The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-02-21
THE NATIONAL GRANGE:

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THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
4 Declaration Of the Purposes of she
80 fstrens of Hasbandry.
The National Grange, at its recent
session at St. Louis, unanimously
adopted the following platform !. the
principles and aims Of the organiza-
tion:
Profoundly impressed with the truth |
that the National Grange Of the Uni
ted States should definitely proclaim
to the world its, general objects, we
hereby unanimously make this declar-
alton Of the purposes Of the Patrons
of Husbandry: o
First-United by the strong and
faithful tie Of agriculture, we mutual
~ resolve to labor for the good Of our
order, and country, and mankind.
Second-We heartily endorse the
motto, In essentials, unity; in nom
essentials, liberty; in all things, chari-
,ty."
Thifd-We shall endeavor to ad-
vance our cause by iaboring to accom-
plish the following objects: To devel-
op . better and higher manhood and
wOmanhOod among ourselves; to en-
hance the comforts and attractions of
our homes, and strengthen our attach
ments to our pursuits; to foster mutu-
al understanding aud CO operation; to
stimulate each other to labor to has
ten the good time coming; to reduce
our expenses both individual and CO.
operative; to buy less and produce
more in order to make our farms self
sustaining; to diversity our crops, and
crop no more than we can cultivate; to
condense the weight of our exports,
selling less in the bushel and more on
ho0f and fleece; to systematic our
work and calculate intelligently on
probabilities; to discountance the
credit system, the mortgage system,
the fashion system, aud every other
system tending to prodigality and
bankruptcy. We propose meeting to-
gether, talking together, working to-
gether, buying together, selling to
gether, and, in general, acting togeth-
er for our mutual protection and the
advancement the association may re-
quire. We shall avoid litigation as
much as possible by arbitration in the
l Grange. We shall constantly strive
to secure entire harmony, good will,
and vital brotherhood among our
I selves, and to make our order perpet-
| ual. We shall earnestly endeavor to
suppress personal, local, sectional, and
national prejudices, all unhealthy ri.
valry, all selfish ambition. Faithful
adherence to these principles will in
sure our mental, moral, social, and
material advancement.
Fourth Our business interests.
We desire to bring producers and con-
sumers, and manufacturers, into the
most direct and friendly relations pos
sibie. Hence re must dispense with
q surp1ius of middle men-not that
We are unfriendly to them, but we do
not need them. Their surplus and
their exactions diminish our profits.
We wage 10 aggressive warfare against
I any other interests whatever. On the
contrary, all oar acts and all our eff
forts, SO far as business is concerned,
are not only for the benefit Of produ.
GERS aad consumers, bat also for all
other interests that tend to bring these
| two parties into speedy and economi.
i cal contact. Hence We hold thai
| transportation companies Of every
kind are secessary to our success; thai
their interests are intimately cOnnec
ted with our interests, and harmoni
Gus action is mutually advantageous
Keeping in view the first sentence il
our declaration of principles of &C
ton, that individual happiness de
pends upon general prosperity, VI
shall therefore advocate for ever!
State, the increase in every practica
BILE way of all facilities for transport
ing cheaply to the seaboard, or be
tween home producers and comsu
mers, all productions Of our country
We adopt it as our fixed purpose {,
open out the. channels in nature
great arteries, that the life blood Q
commerce may how freely. We ar
not enemies Of railroads, navigabl
and irrigating canals, nor of any cor
porations that will advance our inter
ests, oor of any laboring classes. Il
our noble order there is no commun
ism and no agrarianism. We are op
posed to such spirit and management
Of any corporation or enterprise a
tends to oppress the people and ro|
them Of their just profits. We ar
not enemies to capital, but we oppos
the tyranny of monopolies. We lon
to see the antagonism between capita
and labor removed by common con
sent and by an enlightened statesman
ship worthy Of the nineteenth century
We are opposed to excessive salaries
high rates of interests, and exorbitan
percentage of profits in trade, as the
greatly increase our burdens and d
/ not bear proper proportion to tn
profits of the producers. We desir
only self protection and the protectio
of every true interest offered BY legit
mate trade, and legitimate transat
tions, and legitimate profits. We sha
advance the cause of education anon
. ourselves and our children by all ju,
means within our power. We espcc
ally advocate for our agricultural an
industrial colleges, that practical agr
culture, domestic science and all I'll
: arts which adorn the home be taugl
in their course of study.
Fifth-We emphatically and ST,
cerely assert the oft-repeated trut
in our organic law that the Grang
? National, State, or subordinate, is n
political or party organization. n
: Grange, if true to its obligations, ca
discuss political conventions, a,
: nominate candidates, nor even discu
: their merits in its meetings; yet Il
J principles we teach underlie all tr.
. politics, all true statesmanshin. and