PROCEEDINGS STATE AGRICULTURAL CONVENTION 177 



You know there is a difference between liberty and license. Liberty is 

 the conduct of your affairs and mine so as to give the best not only to our- 

 selves but to all who are around us ; for the good of the whole community. 

 License on the other hand starts when the personal feelings and the 

 personal desires of the person who is seeking advantage does as he 

 pleases. One leads to anarchy, the other leads to sound government. I 

 want to say in your communities if you want to carry on a great work 

 among the boys and girls, if you would have it so these boys' and girls' 

 clubs you were speaking about this morning, your agricultural societies 

 in your several counties in the state of Iowa, if you want to carry on the 

 greatest work perhaps you can do to the state here, just seek to build in 

 the hearts and in the souls of Iowa's people themselves a feeling that 

 law and order is the cornerstone in this great state of Iowa. 



President Cameron: This will complete our program for this 

 morning and the convention will stand adjourned until 1 :30 p. m. 



WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, AFTERNOON SESSION, 



1 :30 P. M. 



President Cameron : Gentleman, you will please come to order. 



The Stowe Mothers Quartet was introduced to the convention and 

 rendered a number of vocal selections. 



President Cameron : I take pleasure in introducing to the con- 

 vention, Mr. H. O. Weaver, of Wapello, Iowa, who will give you a 

 historical sketch of the Agricultural Societies and the State Fair. 



Mr. H. O. Weaver: The agricultural associations of this state, when 

 viewed in the light of the development of our great state, form a most 

 important organization. The agricultural society, with its exponent, the 

 Iowa State Fair, links with it the county and district associations of the 

 state, the influence of which reaches every township and hamlet within 

 our borders. 



To my mind it has shown the greatest development from its inception 

 of any department since the organization of the state. It has proven to 

 be the greatest benefactor in the state's development, and it is interesting 

 to know the progress that it has made since Iowa was admitted to the 

 union. 



The spirit of the agricultural societies had its origin among the pioneers 

 many years before Iowa became a state. The pioneers who came into the 

 state and settled the counties along the Mississippi river saw very early 

 the agricultural possibilities of what was then an unknown country 

 so far as agricultural pursuits were concerned. The nucleus of their 

 representative gathering in southeastern Iowa, represented by the counties 

 of Des Moines, Jefferson, Van Buren, Scott, Louisa and Washington early 

 began to contend with each other in their meager way for the betterment 

 and making of this commonwealth, and like the early religious camp 

 meetings, they were itinerant, and they held their annual meetings in 

 the various counties then organized. These early societies did not have 



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