Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-02-26
Platform Adopted by the NATIONAL
Grange.

Platform Adopted by the National
Grange.
ST. LOUIS, February II.
The National Grange to-day, after the
transaction of some minor business, re-
ceived the report of the Committee on
Resolutions, presented by Mr.. Wardlow,
of Florida, and adopted it unanimously.
1t is as follows:
Profoundly impressed with the truth that
the National Grange of the United states
should definitely proclaim to the world Its
general objects, we hereby unanimously make
this declaration Of purposes OF the Patrons OF
Husbandry:
Flrst-United by the strong ard faithful tie
OF agriculture, We mutually resolve to labor
for the good Of our Order, our country ana
mankind.
Seconel-We heartily indorse the motto: "in
essentials Unity; In non-essentials Liberty; 10
all things Charity"
Th;rd-We shall endeavor to advance our
cause by laboring to accomplish the Following
objects: To develop better and higher man
hood and womanhood among ourselves; 10
enhance the comforts and attractions OF our
homes and strengthen our attachments TO our
pursuits: TO foster mutual understanding and
! Cooperation; to maintain inviolate our laws,
| and TO stimulate each other to labor to hasten
| the good time coming; 10 reduce our expenses,
both individual and corporate; to buy less
and produce more, in order to make our farms
self-supporting; to diversity our crops, ana
| plant no more than we can cultivate; to con-
dense the weight of our exports, sell.
ing less in the bushel and more on the hoof
and in fieeces; to systematic our work,
and calculate intelligently on the prob
Abilities to discountenance the credit system.
the mortgage system, the fashion system, and
every other system tending to PRODUCTIVITY and
bankruptcy. We propose meeting together,
talking together, working together, buying
together, selling together, and generally act
! ing together, for our mutual protection and
| advancement, as occasion may require. We
shall avoid litigation as much as possible, by
arbitration In the Grange. We shall constant
| Iy strive to secure entire harmony, goodwill,
and vital brotherhood among ourselves, and
| to make our Order perpetual. We shall earn
estly endeavor to suppress personal, local,
sectional, and national prejudices all I'M
healthy svalry and all selfish ambition. Faith
full adherence to these principles will insure
| our mental, moral, social and material ad-
vanceIncnt.
Fourth-For our business interests we de-
sire TO bring producers and consumers, farm
ers and manufacturers, into the most intimate
relations possible. Hence, we must dispense
with a surplus of middle-men, not that we are
unfriendy 20 them, but we do not need them.
Their surplus and their exactions 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 producers, but also for all other in
terests that try to bring those two parties into
| speedy and economical contact Hence we
hold that transportation companies OF every
kind are necessary to our success; that their In
terests are intimately connected with our inter
ests, and that harmonious action Is mutually ad-
| vantageous. Keeping In view the first sentence
Of our declaration of principles of action, that
individual happiness depends upon the gen.
eral prosperity" we shall therefore advocate
for every State the increase in every practi-
cable way of all facilities for transporting cheap
| ly to the seaboard or between home producers
and consumers all the productions of our
country. We adopt 1t as our fixed purpose
to open out the channels in Natures great
arteries, that the life-blood of commerce may
flow freely. We are not enemies Of railroads,
nayigable and irrigating canals, nor OF any
corporation that will advance our industrial
interests nor Of any laboring classes. In our
4 nobls Order there Is no communism, no
agrarianism. We are opposed to such spirit
and management Of any corporation or enter
prise as tend to Cypress the people and rob
them of their just profits. We are
tyranny of monopolies. We long to see the
antagonism between capital and labor removed
| by common consent, and by an enlightened
craftsmanship worthy of the nineteenth CEN
fury. We are opposed TO excessive sala-
rics, high rates Of interest," and exorbitant per
| cent. profits In trade. They greatly increase
our burdens, and do not bear proportion to
the profits Of producers. We desire only self
| protection and the protection of every true
interest In our land by legitimate transactions,
legitimate trade and legitimate profits. We
shall advance the cause of education among
ourselves and for our children by all just
means within our power. We especially ad-
vocate for our agricultural and Industrial col
leges that practical agriculture, domestic
science, and all the arts which adorn the home
be taught in their courses OF study.
| Fyfh---We emphatically and sincerely assert
| the oft-repeated truth taught in our organic
law, that the Grange--National, State or SUBJ
ordinate--is not a political or party organize
| ton. No Grange, If true To its obligations,
4 can discuss political or religious questions,
| nor call political conventions, nor nominate
candidates, nor even discuss their merits In
| It's meetings; yet the principles we teach UNI
dcrlie all true politics, all true craftsmanship,
and, IL properly carried out, viii tend to purify
the whole political atmosphere Of our eoun-
TRY, for we seek the greatest good of the great
sst number; but we must always bear II in
mind that no one, by becoming a Grange.
| member, gives up that inalienable right and
dsty which belongs TO every American citizen
totake proper interest In the politics of his
country. On the contrary, 1t is right for
every member To do all In his power legiti-
maely TO influence for good the action of any
political party to which he belongs. II is his
duty to do all he can in his own party to put
dowi bribery, corruption and trickery; to see
that hone but competent, faithful and honest
men, who will unilinchngly stand by our in
dustrhl interests, are nominated for all posi-
lions q trust, and to have carried ont the
principe which should always characterize
every Grange member---that the Office should
seek the man, and not the man the office.
| We acknowledge the broad principle that diff
ference 4 opinion is no crime, and hold that
progress toward truth Is made by differ
enees OF opinion, while the fault lies In
the BITTERNESS Of controversy. We desire a
proper equality, equity and fairness; protec-
ton for thcweak, restraint upon the strong
in short, jualy distributed burdens and Just
tly.distrlbuta power These are American
ideas, the veg essence of American independ
ence, and to ayocate the contrary is unworthy
OF the sons and daughters Of an American
| Republic. Wacherish the belief that section
alism Is, and o, right should be, dead and
buried withthelpast Our work Is for the
present and thefnture. In our agricultural
brotherhood andlts purposes we shall recog
nize no North, noSouth, no East, no West. Il
4 4 ryplh Inv ~ pat .sx.rsk