Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-03-24

4 oIh Guilty..
Opcrseer-J. L. Enos, Cedar Rap
ids, Linn county.
Sewdrd--Peter Melendy, Cedar
Falls, Black Hawk county.
assistant Stetpdrd-J. u. Whitman,
Dallas Center, Dallas county.
&n31tdin-C. ID. Keenan,, Waukon,
Allamakee county.
3reasurer-Wm. Anderson, Madi>
son county.
Secretdry--Wm Duane Wilson,
Des Moines, Polk county.
Gate KeepeT-W. III. shower, Den
nison, Crawford county.
Some Of the Advantages OF the Order.
The following address by d. w.
Adams, Esq, Of Waukon, on the
advantages of the order, will be read
with interest. Mr.. Adams is Secre-
tary of the State Horticultural Soci-
ETY., aud is also Master of the State
Grange of Iowa. Frequent inqu.r~
les are made Of us, and the desired
information is given in the address
of Mr.. Adams.
Through all business relations of
civilized life unions of various kinds
are the rule, and the more perfect
they are the greater the strength
Merchants have their Board of Trade.
Shoemakers have Knights of St.
Crispin. Lawyers have conventions,
and Physicians cOnclaves, where
prices are fixed, and no one dare dis
obey the edicts of these unions. But
how is it with the Agriculturist.-
Alas We have nothing of the kiad.
Each one is working away against
the world, unaided and alone. I'M
mense in numbers and wealth su.
perior to any other calling Ia these
great sources of power-yet we are
powerless. An immense helpless
mob surging to and fro without aim
or method, tho little squads of well
drilled lawyers and doctors charge
through and through our poor dis
ordered mass, and freely plumber
their pockets. Railroads, Telegraphs,
Commission Men, Mechanics, join in
the pursuit with no fear of successful
resistance. Like rabbits, we are the
prey Of hawks by day, owls and foxes
by night. Is there no remedy for
this? Is there anything in the occu-
patton of agriculture that makes a
man legitimate prey for all the hui
man vampires that infest the earth {?
Is the business of filling the soil so
benumbing to the mind and all the
liner sensibilities that we can con-
tentedly accept and endure this state
Oh analrsG Are we willing to admit
that strong as we are in wealth and
numbers we are incapable of self.de>
fence? is there not enough of mind
In our ranks to devise and execute
plan for our redemption from the po-
sitlon CT slaves we now occupy? For
one, when L look abroad upon these
broad prairies, the grainaries of the
world, owned by those who till them.
anu n6.33::hg n their minds such ele.
ments of power, must admit t thst
shame mantles my face that no sys.
tematic effort is made for its use. at
least in self defence. A farmer has a
field of wheat ready for tie SICKLE
and 1t must be cut. Laborers fix the
price ct which they will assist i'm the
harvest; the farmer submits. Thresh.
ers fix among themselves the price
they Will have for threshing, and
again the farmer submits. The rail-
road companies fix the price at which
they will carry the grain to Chicago;
elevators fix the price of han ding it;
and buyers finally agree how much
they will give for it; and each one of
these middle men take such q slice
as he pleases, and the farmer timidly
submits. This wheat now goes
through steamers, sloops, and more
elevators, more spectators, canals,
railroads, etc, each one absolutely
making his own terms and only the
producers and consumers are helpless.
These two classes, the most deserv-
ing of all, are the victims of few
CLASSES, small in numbers but strong
by being determined, thoroughly
united, yet having not another soil
tary element of strength at command.
They do not produce a pound of meat,
d bushei of wheat, yard of cloth or
pig of iron. They cannot subsist O
month without US. We can without
them. We have the power; we must
use it. The farmers have got the
lines, schy don't they drive ?
The Patrons of Husbandry is an
order, secret in its organization, in
tended to be a nucleus around which
the agricultuTists can rally, and rem
der available their immense power.
Its head consists of National Grange
located at Washington, a State
Grange i'm each State, and Subordi-
nate Oranges may be formed in eve
ry neighbOrhood. They are bound
to each other by certain rules and by
common interest. 1t is intended
that this organization shall act as q
medium of communication and ac-
ton for its members all over the
States. If an object Is to be accom-
plished, the machinery of this or
stead of the unaided efforts of SIM
gle individual.
For instance man wants pillow.
He goes to the plew.dealer and gets
the price. 1t seems high. There is
no appeal; he can take it or leave it.
How doesit happen that he is charg-
ed $40 for pillow that cost the maker
$40. Thus: The maker must make
profit, the general agent must
make profit, the printer must make
profit, the sub agents must make
profit, the dealer must make q profit,
and the Farmer must pay them
all. Now, suppose he is member
of Grange. He lays the matter be.
fore the next meeting. 1t soon APP
pears that there are number of
others who also want new plows. 1t
is soon decided to instruct the Secre-
tary or some competent committee to
interview either the manufacturer
or general agent, and tell him q large
and wealthy organization of Farm
ers want some plows, and will con-
tinue to from year to year, and that
they expect to get them in whole
sale quantities, and get them at
wholesale rates-and you a0iH get
them.
You want suit of clothes. The
merchant tells you the price, and
you can pay or wear your old
old ones. Take this matter to your
Grange; send your committee to the
traders of your town. This commit
tee tells Mr.. Merchant: AZ rep
resent a. Grange of Patrons, and
the members of my Grange want
goods. We expect to buy largely,
and shall buy where we can get them
at satisfactory rates. If no merchant
here will sell at such as we deem
just, we have determined to bring on
goods from the East and employ a
suitable person to distribute them"
You will get terms in either case
that will be just and right, and all
because you are organized and so
have the power, and the trader
knows you mean to use it. These
are merely solitary instances in
which our Order will prove that in
union there is strength" We can
thus better accumulate information,