■; * 



1863. 



THE ILLINOIS f AEMER. 



216 



BAILHACEE & BAZEB - - . FITBLISHEBS. 



M. L. DUNLAP, Editor- 



SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, JULY, 1863. 



We owe our readers an apology for the late ap- 

 pearance of the June and July numbers. We had 

 Bmpposed when we left for Vicksburg on the 2d of 

 June that the printers had sufficient copy for the 

 June number. We only contemplated a ten day's 

 absence, which was, from unavoidable circumstan- 

 ces, extended to near a month. All of that time 

 we were too fully occupied with war matters to 

 think of writing of rural matters, although in gen- 

 eral we were somewhat "rural." 



Since our return we found after the excitement 

 of the trip was over — after the stimulant that kept 

 us moving had been withdrawn, that writing was 

 out of the question, and we have scarcely got rid 

 of the bad effects of Yazoo and Mississippi water 

 — ^had we made use of bad whisky with it, the case 

 would have been much worse. During all that 

 trip, ham bacon, bad potatoes, hot biscuit, and a 

 sort of slop called coffee, was the staple of life, 

 with the exception that when with the soldiers we 

 had good coffee, good soft bread, and in some cas- 

 es good beef. This sort of living to one whose 

 diet is usually milk, vegetables and eggs, and not 

 of a very robust habit will soon tell, and in our 

 case it did so. We cannot be a soldier. But it 

 did us good to go then ; it gave us a better opinion 

 of the noble men who are fighting for the Union, 

 and a more contemptible one for traitors at home. 

 Our country will be saved, — ^be patient gentle read- 

 er, give liberally of your good things thraugh the 

 Sanitary Commission for the sick, the woimded 

 and hard working soldier, and all will go well. 



County Fairs. — A great deal of good has been 

 accomplished with our county fairs, and yet there 

 is a wide margin left for the willing workman in the 

 field of progress. It is a matter of surprise to 

 us that men of good sound practical common sense 

 will allow themselves to play the boy when man- 

 hood could do much better. It is full time in the 

 histories of these societies, that competitors and 

 judges be treated as rational people and not as 

 knaves or fools, — to make men stand upon their 

 manhood instead of encouraging a sort of indireet 

 cheating and lying. We clip from a late premium 

 list some of the rules and regulations which are 

 similar to others that we have seen : 



1. No person shall act as judge who is directly 

 or indirectly interested in the awards. 



This is reasonable, for no one a party to a suit 

 should sit on a jury to try the case. * ■'-'.. 



2. No animal or article deemed unworthy shall 

 be awarded a premium, (although the best on ex- 

 hibition.) 



This is another excellent rule and should be 

 strictly inforced. Though if not inforced in some 

 cases it might have a tendency to correct the evil 

 by shaming others to compete, but the better way 

 is to drive all unworthy objects from the fair 

 grounds. ,- 



3. Any one attempting to influence the judges 

 shall be excluded from competition. 



If the above should read bribe for influence, we 

 would say amen ; but if it is to preclude any com- 

 petitor to set forth to the committee the good 

 points of his goods, we scout it as unworthy an 

 honest and upright committee. We do not be- 

 lieve in hoodwinking a committee, and have them 

 vote blindly. How would it look to shut a judge 

 up in a wooden box to listen to the evidence of the 

 witness and then try the cause without the hearing 

 of council, but it is no more ridiculous than to 

 blindfold the judges and then compel them to give 

 in a true award of merit. The system is not only 

 ruinous but stupid. Suppose three men, A., B. and 

 C. compete on corn planters, how are judges to 

 know which is the best by examining them for the 

 first time at the fair. Would their judgment be 

 warped to hear each owner explain the good points 

 of his machine and wherein they excel his compet- 

 itor. A field trial is out of the question and tes- 

 timony must be taken to show who has the right, 

 and the owner should not only be allowed his own 

 statement, of the truthfulness of which the com- 

 mittee should be the judge, but bring in such oth- 

 er testimony as may be pertinent to the case. In. 

 the way the committee will be enabled to arrive at 

 something like a correct conclusion, while under 

 the foregoing rule it is but guess work. We would 

 prefer to let competitors throw dice for the pre- 

 miums than to leave it to a committee under the 

 rule above. If Justice be blind why employ wit- 

 nesses and council to enlighten him ? We had 

 supposed the allegory intended to convey the idea 

 that she is impartial, but that she should not be • 

 deprived all the information of fact and how to en- 

 able her to be so, but in the case of a committee 

 the rule supposes that they must have intuitive 

 knowledge of the truth and thus jump at a con- 

 clusion without evidence. Yaur after year this 

 stupid rule has been inforced at our fairs, to the 

 disgust of all well meaning ffljen, and behind which 

 no small amount of vUiaihy has been practiced. 



