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Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
A century will have rolled around since the time when the bells of 
that city first poured forth on the midnight air the glad news that 
a republic was born; that the colonies were declared free and inde¬ 
pendent, and the signers of that declaration had pledged their 
lives and fortunes and sacred honors to its support. How appro¬ 
priate that this exposition should take place at the very place 
where liberty was first cradled, and that, too, after the lapse of an 
hundred years the infant republic has not only become great in 
the extent of its territory, population, and wealth, but also great 
in arts, sciences, improvements, and productions. Its flag floats 
proudly on ever} T sea, giving protection to all its subjects in every 
clime. And in many departments of production, industry, and 
inventive genius, and skill, we can now safely challenge the world. 
The Centennial Exposition will be one of the greatest events of 
our day, and Wisconsin should bestir herself that justice be done to 
our noble State in the collective industry of States and nations. 
The celebration of the one hundreth birthday of the republic, 
whose eastward shore is laved by the waters of the Atlantic 
Ocean, and on the west by the grand Pacific, should be a grand jubi¬ 
lee befitting to the magnitude of the occasion. The bright pros¬ 
pect before us, blessed as our State is with a healthy climate, a rich 
and productive soil, vast mines of lead, iron, and copper, and vast 
forests of pine and other valuable timber, and with water-powers 
not excelled in the world; with an educated, industrious, intelligent 
population, our march must be onward. And Wisconsin to-day is 
making more substantial progress than ever before in the culti¬ 
vation of her soil, improvement of her stock, and generally improved 
agriculture. 
Let me call your attention to the absence of gambling and games 
of chance from our fair-grounds; yet, our rents are far in excess of 
what they were when such were admitted to the grounds. Our 
grounds are much more peaceable and orderly than they would be 
if such were admitted. We hope that such churches as have prac¬ 
tised games of chance to raise money in times past will learn a sal¬ 
utary lesson from our agricultural society. 
To the officers of the society let me say that while your duties 
are laborious and often trying, you will find that by a close adher¬ 
ence to our printed rules and regulations, you will be able to dis¬ 
charge your duties more satisfactory to yourself and the public, and 
