74 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



shores of our "Mother Country." There I find the cause, — that transported 

 to our shores in every emigrant ship has become an inlierited disease that 

 depletes our farm-houses and fills our towns and cities with Literary, Profes- 

 sional, Political and Commercial aspirants, — ten on the average, seeking a foot- 

 hold where there is only room for one, — the nine, as a sequence, heart-sick 

 and hope-forsaken, swelling too often the calendar of crime, or filling untimely 

 graves, borne there by spiritual and physical starvation, for lack of congenial 

 employment, or, lack of bread. 



In England, that has contributed to our population more than any other 

 nation, — whose habits have colored our own, and from whose institutions we 

 have largely copied, — I find that respectable mediocrity is artistic, literary, 

 mechanical or mercantile. While the aristocrat mainly owns the real estate, 

 and gentility rents factories and lands but never labors itself. Extreme pov- 

 erty toils in the mills and shops, and on the farm, and the most degraded of 

 the class who labor, are those who work the soil ; this is considered the low- 

 est round in the ladder of caste. When the nobleman condescends to greet 

 the gentleman and the gentleman arrogantly acknowledges the acquaintance of 

 the book-worn merchant, mechanic, artist, etc., while shopmen and all look 

 down upon the agricultural laborer with a contempt that utterly shuts him 

 and his from social life, yet from the toil of himself, wife and wee ones is 

 wrung the wealth that sustains a throne at a yearly cost of millions, and the 

 prodigality of an aristocracy whose money is squandered as freely as waves 

 wash the shore. God has given unto every human being aspiration. It is 

 nature's prayer that lifts us to a higher life. The clownish boor feels its sting 

 in his envy of those he sees above him, but, down-trodden for ages, and cut 

 off from social culture and respect he knows not how, nor can he make it a 

 lever to lift him and his to the coveted good ; he only feels that he is ostra- 

 cised because he is poor and a laborer ; that labor is considered a disgrace by 

 those above him in the social scale, and noting the cause of his degradation, 

 transmits to his offspring his hatred, — a blind legacy, — bearing for all time its 

 bitter fruits of theft and crime, lawless mobs and bloody "bread riots" in 

 the empire of Great Britain. But, lo ! One day the gates of Hesperides 

 swung wide ajar, and revealed to the startled gaze of the Orient and all the 

 East, this New World, — broad, beautiful and grand, — lands in plenty for new 

 homes, — domains for nations to develop, — and " Westward, ho," "the star 

 of empire" took its way; eager thousands sought these shores and secured 

 small portions of its soil as homes. Mr. and Mrs., titles of respect they had 

 never shared in the old world, fell like a mantle of glory upon them here, 

 because they were Master and Mistress. But, where all could secure homes, 

 each must serve, thus combining the dignity of ownership with the disgrace 

 of serfdom ; and often ludicrous indeed was the struggle with old ideas and 

 inherited prejudices in this new phase of life. Let me illustrate. 



On the farther verge of only fifty years ago, when I can first remember, if 

 a mother was at the wash-tub or a daughter at the wheel, when some smart 

 neighbor or young beau was reported at the front gate, the obnoxious work 

 was hustled out of sight and matron or maiden hastened to don a stylish 

 apron or "nobby" cap, and make-believe they were gentle-folks, and always 

 nice, but everybody knew the work, — the work was there, and just themselves 

 had it to do. Ptight here, jMr, President, I think I see you smile at the seem- 

 ing weakness of my sex, but you and I can well remember many a coat and 

 pair of pants with a boy inside of them, that has had occasion to make a quick 

 journey around the corner of the barn, or behind the woodpile on similar occa- 



