The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-02-21
The Changers Platform.


IS PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES
Profoundly impressed with the truth TIT
C National Grange of the United States SHOULD
$ definitely proclaim to the world its genera
c objects, we hereby unanimously make thi
r declaration of the purposes of the Patrons o
HuSbandary.
: l. United by the strong and faithful tie OF
q agriculture, we mutually resolve to labor fol
5 the good of our order, our country, and man
kind
.. We heartily lndorse the motto: SIN es
= sentlals, unity; in non-esscntlals, liberty; in
l all things, charity
) g. We shall endeavOr to advance our cause
by laboring to accomplish the following oh.
! iects: To develop Il better and higher man.
/, hood and womanhoOd among ourselves; to
/, enhanch the comforts and attractions of our
homes, and strengthen our attachment to our
pursuits; to foster mutual understanding and
cooperation; to maintain inviolate our laws,
and to emulate each other to labor to hasten
the coed time coming; to reduce orr eXpCn-
scs, both individual and corporate to buy
less and produce more in order to make our
farms selfsupportingi to diversity our crops,
and crop no more than we cultivate; to con.
dense the weight OF our exports, selling less
in the bushel and more in the hoof and in
fleece; to systematic our work and calculate
! lultIllStHlIN vi plOUuDiIlIltS, W ulSCOuntcll-
anCc the credit system, the fashion system
and every other system tending 70 prodigali
| ty and bankruptcy. We purpose meeting to.
! gcther, talking together, working together,
buying together, selling together, and gcner
ally acting together for our mutual prOtcc-
| ton and advancement, as occasion many re
quirc. We shall avoid litigation as much as
possible, by arbitration in the grange; we
shall strive to secure entire harmony, good
will, vital brotherhood among ourselves, an
to make our order pcrpetual we shall earn
estly cndeavol to suppress personal, local,
sectional and national prcjudces, all unhcal.
thy rivalry and selfish ambition. Faithful
adherence to these principles will insure our
mental, moral, social and material advance
ment.
4. For our business interests we desire tOl
bring producers and consumers, farmers and
manufacturers, into the most direct and
friendly relations possible, Hence we must
dispense with surplus of middle-men. NotI
that we are untriendly to them, but we dol
not need them. They are surplus, and their
eXactlons diminish our profits. We wage no
aggressive warfare against any other interests |
whatever. On the contrary, all our acts and |
all our efforts, so far as business is concerned !
are not only for the benefit of the producers
and consumers, but also for all other interests |
that try to bring these two parties into speedy
and economical contact; hence we hold that
companies of every kind are
to our success, that their interests
are intimately connected with our interests
and harmonious action is mutually advanta-
geous Keeping in view the first sentence in
our declaration of principles Of action, that
individual happiness depends upon general
we shall therefore advocate for
every State the increase in every practicable
way OF all facilities Tor transporting Cheapiy
10 the Seabord, or between home producers
and consumers all the production of our coun-
ry. We adopt 1t as our fixed purpose to
open out channels in natures great arteries,
hat the lite-boOd Of commerce may flow
RELY. We are not enemies of RAILWAYS nav.
gable anu irrigating canals nor of any corpo.
'ations that Will advance our industrial i'll
erests, nor OF any laboring classes. In our
noble order there is no communism, no agra
'ianlsm. We are opposed to such spirit, and
he infringement OF any corporation or enter. /
rise which tends to Cypress the people and d
oh them OF there just profits. We are not ,,
nemieS to capital, but we oppose the tyranny !
t monopolies. We long to see the antagon. !
SIN between capital and labor removed by /
Ommon conSet and by an enlightened states :
lanship worthy OF the nineteenth century. "
Y Z are opposed to excessive salaries high .
ltes OF interest and eXorbtant per cent l.
rotits in trade. They greatly increase our
urdens and do not bear u proper proportion
the profits of the producer. We desire on.
self,protection and the protection of every q
ue interest of our land by legitimate tran !.
actions, legitimate trade, and legitimate pro Z
Is. We shall advance the cause of education y
mong ourselves and insist that our agricultur. .
and domestic science, and all the arts which II
Torn the home, be taught in their course of :,
udy. u
5. We emphatically and sincerely assert II
&c ottrepeateu truth taught in our or ,,
anic law, shat the grange, national state, or i
lbOrdinate, is not II political or party organ
alton, No grange, if true to its obligations :
III discuss political or religious questions II
Or cal! political conventions, nor nominate -
nor even discuss their merits II
Its meetings; yet the principles we teach !,
lderie ali true craftsmanship, and if pro- =
erly carried out will tend to purify the - =,
hole political atmosphere of our country, ~
+ we seek the greatest good for the greatest u y;
lmber; but we must always bear it in mind =,
at no one by becoming grange member NJ NJ
yes up that inalienablc right and duty q,
hich belongs to every American cstizcn to n
Ike Il proper interest in the politics of his ~
'untry. On the contrary, it Is right for ey 81
hlShibNi w w I'LL III HIS pOWGT lCHlllllalp-
to influence tor good the action of any DO ="
teal party to which he belongs. 1t is his w y,
O'y to do all he can in his own party to put "
own bribery, corruption and trickery; to see -,
lat none but competent, faithful and honest W
eh' VINO VIII untlinchingly stand by our Z,
'uusllai interests, are nominated for all DO ~
tlohs OF trust, and to have carried out the n
finciples which should always characterize % %
'ery grange member; that the office should "a "a
ek the man and not the man the office f. =,
e., acknowledge the broad principle that e
tterence OF opinion is no crime. and hold "
at progress towards truth is made by differ ~, ~,
ice OF opinion, while the fault lies in bitter ~
'ss OF controversy. We desire proper FL ~,
ualliy, equity, and fairness; protection for vi
weak ana restraint upon the strong; in
ort, Justly-distributed burdens and Justly
strlDutcd power These are American -,
cas-, The very essence of American indepen- NJ
nee, and 10 advocate the contrary is I'M r. r.
)rthy OF the sons and daughters of an Amer 49, 80
al. 81. 4. 4. Al.