A Farmer's Opinion: Selling the Town Farm (1905), by Solomon Stoddard Mead

 

Solomon Stoddard Mead. 

Source: The Greenwich Graphic. December 2, 1905. Page 4. 

On Tuesday afternoon I attended a town meeting in Bruce's New Town Hall  held to take into consideration the propriety of selling the present town farm and removing the inmates to some other location in Greenwich. When I arrived at the hall it was already full to overflowing, and the meeting had already commenced. I could not hear one word to that was spoken, but I saw there was something going on inside by the uplifted hands of the people. 

I should think there was fully 1200 in the building at the time, and standing outside and in the entry way. Who was moderator, I had no idea, or what the people were voting for or against, and it is my opinion that far too many did not know how they voted, nor were their votes properly counted. No person could count those with any degree of accuracy at the time, and I look upon the whole transaction as a farce and a fizzle.

Now I am opposed to selling the town farm as it is the best possible plan to take care of the poor people of Greenwich. There they have all the comforts and benefits that could possibly be vouchsafed to them. It is a very healthy place. They can working raise vegetables and amuse themselves. 

Now if it was my case and perhaps I shall get there myself in the near future I should feel it was much more to my comfort to be on a farm than confined in a sanitarium. It was said to me that the farm was objectionable to the millionaires of Greenwich, that they can did not like the idea of living on the road over the hill to the poorhouse. Now where can they live if they do not come in sight of the poorhouse or the sanitarium or the poor people themselves. I cannot see any advantage arising by changing the poor. I cannot see any advantage arising by changing the poor. I can see they would be much better off as they are. A life in prison is much worse than a life on a beautiful farm like the present home for the poor of Greenwich.

I was not at all satisfied at the way the meeting was managed. I feel no one knows how many voted yes or voted no and also how many of them voted that had no right to a vote. I understand many millionaires were there and had everybody that they could control; to vote to sell the poor farm. Even gave them a holiday to do so and how much else I know not. These things are managed in a curious way, but in a way to reach the object for which they are sent.  I think the meeting was all wrong and if voted at all should be done by ballot and only the persons who are legally qualified should be allowed to vote. I for one object to the whole proceeding of Tuesday's vote on the question of selling the town farm. 

SOLOMON S. MEAD