Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-12
THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
Authoritative Declaration of
Principles.
Expose of the Animus and Aims
of the Order.
Interesting Memorial to the Cot
ton States.

Interesting Memorial to the Cot
ton States.
ST. Lotus, Feb. ft.-The NatICosh
Grange to-day, alter the transaction OF some
minor business, received the report OF the
Committee on Resolutions, presented by
Mr.. WardlOw, of Florida, and adopted 1t
unanimously. 1t is as follows:
"Profoundly impressed with the truth
that the National Grange of the United
State should definitely present to the world
its general objects, we hereby make this
declaration of the purposes Of the Patrons
of Husbandry:
81. United by the strong and faithful tie
of agriculture, we mentally resolve to labor
for thu good of our order, our country and
mankind.
''2. We heartily endorse the motto, In
essentials unity, in non-essentiais liberty,
in all things charity.
GcreraI Principles.
''3. We shall endeavor to advance our
cause by labOring to accomplish the follow
ing objects: To develop a better, higher
manhood and wOmanhOOd among ourselves;
to enhance the comforts and attractions of
our homes and strengthen our attachments
10 our pursuits; to foster fiiutuel under-
standing and cooperation; to maintain In
violate our laws and to emulate each other
I" labor to hasten the good time coming; to
reduce our EXPENSES, beth individual and
corporate; to buy less and PTC,lItes more in
order TO make our farIns self-sustaining; 10
diversity our crops, and crop no more than
we can cultivate; to condense the weight
OF cur exports, selling less in the buShel
and more on hOof end in fleece; to systema-
tie our work and calculate intelligently
on the probabilities; to diScountenahc5 the
credit system, the mortgage system, the
fashion system, and every other system
tending to bankruptcy. We propose meet
ing together. talking together, working to-
gether, buying together; selling together,
and in general acting together for Olir mu-
tual protection and advancement as the Oc-
casiOn may require. We shall avoid litIga-
tiOn as much as possible by arbitration in
the Grange. We shall constantly strive to
secure entire harmony, good will and vital
brotherhood among ourselves, and to make
our order perpetual we shall earnestly en-
deayUr to suppress personal. local, sectional
and national prejudices, all unhealthy rival
~, all selfish ambition. Faithful adher-
ence to these principles will insure our
mental, moral, and social advancement.
A Practical Application.
81. For our business interests we desire
to bring producers and consumers, farmers
and manufacturers, into the most direct
and friendly relations possible. Hence we
must dispense with a surplus of middle
men, not that we are unfriendly to them,
but we don't need them. Their surplus
and their sXattiJas diminish cur profits.
We wage no warfare against any Gtfcr IT.
terest whatever. On the contrary all our
acts and all our efforts, so 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 focus.
| We hold that transportation companies of
every kind are necessary to our success,
and they are ifitimstely connected
with our interests and are mutu-
ally advantageous. Keeping in view the
first sentence in our declaration Of princi-
rles of action, that individual happiness
! de;,el.dS UPON the rsneraI prosperity, We
| Slltll ONsAtC NfNAf Ata--~ I'll
| increase in every practical way of all our
| facilities for transporting eheaply to sea
| F5ard or between home producers and con-
sumers all the productions Of chr country.
| We adopt it Is our fixed purpose 70 open
out the channels in natural great arteries,
that the life-blood of commerce may flow
| freely. We are not en5Ilics o. railroads
navigable canals nor of any corporations
that will advance our industrial interests
nor of any laboring classes. In our noble
! order there Is
No COmIiI.rfisI:fy
no Africanism. We are opposed to such
support and management of any corpora
tiOn or enterprise as tends to Oppress the
people and roo them Of their lust profits.
| We are not enemies to capital, but We Op-
pose the tyranny of mOnOpOlieS. We long
| to see the antaSOnism between capital and
| labor removed by common consent and by
an LnlishthnEd ststvsmsnship worthy OF
the 18th century. We are opposed to az
cessive salaries, high rates of interest, and
an exOrbitant Der cent. of profits in trade
| They greatly increase our burdens and dc
| not bear a proper proportion TO the profits
| of producers. We seek only self-protectiOI
| and the protection of every true interest o.
| our land by legitimate transactions, leeiti-
mate trade, and legitimate profits. va
| shall advance the cause of education among
ourselves, and for our children by all just
| means within our power. We especially
| advocate for our agricultural and induStria
| colleges that practical agriculture, dOmeStit
| science. and all tile arts which eaOrr the
home. be embraced in the courses of study
How Far Non-POIitfcaI.
IS. We emphatically and sincerely as
sert the oft repeated truth taught IN on
organic law, that the Grange, national
! Si5i6 or subordinate, e ret : political q
party organization. No grange, true to IL
Obligation, can discuss political or religious
questions, nor call politicaI CONVICTIONS
nor nominate candidates, nor even discus
their merits in meeting. Yet the princi
nles we tesc1 urderlie ,all true politics. al
true craftsmanship, ana il properly Carried
out will tend to purify the whole pOlitica
atmosphere of our country, for we seek the
greatest good to the greatest number. Blu
we tylust also bear it in mind that 10 CI.e
by becoming a grange member, gives N
that right and duty which belongs to ever,
American citizen to take aprOper interest il
the politics Of his eOnntryi eln the cor
trary. il is right for every member to 40 al
in his power, legitimately, to influence 70
good the action of any political party Z
which he belongs Il Is his dutt TO DO 81
he can in his own party to put dow
bribery, corruption and trickery, to see tina
none but competent, faithful and homes
men, who win uhainthinglE stand b,
our industrial interests, are nomlnate'
for all positions of trust, and t
have carried out the principles whicl
should always characterize every GraTig
member, that the office should seek th
man and not the man the office. We aC
knowledge the broad principle that differ
ence of opinion is no Grille, and hold tba
progress towards truth is made by differ
eeGsi1Irs of opinion, while fault lies in tn
bitterness of controversy. We desire
proper equality. equity and. fairness, pre-
lection for the weak, restraint upon tn
strong-in short, Justly distributed burden
and Justly distributed power. These ar
American ideas, the very essence OF Amerl
can independence, and to advocate the con
trary is unworthy Of the cause and auditor
of American public. We cherish the be
lief that sectionalism is of right, and shoul
be dead, and buried with the past. W
work is for the present and the future. j