The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-03-28
The Patrons Of Husbandry.

RICHARDSON, TEXAS, March is, 1874.
To the Editor of The Dallas Herald:
l am gratified that you considered
my communicates of the 24th ult.,
worthy of publication, even in your
daily edition, though it was intendedfor
your weekly, that the farmers of the
country might see what we are doing
in this part of Dallas county to pro-
mite the interests and growth of the
patrons of husbandry. l am also
pleased to learn from your editorial of
February IS, that you favor the move
ment. Also that you frequently pub
lish articles to this effect, but as | read
only your weekly l have seen but little
concerning the order, except in the
last few numbers. However ! can not
agree with you that "the ecessity for
such an organization is not by any
means as great in Texas as the central
and western states" even if "the party
in power here embraces the great
majority of the people," nor even if
"the essential principles OF grangers
are principles always held by the dem
ocratic party of the state" One of the
most prominent objects of the order is
to "bring producers and consumers,
farmers and manufacturers into the
most intimate relations possible; hence
it dispenses with surplus of middle
men," and nowhere except, perhaps,
in the far western states, have middle
men, such as agents and spectators,
reaped a richer harvest than in
the state of Texas. All agricultural
implements are now sold to our far
mers, for which the agents receive
from twenty-five to one hundred per
cent above manufacturers prices, and
the same may be said of almost every
article of commerce which the farmer
is obliged to purchase, while prices of
his produce are also largely under the
control of spectators. Our object is to
buy our implements directly from the
manufacturers of the same, and thus
retain the profits now paid to agents,
and to sell our produce directly to
manufacturers, and thus ourselves OBJ
tain the profits now realized by brokers
and spectators. This can not be ac-
complished by a political party, how
ever pledged to the interests of the
people that party may be. Again, the
order of patrons of husbandry is not a
political organization. Nc political
question can be discussed in a grange,
yet we believe our Essential principles"
are the Foundation of all true state
manship." We seek "the greatest
good to the greatest number" No per-
son, by becoming member of our or
der, yields one jot or title of his
"inalienable right and duty" to take
proper interest in political affairs.
Yet the principles inculcated by our
order are opposed to the bribery, trick
cry and corruption which distin-
guish the political parties of to-
day. So when the grange men,
Der comes to cast his ballot,
politicians, corruptionists,
and monopolists must stand from un-
der. 1t is well known that politicians
Of all parties have not looked upon our
progress with much favor, and have
sought to discourage us as distinct or
ganization. They have been profuse
in their promises to protect the inter-
ests of the producing classes and re.
dress their grievances. The republican
politicians send out their appeals in
accents of despair. ave know" they
say, "that you have endured great and
yrievous wrongs at our hands. We
know that you have lain supinely on
fous backs till the gigantic moneyed
of the east, fostered by a
republican administration, have bound
you hand and foot, but stand by us;
lon't be alarmed; wait little while
onger. When the safety of the coun-
ny is once permanently secured, we
will rid our party of this corruption,
Which has become such fostering
Iore on the body polite. We will cast
IF the vampires who have fattened on
he labor of the toiling millions. We
lon't believe your organization is at all
Our party has still suffi-
lent virtue to purge itself of all these
wills. Whatever you do, don't we be
eech you. endanger the existence ef
'ur party"
The democratic politicians tell them
the farm ers:) Weknowyou have been
be victims of extortioner-of grasp !