The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1874-03-06
athsus 2ost.-
Athens, Friday, March 6, 1874.
The Post versus the Changers.

intended any mischief 10 you or any
one else. One more considerate than
you seem to be would have felt inclined
10 help tie farmers along In this their
maiden attempt TO take care Of them
selves. All good citizens, in every part
Of the land, should say Amen! Why
not? Have not the farmers for nearly
a century stood sloof from each other,
ignored all attempts at organization and
battled away. IN their isolated condition.
against all odds, thus eniailing upon
Themselves disaster after disaster2 Now
that they are marshalling their forces
and attempting TO concentrate them for
their mutual safety and protection, don't
II look hard TO discourage and to dis
suade them from doing that which Is so
essential to their prosperity. Were 1t
true that they are plotting devilment
and aiming to subvert justice, over
throw other classes and to build them.
selves up upon the ruins which they
have created, there would be some rea.
sonable excnse for the efforts which are
being made TO confuse them and to
drive them away from the organization
In question.
You more than intimate that they are
striving TO crush other classes. How
wide Of the mark you are! Wherein
and how are they trying to co any such
thing? Certainly YOU can: complain
Of them for any arrangements they can
make whereby they can save money to
themselves. You are too generous a
man TO assume any such POSITION
Heretofore they have been paying from
fifteen 10 forty per cent more for their
implements of husbandry than they
should have paid Tor the reason that
they could not reach the door of the
manufacturer; aud their wives and
daughters have been paving fully one
hundred per cent. more for sewing ma.
chimes than any one should have had
the conscience 10 demand. Now can
you blame either the husbands, or their
wives and daughters for connecting
themselves with an organization that
enables them on the one hand TO save
at least forty per cent on their plows,
reapers &C.. and, on the other. one hun.
dred per cent. in the cost of sewing ma
CHINESE What wrong, will you tell me,
Is there in this, and what war is intend
cd upon the middle man who stand be-
tween them and the manufacturer? III
other words what obligations are the
farmers under to exhaust their muscle
and expend their sweat to give bread
and meat to these gentlemen If they
can't 1.-Two at their business, then let them
go into The corn field and make some.
thing for other folks to live on, and, al
the same time, make n support for them
selves. The farmers bear all the heavy
burthens of enormous taxation, and sus.
tain all other classes by their labor, and
yet they must be denied the boon Of
buying where they can buy the cheap
est, and IL they attempt so presumptious
thing, they are branded as antagonis-
tic to other classes This is miserable
logic.
But You suggest that the "Farmers'
Movement" 10 n money machine to af-
ford fat salaries to few Of its officers.
Here again you are ahead OF the hounds.
and strive to make most unjust i'm.
preston upon The agricultural mind
There are, fortunately, no high salaried
men in our "Order." The Master Of
the Tennessee State Grange doesn't re-
ceive dollar, nor does the Treasurer.
The Secretary, by the unanimous action
Of six hundred farmers at the recent
meeting of the State Grange, was allow
cd the Insignificant salary Of one thou
sand dollars, when 1t Is well known
that the Masonic Secretary gets about
@L,OOVUU pct uHHuu5 huo NutiOuui
Secretary, who does more hard work,
perhaps, in every twenty-four hours.
than any man in America, only receives
nominal salary. contend that they
are not paid enough.
The most Of the money paid by the
subordinate oranges Is put into their
own Golfers. Let mo explain: An APP
plicant for membership pays five dollars.
Four dollars Of this amount are kept In
the subordinate treasury. The woman
pays two dollars. One dollar ard half
Of this 10 kept in the same treasury, and
Of the one dollar and twenty cents an.
nual dues, ninely.six cents are locked
up IN the same treasury, all TO be. used
or invested as the members may decide
upon. The fractional amounts alluded
10 are set aside 10 keep the State aud
National organizations In existence
Ul,ut IL, L., 10 Tat lao