153 
1008 . 
STRAIGHT TALK TO GOVERNOR HUGHES. 
That circular letter which Governor Hughes sent 
out to explain why he would not touch the Jersey 
cattle case has stirred up a hornet’s nest. Our mails 
are fairly stuffed with letters, many of them copies 
of what has been sent to the Governor. Here is an 
extract from a letter sent straight to him from a New 
York farmer: 
“Why did Dazvley let his mistake in the libel suits 
lie for months without a move? Your excuse for 
Dawley ‘don’t wash? We farmers look to you for 
assistance. It’s in your line!” 
It may be new to the Governor to receive such 
straight talk—but here is another from New Jersey: 
Governor Hughes, Executive Chamber, Albany, N. Y. 
My clear sir : Your Excellency will kindly note an an¬ 
swer to your letter to me of January 25 in The Rurai, 
New-Yokkeh of February 8, pages 106-107. Since Janu¬ 
ary 25 I have made inquiry as to the position of farmers 
on tills Jersey cow question, and F. E. Dawley’s connec¬ 
tion therewith as a Director of Farmers’ Institutes. My 
position in the Grange has given me facilities for getting 
expressions from a considerable number in this brief time. 
I find there is a practical concurrence and opinions are 
strongly expressed. The surprising part of it is that the 
same opinions are shared equally bv readers of The It. N.-Y. 
and The Country Gentleman, publications that practically 
represent both sides of the controversy. The consensus of 
these opinions is that there has been a fraudulent use and 
shameless abuse by F. E. Dawley of ttie A. J. C. Club’s reg¬ 
istry system ; that his present libel suit is not to further 
the ends of justice, but to cover up past history and estop 
further action against himself, and that his retention as 
a Farmers’ Institute director is a disgrace to the Agricul¬ 
tural Department of your State, and an insult to the 
farmers of the whole country. The matter has evidently 
passed beyond State lines, and is arousing national inter¬ 
est. The feeling is so intense that anyone coming before 
these people as a defender of Dawley or his methods will 
be hardly received socially, politically or otherwise when¬ 
ever opportunity presents. I believe that as Governor of 
New York and in a matter where the welfare of farmers 
is affected you are not only willing, but anxious to know 
their sentiments regarding policies wherewith you have 
officially to do. This latter in excuse for ray writing you 
as a Jerseyman and at this length. c. e. h. 
If this Jerseyman doesn’t make himself clear here is 
a Pennsylvania man who does: 
I've written to Gov. Hughes about that Dawley-Rogers 
cattle case, and his reply was the same as printed in The 
It. N.-Y. Gov. Hughes, who has been upheld as an advo¬ 
cate of the “square deal.” and whose name is mentioned 
as a Presidential possibility, evidently doesn’t have back¬ 
bone enough to isa.v that he’ll suspend Dawley. Let's hit 
the Governor again, with an avalanche of strong letters, 
and request him to suspend Dawley pending an investiga¬ 
tion. Pennsylvania has her Capitol scandal. New York 
her papers-don’t-fit-the-cows-case. and if these cases are 
not settled right file “common people” will be heard from 
when election day comes around. I suggest that the 
readers of The It. N.-Y. plaster Governor Hughes with 
stamps on Washington's Birthday just fo remind him that 
the spirit of Washington is not dead. Trusting your read¬ 
ers will make the biggest stamp fight of their lives, I re- 
main - w. B. K. 
J he originals of these letters and hundreds more 
like them are open to inspection. No doubt the Gov¬ 
ernor will wonder what there is about this cattle 
case which stirs men up in this way. Had he con¬ 
sulted men who know the temper of real farmers he 
would have known beforehand what to expect. He 
sent his printed circular to men who are hungry and 
thirsty for truth and honor in official life. They are 
sick and discouraged with the red tape and “politics” 
which seems to tangle up everything that is started in 
the name of agriculture. Governor Hughes, by his 
many speeches, had revived their courage and made 
them think that at last a man had come who would 
put character and honorable dealing above every other 
phase of public life. They saw clearly just what this 
Dawley scandal would grow into, and they went to 
the Governor without the least thought that he would 
evade any issue. We do not think he meant to do so 
—he did not understand the character of the people 
who approached him. He did not realize what a 
position others would put him into. 
This printed answer enabled The Country Gentle¬ 
man to say that the Governor— 
Immediately perceived afe you can read between the lines 
in the above letter, that the only object of the Rubai, 
people in coming to him was to try to secure some sort of 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
material that they might use for their defense in court. 
. . . There was never greater hypocrisy than the Rural’s 
pretense that It wants to have these suits tried on their 
merits. 
Some one, either Mr. Tucker or Dawley, has sent 
marked copies of the paper containing that all over 
the State. Thousands of farmers who have followed 
this case until they know every printed word of it 
saw at once the insult and the falsehood in that state¬ 
ment. Governor Hughes can now appreciate the posi¬ 
tion in which such talk has placed him in the eyes of 
the honest people who wrote him. There never were 
more loyal friends in this world than those who be¬ 
lieve in 1 he R. N.-Y. They consider that the Gov¬ 
ernor has been put in the position of evading his plain 
duty on a technicality. 
Take this letter from Maine: 
You have put the ease up to Gov. Hughes in language 
that he cannot misunderstand and if lie doesn't take notice 
and investigate the matter he is not the man the farmers 
want to till any higher office. a. t. s. 
Take this one from Kansas. It probably took this 
man half a day to think it out and write it: 
The Weekly Inter-Ocean has sent out a request to all 
subscribers to register their choice for the presidency as a 
straw ballot. Now I. with a great many other farmers, 
am waiting to see what you are going to do with the Daw¬ 
ley case, for we had our eye on you for one of the choices. 
We as farmers are interested in this case: a man at the 
head of the Farmers’ Institutes. We ought to have hon¬ 
est men at the head of our institutes. As Dawley is pub¬ 
licly accused of crime I think Dawley ought to be served 
as President Roosevelt served Stillings, until there is an 
investigation by the State of his case. p. x. 
It will do Governor Hughes good to get away from 
some of his “agricultural” advisers and learn just what 
farmers have in mind. 
This one from Illinois: 
We have been hoping that if you couldn’t get Dawley 
to make the papers fit the cows you would lie able to got 
Gov. Hughes to make his words fit the man—but it begins 
to look doubtful. c. j. w. 
They talk straight in Washington: 
If Theodore Roosevelt was Governor you would get jus¬ 
tice—and quick. Why not Gov. Hughes? Your case may 
not now be of national importance fo the Governor but if 
lie comes out for President the farmers and ranchers “take 
notice.” w . c . u . 
We could fill the paper with like expressions of dis¬ 
appointment. We still believe the Governor received 
poor advice from some one—certainly if he permits 
Mr. Tucker’s statement—printed above—to stand. He 
may have been told that his circular letter would 
satisfy his correspondents. Any man who knows what 
real farmers are would have told him that it would 
only deepen their feeling, turn good, honest advice 
into resentment and criticism and make them fight 
back as only farmers can fight. He can now no more 
stop the flood with his circular than he can hold back 
Niagara with a shovel. Only this week the following 
letter has gone to him from Otsego county. Does the 
Governor know of any experienced lawyer who could 
put the case clearer or stronger than this farmer 
does ? 
If I were to take first prize on a lion at the great Madi¬ 
son Square poultry show, eggs from that ben would bring, 
and be worth a large price, would they not? if I were to 
sell other eggs represented to be laid by that hen that were 
not laid by her at ail, but by an old “scrub hen,” at this 
advanced price, would or should I be considered a fit man 
to hold a responsible public office? In effect, this is what 
F. E. Dawley, Director of Farmers’ Institutes, is openly 
charged with, and we must say, from what we have read 
and heard, with convincing proof. This matter is fast be¬ 
coming a stench iu the public nostrils, and in our judg¬ 
ment these charges should be promptly investigated. 
s. L. c. 
Cannot Governor Hughes see that this very spirit of 
independence and this square and fearless criticism is 
the very power he needs back of him to make his 
words fit the deed and the man? Let him think how 
many clerks or small business men he can find in 
town who would dare come back at him and tell him 
to his face what these farmers do. He will have 
greater respect for the men who work with their hands 
back on the hills, and less for the snobs who misrep¬ 
resent them in public life. Those farmers see clearly 
what this failure to investigate means for their busi¬ 
ness, and they cannot be bluffed or driven or argued 
away from the principle which is at stake. And not 
only do they lay the law down to the Governor, but 
the Gospel as well. 
Read this closing paragraph from a strong letter 
which went to Governor Hughes from Connecticut: 
Permit mo, in closing to quote to you in the language 
of One who spake as never man spake, a principle of which 
I have always believed, and will continue to belie-. 1 until 
I am compelled to the contrary, you are an illustrious 
exponent—that “He that doeth evil hateth the light, neither 
cometh to the light, lest his deeds should, be reproved; but 
he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds 
mag be made manifest that they are wrought in God .” 
One may search the Scriptures for a long time with¬ 
out finding a more appropriate quotation. Mr. Tucker 
and other self-appointed advisers may continue to tell 
Governor Hughes that anything short of open and 
prompt action will satisfy such men, but we think ex- 
Congrcssman James W. Wadsworth could give him 
more experienced advice! 
THE BURNHAM PARCELS POST BILL.—Senator Burn¬ 
ham of New Hampshire introduced in Congress February 10 
a bill to provide a rural delivery parcel post for merchan¬ 
dise and other article actually mailed on rural delivery 
routes. The rural free delivery routes now number more 
than 38.000, and on them in excess of 15,000,000 people 
receive a daily postal service. The measure Introduced by 
Senator Burnham has the endorsement of the Presid- nt anil 
Postmaster-General Meyer. It provides for the establish¬ 
ment of a domestic rural parcel post at special rates of 
postage, for the delivery of foodstuffs, dry goods, drugs, 
books and other merchandise. The rate of postage is to be 
five cents for the first pound and two cents for each addi¬ 
tional pound or fraction thereof, and on parcels weighing 
less than one pound as follows : Two ounces or less, one 
cent; over two and under four ounces, two cents, over four 
and not exceeding eight ounces, three cents: over eight 
and not exceeding 12 ounces, four cents; and over 12 
ounces and under one pound, five cents. Two important 
limitations are placed on the use of the proposed parcel 
post by the following provisions: “That nothing heroin 
contained shall be taken as authorizing the acceptance or 
delivery at the special rates of postage herein provided of 
any parcel offered by any person acting as agent or repre¬ 
sentative, upon commission or otherwise, for any person 
or company not resident on such rural delivery route. 
That only such parcels shall bo received for delivery at 
the special rates of postage herein provided as are offered 
by bona tide merchants or dealers whose regular 
places of business are on rural delivery routes cov¬ 
ered by this act, in the ordinary and regular 
course of their business, and by residents on such routes 
in their individual capacity.” The bill provides that the 
parcels carried shall not weigh more than 11 pounds or be 
more than lliree feet six inches In length. Perishable arti¬ 
cles will lie sent at the senders’ risk, and will not be ac¬ 
cepted at any post office more than three hours before the 
departure of the mail from the office. 
FARM AND GARDEN.—-Arrangements have been made 
by which the Bureau of Plant Industry, cooperating with 
the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, will estab¬ 
lish a seed-testing laboratory at Lincoln, Neb. This labora¬ 
tory is being started in order to give quicker reports on 
samples of seed submitted by farmers and seedsmen in 
Nebraska and adjoining States, where the time required 
for mail to go to Washington, D. C’.. and return frequently 
causes serious delay. As the facilities for work will be 
limited for the present, it is suggested that only those 'sam¬ 
ples lie sent to the Nebraska laboratory on which quick 
reports are desired. All samples of seed and correspond¬ 
ence iniended for this laboratory should he addressed Co¬ 
operative Seed-Testing Laboratory, Nebraska Agricultural 
Experiment Station, Lincoln, Neb. 
At the annual election of officers of the New York State 
Grange the following officers were elected : Master. F. N. 
Godfrey, Oioan : overseer, W. II. Vary. Watertown; lecturer, 
S. J. Lovell ; steward, .T. M. Powell, Ilornell : assistant 
steward, R. W. Eggleston; chaplain, S. J. Robbins: treas¬ 
urer, W. L. Bean, secretary, W. II. Giles; gatekeeper. John 
Krause; Flora, Mrs. P. G. Aldrich; Ceres. Mrs. Finder; 
Pomona, Mrs. Rice McCauley; L. A. S., Mrs. Marvin II. 
Lent; member executive committee, W. W. Ware. 
The American Breeders’ Association at its meeting in 
Washington, I). C.. elected the following officers for the en¬ 
suing year: President, James Wilson, Secretary of Agricul¬ 
ture: vice-president, Charles Willis Ward, Queens, N. Y.; 
secretary, W. M. Hays; assistant secretary, II. IT. Mowry; 
treasurer, M. II. Gentry; chairman of animal section, A. P. 
Grout, Winchester, III.; secretary of animal section. Dr. C. 
B. Davenport, Cold Springs Harbor, N. Y.; chairman of 
plant section, H. .T. Webber, Cornell University: secretary 
of plant section, Professor N. E. Hansen, Brookings, S. D. 
Several seed dealers in Ohio are becoming somewhat 
anxious regarding the bill before the Ohio Legislature which 
will control the sale of clover seed, by compelling the 
dealer to label the seeds as to whether they are Medium 
or Mammoth. Ohio is said to be the largest clover seed 
producer iu the world, and such a law would only hinder 
business in that State, while it would mean much in gain 
to other States. Seed Inspector Wallace of Ohio says it 
is almost impossible to guarantee which class exists after 
they have been reeleaned, and lie predicts much loss to seed 
dealers in Ohio if the bill becomes a law. Several of the 
dealers have combined on the matter and will take it up 
with the local representatives. 
Stevens; 
^RIFLES 
/G 
are so quick- 
firing, straight¬ 
shooting and 
Wlhlr hard-hitting, 
that a frog on 
the jump is an 
easy mark for 
the boy who has 
had a Stevens only a little while. Mechanism is simple— 
nothing to get out of order—unapproached for accuracy. 
HERE ARE OUR LEADERS _.L°J!G.L r l _ s * am _ p ® *? cover postage, we will send, free, 
Little Scout, . . $2.25 
Stevens-Maynard, Jr., $3 
Crack-Shot.$4 
Little Krag.$5 
Favorite.$6 
our complete catalogue of Shotguns, Rifles, Pistols, 
showing ail sorts and styles, and describing the arms in 
detail. Gives interesting information about Cartridges, 
Ammunition, Sights, Targets, Care of Firearms, etc. 
Most good dealers have Stevens Firearms. Insist on 
getting the genuine._ If you find it difficult, let us know 
and we will ship direct, express prepaid, on receipt of 
catalogue price. 
J. STEVENS ARMS & TOOL CO., 200 Front Street, Chicopee Falls, Mass, U. S. A. 
When you put on a roofing it is because you want to protect as well 
aS cover your building and its contents.. Many roofings merely cover. 
'Congo covers and protects. 
Some roofings are merely paper ‘‘treated” in some manner and shortly 
after being laid they go to pieces or dissolve in the first hard rain. 
Congo is different. There isn’t a particle in its composition that 
Can be affected by water, beat or cold. It will not dry up, rot or rush 
A Congo roof never leaks, and for durability it is not equalled by 
any other. 
Write for Free Sample and prove for yourself its superiority*’, 
UNITED ROOFING G MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 
Successors to Buchanan-Foster Company, 
532 West End Trust Building, Philadelphia. 
CHICAGO. SAN FRANCISCO. 
