186 Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
side influence that can be brought to bear, and that he has no aspi¬ 
rations for any higher position you can offer him, then it will be 
all right. 
Mr. Eaton: It seems to me that sleep is not the only object of 
agriculture. I wish to say that the meetings which we enjoy here 
from year to year, and the efforts which we are making (a few of 
us) to elevate the standard of political agriculture, as well as agri¬ 
culture in common, are evidences of progress. And the fact that 
while we choose a man to represent us in an official capacity, who 
does slightly disturb our slumbers, is an evidence that there is an 
element to work in the body politic; that is at some time not far 
distant, to renovate the society of this republic, and I often feel like 
thanking God and taking courage, and every time my desires are 
defeated, my candidate is beaten, or he has been overhauled after he 
has been elected, I feel a renewed determination to redouble my dil¬ 
igence, and be freed, to some extent at least, from party turmoils, 
and vote for the man in the future and not for party alone. 
Mr. Phillips: I wish to say just one word. I have watched this 
discussion with some interest. As I said here in the horticultural 
meeting, we have a very eccentric individual in our town; a farmer, 
who has been collecting statistics for the last two years. He can 
show you, beyond a doubt, that the farmers who have taken the 
least pains to inform themselves; that have taken the fewest news¬ 
papers or periodicals; that know the least about politics, and what 
is going on in the country, have been the most successful financial¬ 
ly. I always disputed him, but he has got the figures to show it 
They have been talking about this same question ever since I can 
remember. I have meddled but little with politics myself. As a 
gentleman on the floor here said, in our primary meetings where 
these things all start, they do not say who is the best man, but 
who wants to go? And farmers go right there into the log school- 
houses and sit down and talk together, when there is not a lawyer, 
or merchant present, and say who is the strongest man we have 
got in the party? Just as long as this thing continues you can't 
stop it. They talked the matter over last fall. This man, they 
said, is a farmer; he is a good farmer; he hunts Sundays and the 
religious people would not want to support him. There was an¬ 
other man; and on looking the matter over this better man was not 
n granger. In order to get the granger strength, the party strength, 
