ballot. The counting of votes is 

 govei'ned by the rule prescribed by law for the government of township elections. Thb 

 poll is open from nine a. m. until five P. M. 



In conducting the caucuses, it has been customary for j^ears to make a committee, 

 comprising a member of tlie Society (not oificei's) from each Congressional District, if 

 they are to be found in the convention. They I'eport names for officers, subject to the 

 approval of the conventiou. In case there are not members present from all the dis- 

 tricts, such districts are not represented, only in some cases, by the appointment of an 

 ■executive member, should there be any i^resent from such district. 



Want to get rid of the old members of the Committee and ex-Presidents! 



T regard this proposition a little remarkable in face of all the facts. 



These men that have been tried and not found wanting when the Society was passing 

 through its most critical ordeals— for it has been subjected to every test that ever over- 

 took a like institution. Men of age and experience, of unquestioned ability and busi- 

 ness capacity. Men of lasting fidelity to the Society. 



The trouble is, you are getting rid of them too fast. They are dropping out of the 

 ranks at a fearful rate. In looking over the list 1 find that fourteen out of the twenty- 

 three executive members and officers have disappeared within seven years, and there 

 are not more than four or five ex-Preaidents remaining who give any attention to the 

 business of the Society, the others having died, become disabled or prevented by other 

 causes. In the progressive development of humanity in all countries, and throughout 

 all ages, so far as our knowledge goes, the cultivated races of the world have been 

 accustomed to pay respect and honor to age and experience In fact to some extent 

 this is a gauge^j^ whicii the progress of dilferent people in civilization and refinement 

 can be measurRl. Such conduct is commendable as a recognition of the valued servi- 

 ces of these men ; and more, tlie Society cannot afford to lose them. If this institution 

 is not to perish with .ill the good there is in it, it must be saved by the wisdom and 

 intelligence of just such men as these. 



The Horticultural display at the Fau* was a marvel of beauty and excellence, which 



