HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



347 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



HEREFORD MOVEMENTS BEGIN TO COMMAND THE OPPOSITION'S RESPECT 



The investigation of the opposition to Here- 

 fords, and the means used by Shorthorn breed- 

 ers from the time of Youatt until the present, 

 would shadow and dim the operations of the 

 Star Route conspirators. These operations, it 

 will be noticed, have been directed against the 

 Herefords and those interested in them with 

 the utmost venom and vindictiveness. When 

 Mr. Youatt, at the dictation of the Shorthorn 

 breeders, put forth all the facts he could reach 

 to advance that interest, and suppressed the 

 facts that would advance and maintain the 

 claims of the Herefords, from that time until 

 now, these tactics have been practiced. In 1834 

 Youatt wrote in the interest of the Shorthorns ; 

 in 1839 the Royal was established and run in 

 the Shorthorn interest; in 1851, control of the 

 Smithfield Club was obtained and run in this 

 interest; in 1841, the New York Society was 

 established and officered and run for the benefit, 

 and in the interest of the Shorthorns, by Short- 

 horn breeders. 



All these schemes have been continuously 

 practiced. Stating these facts as a matter of 

 history, we will take up and discuss the oper- 

 ations of the Illinois State Agricultural Society 

 and its management. We wish to be fairly un- 

 derstood in the position we take. When we 

 charge the Shorthorn breeders of this country 

 and England, we speak of them as writers would 

 speak of political parties when they are charged 

 with corrupt practices. It does not follow that 

 the rank and file are included in the charges 

 of corruption; but it is of those who manipu- 

 late these corrupt and fraudulent plans. Their 

 supporters are led and influenced into support- 

 ing these leaders and their plans. So it is with 

 the large bulk of Shorthorn breeders. They 

 accept Youatt as authority for the early stand- 

 ing of the Shorthorns. They inquire for some 

 work that will give them information that may 

 be considered a reliable guide, and they will 

 be directed to Allen's work on American cattle, 

 or to Ambrose Stevens, Youatt and Martin. 

 Would we be saying too much, that they have 



done as much as they could to bring the Short- 

 horns to the notice of the reader, and as little 

 as they could to bring the merits of the Here- 

 fords before the public? There is much that 

 either might have found if they had wished. As 

 early as 1840, H. S. Randall quoted Youatt 

 against the Herefords in his controversy with 

 Mr. Sotham. He ought then to have known 

 that Youatt was the editor for the Shorthorn 

 work. 



The first show held under the direction of 

 the Illinois State Board, we think, was in 1853 ; 

 and we think no one will question the fact that 

 it was largely under the control of the Short- 

 horn breeders and that the claims of that breed 

 were pushed; but of the earlier years of this 

 society we have not much to say. The premi- 

 ums, so far as we know, were uniform for 

 Shorthorns, Herefords and Devons. 



This was true in 1872, when the Herefords 

 made their show under Miller and Powell, and 

 for 1873 and 1874; but in 1875 the Shorthorn 

 -premiums were raised about 70 per cent and the 

 Herefords reduced about 33 per cent ; and dur- 

 ing four years a majority of the judges for herd 

 and sweepstakes premiums were Shorthorn 

 breeders, and they ignored the Herefords as 

 completely as though they had not been on the 

 ground. While the Hereford premiums were 

 reduced in 1875, the Jerseys were permitted to 

 stand as before, and Shorthorn advocates would, 

 under these circumstances, proclaim awards 

 rendered by Shorthorn judges as evidence of 

 merit. And this is not peculiar to Shorthorn 

 breeders of Illinois, but it is the rule, whether 

 in Illinois, New York, Ohio, Kentucky or Eng- 

 land. 



In 1876 the Illinois State Board put the 

 Shorthorn premiums back to what they were 

 previous to 1875, but did not change the Here- 

 fords. In 1877, the Board still further reduced 

 the Shorthorn premiums and advanced the 

 Herefords, making them even, and placed the 

 milk breeds on the same basis, in which condi- 

 tion they have remained until now. 



