Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-02-19
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.

The following is the Declaration of Princi-
pies as enunciated by the National Grange,
Patrons of Husbandry, in convention at St.
Louis last week:
Profoundly impressed with the truth that
the National Grange Of the United States
should definitely proclaim to the world its
general objects, we hereby unanimously make
this declaration of the purpose of the Patrons
of Husbandry:
First. United by the strong and faithful
tie Of agriculture, we mutually resolve to la
Dor for the good of our order, our country,
and mankind.
Second We heartily indorse the sentiment:
"In essentials, unity in non-essentials, liber'
ty ; in all things, charity"
Third. We shall endcavor to advance our
cause by laboring to accomplish the following
objects: To develop better and higher man.
hood and womanhood among ourselves; to
enhance the comforts and attractions Of our
homes and strengthen our attachments to our
pursuits to foster mutual understanding and
cooperation to maintain inviolate our laws;
to stimulate each other to labor; to hasten the
good time coming; to reduce our expenses,
both individual and cooperative; to buy less
and produce more, in order to make our farms
selfsustaining; to diversity our crops and
crop no more than we can cultivate; to con.
dense the weight of exports, selling less in the
bushel and more on the hoof and in the fleece;
to systematic our work and calculate intelli-
gently our probabilities; to discountenance
the credit system, mortgage system, fashion
system, and every other system tending to
prodigality and bankruptcy We propose to
act together for our mutual protection and
advancement ofthe association we shall avoid
litigation as much as possible by arbitration;
we shall constantly strive to secure entire har.
mony, good will, and brotherhood among our
selves, and to make our order perpetual We
shall earnestly endeavor to suppress personal,
local. sectional, and national prejudices, all
unhealthy rivalry, all selfish ambition. Faith.
full adherence to these principles will insure
our mental, moral, social, and material ad-
vancement.
Fourth. We desire to bring producers and
consumers, farmers and manufacturers, into
the most direct and friendly relations possible;
hence we must dispense with the surplus of
middlemen. We wage no aggressive warfare
against any other interests whatever; on the
contrary, all our acts and all our efforts, as
far as. business is concerned, are not only for
the benefit of producers and consumers, but
also for all other interests that tend to bring
these two parties into speedy and economical
contact. Hence we hold that transportation
companies of every kind are necessary to our
success that their interests are intimately
connected with our interests, and harmonious
action is mutually advantageous, keeping in
view the first sentence in our declaration Of
principles of action, that individual happiness
deepens our general prosperity. We shall
therefore advocate for every State increase in
every practicable way of all facilities for
transporting cheaply to the seaboard, or be-
tween home producers and consumers, all pro-
ductions of our country. We are not enemies
of railroads, navigable and irrigating canals,
nor of any corporations that will advance our
industrial interests, nor of any laboring classes
In our noble order there is no communism and
no aggrarianism. We are opposed to such
spirit and management of any corporation or
enterprise as tends to oppress people and rob
them ofther just profits. We are not enemies
to capital, but we oppose the tyranny of mo-
nopolies We long to see the antagonism be-
LWeeu CdpiLdl duu IdUOr removed Oy common
consent and by enlightened craftsmanship
worthy of the nineteenth century. Weare op.
posed to excessive salaries, hig b rates of in.
terest and exorbitant per centage or profits
on trade, as they greatly increase our burdens
and do not bear proper proportion to the
profits ofthe producers. We desire only self.
protection and protection of every true inter.
est offered by legitimate transactions, legiti.
mate trade, and legitimate profits We shall
advance the cause Of education among our.
selves and for our children by all just means
within our power. We especially advocate for
our agricultural and industrial colleges that
practical agriculture, domestic science, and all
arts which adorn the home, be taught in their
courses of study.
Fifth. We emphatically and sincerely assert
the oft repeated truth taught in our organic
law that the grange, national, State, or subor.
dinate, is not political or party organization.
No grange, if true to its obligations, can dis
cuss political or religious questions, nor hold
political conventions, nor nominate candidates,
nor discuss their merits in its meeting. Yet
the principles we teach underlie all true poll
tics, all true craftsmanship, and if properly