The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-08-11
Rn, Il ooes further. It proposes to

impress upon the 1arncr tne LhourHiui
but long since patent truth that he has
heretofore been the pack-horse for all
other parties; that he has been the dupe,
the very scape goat of spectators and
middle men of every shape, size, color,
and description; that he has rights
which. from ignorance, he has never
dareI maintain; that if he has the en-.
ergy and patience to labor diligently,
from seed time to harvest, he certainly
should have the intelligence to know
what he never has known-the true,
proper marketable value OF his hard
learned products; that if in union there
8 strength, so in this organization tends
may be aimed at and effects produced
which, in the future, will relieve the
farmer from that Industrial thraldom to
which he has been subjected in the past.
Mercantile men. commercial men, pro-
fessional men, and mechanics of every
kind appreciate fully the value to their
respective vocations of union, concert,
and singleness Of purpose. But far
mers everywhere have always acted as
though their vocation aimed at nothing,
aud as if their duty was to labor pa
tiently, year in and year out, to produce
for market something that other peo-
pie set price upon.
Co operation is one Of the fundamen.
tal ideas of the Order of Patrons of
Husbandry,and this word, cooperation,
must be used in its most general and
broadest sense. CO. operation with view
to edify the farmer as a producer and
consumer, and thus bring these two
great classes OF people face to face
with. each other, that the cormorants of
society, who have heretofore toiled net
nor spun, may in degree revel in The
privilege Of earning their bread by the
sweat Of their face; co oDeration with q
view to inform the farmer of the quail
ity and quantity Of the products Of his
colaborers, and thus give him statistical
information that will enable him to cope
with the army of spectators that an
nually amass or destroy fortunes at the
farmers expense We have only to
carry in our minds this idea of cooper
alton until we see every farmer in this
broad Union member of the Order
and then intensity the idea by still fur.
ther uniting the various Oranges OF
each county into one county Grange,
that shall have meeting Of at least one
representative of every Grange in the
county once week. Go further, and
imagine minute statistical crop repor,
made from each Grange to this county
Grange. and by one of its officers this
report be so condensed that i. can be
reported by telegraph in figures or cy
pliers to some central bureau of the
National Grange, showing the ares, con
dition, kind, and all other ideas wortl
knowing concerning the crop. Pursue
this idea still further, and aggregate
those various, yes, those thousands o
reports, into one general report at til,
National centre, and on the appointed
day the following week have that gen
eral report telegraphed back to tn,
county Oranges from which they sew
orally came. say, perfect this system
so completely that once week th
humblest farmer in our country will b.
told almost to day how the crop
look and what the crops are in ever,
State in the Union, and will he not fe G
his very soul developed by the infor
mation2
But there are objections to the Or
der, and, says straight jacket, your Or
der is secret organization. To b.
sure it is, and is therefore to be priced
otherwise, it would have no cohesive
ness. Ask any man if his most valua
bile thoughts are not kept to himself
Why do all deliberative bodies holt
their executive sessions (their mos
important meetings) in secret? Ash
the merchant why his "cost mark" is ar
enigma2 Wherefore are zoe taught thai
our right hands should not know abou
the doings Of our lef2 To. my mint
this objection is futile.
But you admit women, says another
do yon advocate woman's rights =? For
tunately the constitution precludes thu
introduction Of any political or relig
ious discussion in the work of the Or
der, but it requires certain portion o.
females in every Grange. This wise
provision will enhance its social worth
The presence of women will give to the
Order virtue, dignity, ard Character
Were farmers never seen in their asso'
Citations with the outside world excep,
in the company Of women, they them
selves would be far purer men. Indo
lence, ignorance, profanity, vulgarity,
and all the baser emotions of mans
nature are ever held in allegiance in the
presence of pure and refined women
The Patrons of Husbandry incnlcate
charity, sobriety, energy, industry, ,econ.
omy, and honesty. Hence, any farmer
becoming Patron can not be injured
in person or estate, but may, by coop
Grafton with his fellows, greatly benefit
himself, and extend his bene6cent infu
ence to those around him.
PATRON.