Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-08-30
WHERE REFoRM GIN

"hEh6 hGE Sn~ oO3A4NS
An important address was delivered
by Mr.. ID. w. Adams, Master Of the
National Grange, before the Patrons
of Husbandry. In Dubuque county,
Iowa, last week. Some Of the senti-
ments uttered. coming from an official
and eloquent representative Of that
Order, are worthy Of careful perusal.
Abiding to the organization and
working Of the caucus system as now
constituted, he said that while the
farmer Is drudging on the farm, day
and night, month after month and
year after year, professional politicians
nominate candidates for him, lawyers
make and enforce the laws for him,
and spectators fix the price Of his
wheat. TO remedy this State Of affairs
he declared was the object Of the Pat
rons Of Husbandry. 1t Is not n rellg-
ious sect, a political party, or 4 cor
porate association, but Is based on
broader principles, and has a higher
purpose, than any existing sect, party,
or association. There may be men,
bers Of Oranges, said the speaker,
whose highest Idea Of Its benefits Is to
buy a pillow IS cheaper, or sell = steer
for $ more, but the progress OF the
individual, Of the class, Of the COM
munlty which the Patrons design to
accomplish. Is Il result that can not b
measured by money, nor even by the
fact that the farmer will be able to
compete with the railroad monopolist
on his own ground, wit against wit,
mind against mind.
Abiding to the bids made By office
seekers, and the efforts Of demagogues
to obtain recognition Of the movement
and worm themselves Into office
through It's numerical strength, MIR.
Adams said that especial Interest Is
taken just now, particularly by the
class of men who have been in the
habit of filling the offices and pocket
ing the salaries, in tho action Of the
Patrons regarding politics; they warn
us not to NEEDLE with politics, but
rather to keep OH producing fifteeu-
can't corn. and try to devise some way
to raise 1t for a shilling, but In becom-
Ing Patrons we never relinquished our
right to participate In politics." and
advised that, while as an organization
the Patrons take no part in politics, as
individuals they Inform themselves
more fully upon political matters. and
attend with more fidelity to their
political duties than ever before.
Politics. he said, have become cor
rups not because honest men have at
tended too closely to political matters,
but because they have neglected them
too much. Let honest men all over
the country see to II, that only worthy
and competent men are put In nom
ination at the caucus, and when cleo
ton comes honest men will not be
compelled to choose between two cor
rupt men for office. When the town.
ship caucus comes of what do we lind
We find the farmers holding the pillow,
the carpenter showing the plane, tho
shoemaker hammering his sole leather,
the blacksmith at work at his forge,
but every corrupt politician and pur'
chasable knave In the community
turns out, and the industrial classe;
leave the politics Of tho country In
their hands. The speaker dwelt en-
phatically upon this point. and hoped
to see the day when It would be deem
ed as much a patriotic duty to watch
over our liberties at the polls In time
Of peace as to defend them on the bat.
tle-field In time of a
This Is sensible advice. As Gov.
Palmer said recently, IL the people
want honest men, they can have them.
1t is their own fault II they allow
themselves to be controlled by dema-
gogues and knaves. The primary
is the great battlefield, the place
where victory for the people must first
DO achieved. II men are In earnest
and havo energy and Independence
enough to attend primary elections
and see to it that none but good men
are sent as delegates to conventions OF
nominated for office, reform will
surely follow. The whole trou-
bio Is In the tardiness Of action
among tho people. They allow a few
wire.workers and ollice-seokers to
manage the primary meetings and
elections, who nominate candidates In
their own Interests, and only awake tc
the fact that they have been betrayed
when the names o fthsse corrupt or I'm
beetle nominees are parsded as the Of
fetal representatives Of party, and
their support demanded on partizar
grounds. The only alternative Is ther
to swallow the dose or bolt the party
1t Is nonsense to talk Of capturing
primary II honest people make 1t theil
business to attend. There are mort
honest people than knaves In the
world, we believe, and all they neet
to achieve success, to select and cleo
their own rulers and make laws fol
their own protection, Is to attend &C
the business Of politics with the same
promptitude and energy As to theiI
other duties. There is no need OF cor
rupt legislators, no need Of ycnal lesis
lation. nc need to fear monopoly en-
c%roachment il the people do their duty
at the outset Of a political contest
While we recognize the inherent right
OF every man to refuse support to ar
unfit nominee we cannot avoid the be,
lief that. especially In local politics,
the fault Is generally In the apathy o.
the people, and the remedy In an early
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