4t)6 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



justifies the recomniciulnliou lliat: t\\e Associatiou roatTirm the resolu- 

 titiii i-elatiiiji thereto which was passed at our hist aiuiiial meeting. 



The avowed policy ol' liiis Association is couci'nlialiou and cuutiuuity 

 of eflori. A most important and well matuied plan is in process of 

 t'xeeutiou. How long it will reijuire our undivided etlort cannot at pres- 

 i-nt be determined. Nothing, therefore, could be more inappropriate 

 than to detract attention fiom the work in which we are now engaged 

 by Ji presentation of the i)Ossibilities which lie before us. If this address 

 seems lacking in that it presents no original plans and recommendations, 

 be it remembered that we have busim^ss now on hand whii li admits of no 

 division of effort. 



When Ave shall have accomi)lished our i)rest'nt undertaking, we nmy 

 properly enter other fields; not till then. The justification of reiterating 

 and em|)hasizing the necessity of concentration is found in the history 

 ■of all organized elfort. 



With the angmentation of ])ower there comes, inevitably, a tendency 

 to rush from one line of effort to another, an inclination to attempt many 

 things, ofttimes nnadvisedly. This Associati.on cannot liope to claim 

 exemption from these universal tendencies. They are centrifugal forces, 

 disrupting in their effect, unless neutralized by their correlatives. Usu- 

 itlly this correlative force is fonnd in constitutional limitations, but our 

 (uganization, as we have noticed, has no such limitations, hence oui- 

 centripetal force must be found in the exercise of the must exacting con- 

 servatism. And such conservatism will, we believe, be exercised; not of 

 the kind that induces men to sui)inely acce])t all existing conditions, 

 but of the kind that shall s(M'ure the consideration of every policy, and 

 yliall demand that lines of etlort shall be based upon carefully established 

 facts instead of piejudice. 



The successful individual must liave definiteness of ])ur])Ose. Labor 

 is his balance wIkm-I, and to secure a })ei'f<M-t e(|uipoise enabling him to 

 control the tendency to outbursts of natural inclination and passion, 

 that labor must be continuous and free from mutability. So if history 

 is to enroll our Association aniong the few successful ])hilanthro]»ic 

 organizations, it must have a definite purjjose; and continuity and immu- 

 tability of elfort must be its distinguishing featurt^s. I used the word 

 ■"philanthropic'' advisedly. True, this is the organization of a class, but 

 the good which we seek is not of limited ai>i)lication. Not one declared 

 ]tui])ose of this Association but would, if accomplished, inure to the 

 i»enefit of e\'ery jtatriolic citizen of Michigan; and (hose only are object- 

 ing who are now. oi- who lioj)e to l)e. the i-ecipients of an unjust bounty. 

 It is the absence of selfishness, the broad benevolence of our ]»ur]>os(^s. 

 wliich entitles us to use the word ''philanthroitic'' and has won the a])pro- 

 Lation of the public. We may well be itroud that the good citizens every- 

 where, residents and non-residents of Michigan, all who understand our 

 ]turposes, are anxious for the success of our Association. These con- 

 sideiations must imi)i'ess every delegate with the res])onsibility of his 

 position. The immediate future of this Association is absolutely in your 

 hands, and all its future depends largely u])on the action of this con- 

 vention. Let us avoid extravagance of ex])ression. Tf any delegate 

 is harboring feelings other than those of broadest charity and benevolence 

 for all mankind, let him keep them safely confined in his own breast. We 

 must keep clear of (Mitangiement of all questions which have become 



