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Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
Our class does not lack intelligence or ability, but this cannot be 
made manifest, until the great mass of our people are ready and 
willing to concede to them the same courtesy, respect, and confidence 
they now so humbly and submissively yield to lawyers, merchants, 
\ 
and capitalists; until in short, they are willing to follow the exam¬ 
ple of capital, smother their passion and prejudices, pay less atten¬ 
tion to platforms and more to candidates, pay liberally for services 
rendered and never desert their friends. 
You may feel that I am too severe on you, that I am pressing too 
hard on you. I wish to say to you that I did not seek this oppor¬ 
tunity, but it being offered, I accepted it, with the determination of 
using it honestly, and I think upon reflection,.you will find I have 
not gone beyond the bounds of truth. It certainly was not my in¬ 
tention to do so, and if I have simply told the truth, and held the 
mirror up before you, so that you can see yourselves reflected in the 
glass, I thank God for the opportunity, and I wish I dared to hope 
it had been made the most of. 
There are questions immediately connected with this subject which 
I should like to touch upon, particularly the money and interest 
questions; but as I understand others have or will bring these be¬ 
fore you, I forbear, and now proceed to present some of the most 
prominent remedies which I conceive to be applicable to your case. 
All remedies intended for our grievances must be based upon 
thought—earnest, protracted, well-directed thought—thought that 
goes away out of self into the great, common field of life, expressing 
a great sympathy with humanity, and an acknowledgment of our 
dependence on, and desire for, the well-doing and prosperity of all 
mankind. It should be our endeavor to mould the policy of our 
government so as to make it what it professes to be, the concen¬ 
trated power of the people, directed to producing the greatest good 
to all. Not, however, in a paternal character, but by directing and 
teaching, as far as possible, the simple truths of self-dependence, 
keeping within the bounds of the constitution and our bill of rights, 
its power only to be brought to bear on the business of the country 
when the power of weaker organizations fails to secure us a just 
protection against the encroachments of concentrated wealth. 
We should cease attaching ourselves to partizan political organi¬ 
zations, except for specific purposes, and should learn to hold our 
allegiance to party under the direction and control of our intelli- 
