ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
61 
itroduced sang one of his character songs as only he can sing it, which brought down 
le house, and elicited a storm of applause. He responded to the encore with that 
ver touching song, u That Little German Home Across the Sea.” 
Dr. Tefft made an earnest appeal to the audience to become members of the asso- 
iation, stating that it was the membership fee which was received that enabled the 
ssociation to publish its reports. It had no aid from the State like the Agricultural 
nd Horticultural Societies, but for the past nine years had footed its own bills, 
rhile others, and especially the State, were benefited by the work it had done and 
fas doing. He then introduced Governor Cullom, who was received with prolonged 
pplause. 
; GOV. CULLOM’S SPEECH. 
Before beginning his speech proper, the Governor said that in his next annual 
aessage to the next Legislature he would recommend an annual appropriation of 
;500 for the use of the association so that it could continue its work. This announce- 
nent was received with great applause. He then spoke as follows : 
Mr. President , Ladies and Gentlemen In pursuance of my promise a year ago, I 
im with you to-night: not for the purpose of addressing you on the special subject 
or your consideration, because you know much more about it than I do, but to talk 
o you a little while generally, and by my presence to recognize the great interest you 
epresent, and give those engaged in it a word of encouragement. Holding the rela- 
ion I do to the state, I regard it a duty (while to me it is a pleasure) to go out among 
;he great producing classes of our people and learn from them the character and ex¬ 
tent of their operations. Those engaged in the production of milk, butter and cheese 
-three staple and wholesome articles of diet, which are sources of great wealth—are 
engaged in a business most worthy and honorable. Milk, and butter, and cheese are 
iach palatable and wholesome, and the Sucker can scarcely do without either. The 
struggle of mankind, the world over, is to keep from starving—food and raiment are 
;he necessities of life. Men and women must work to secure them—hence the Bible 
leclaration, “ Earn thy bread by the sweat of thy brow.” Man cannot get away from 
Lis necessity—work or starve—and while I am not fond of hard work, yet I am not 
lisposed to complain that the necessity for it exists. It is a good thing that we have 
:o work ; work is conducive to health, good morals and happiness. Labor is honor¬ 
able while idleness is the parent of crime. 
The work of the husbandman is the most important. To secure food neces¬ 
sary to life is more important than to secure the luxuries—so it is more important to 
I'aise wheat, and corn, and beef, and pork, and to produce milk and butter and cheese, 
and to manufacture the necessary clothing for the people, than to produce silks and 
satins, or that the artist should produce a painted landscape. 
The dairy business is a branch of agriculture. To be a good dairyman a man 
ought to be a good farmer—an understaning of one compels an understanding of 
nearly all phases of the other. To be a good farmer or a good dairyman in these days, 
i man ought to know something ; he ought to be educated.* The old idea that any 
man, however ignorant, could run a farm, does not now prevail. Experience has 
3hown that intelligence is a useful article in successfully tilling the soil and raising 
crops, as well as in all other business. The old notion that if a young man is educated 
tie ought to study and practice a profession, is also passing away as a mistake. 
To be a successful dairyman requires study and work, and if a young man en¬ 
gaged in the business, even if he own an establishment, if he is not thoroughly ac¬ 
quainted with the business, ought to do as a Scotch farmer did when he found that 
the farmers in Leicestershire were able to raise some product that he could not, he 
left his farm, went among the people, hired to a farmer as a laborer for six months 
and returned home to profit by his new experience. If some of our farmers would 
follow the example of the Scotchman, they would have better farms and make more 
out of them. 
These conventions are grand schools for the education of those engaged in the 
specialty you represent. Those in attendance not only have a good time, but their 
stock of knowledge of the best mode of conducting the business in which they are en¬ 
gaged is increased, which enables them to make more money for themselves, and add 
to the wealth of the country. 
There is no country in the world that possesses greater resources essential to the 
comfort and happiness of a people, than the United States. Our soil produces, under 
the hand of intelligent labor, a superabundance of a great variety of food. This 
country can almost feed the world. Our natural resources are almost boundless, not 
only in an agricultural point of view, but in other directions. We have gold, silver, 
