Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-12
CHANGERS AND MIDoLEMEN.

lssuHlI
Patrons, TINT has created sensation among
his flock, which is largely composed Of grang-
ers, the Master OF the State Grange being |
among them. The reverend gentleman says
nothing about the current objection that the
grange Is allowing itsolf to be used for po-
litical schemes, but he takes it upon his own |
ground and endeavors to prove that while IL |
was ostensibly organized 10 defend tho peo-
pie against the great railroad monopolics Of
The country. II has now become greater
monopoly ITSELF and he quotes from conf |
dental circular Of the grangors. just issued, |
advising and requiring all members to pur-
chase such articles rs tlloy need to buy !
through the grange agents who must buy |
direct from producers, and to ignore the |
tradesmon near home, who have been in tho |
habit OF making prof; by buying and selling
goods.
If MIR. Kctcham had founded his opposi-
ton 10 this feature of the order upon prlnci-
plies OF public policy aud expediency, he
could have Fortified his position so us to have
made It perfectly mprcgnable. We
suppose that every reasonable man will rec
ognizo the TACT that the merchants, mechan-
les, professional men, and laborcrs, in every
honorable calling, are necessary TO the best
interests Of society MS whole, and that the
prosperity Of the farmers themselves depends
greatly upon tho prosperity of the other
| trudes and occupations IN their vicinity. In
view Of this fact. the policy that would dis
organize the entire trade of tho country and
ruin the local mercantile and mechanical in
forests in any or every part of the United
| States, would be- not only unwise but suicid-
nj on the part of the farmers. We arc in
| favor of tho fullest liberty of competition,
which IS the great safeguard of the poor, and
decidedly opposed to that feature of the
grange that would make II q monopoly TO
play into the hands of foreign traders In the
large commercial centers and crush out the
retailers in the country villages.
We clip the foregoing from late issue Of
the Rutland Herald. The "current objec-
tiOn that the grange is allowing itself to be
used for political schemes" we think is a
perfectly natural one to come from tho reg
ular party organs In the face of as much
corruption in high places us has manifested
itself since the war it is not at all remark.
able that one effect of the oranges, or OF
anything else that has a tendency to bring
the masses Of the people together often for
the interchange OF ideas, is to somewhat
shake their confidence in the perfection of
whichever political party they may have be-
longed to, and cause them to look elsewhere
than to the party leaders for the Inaugural
tion Of true reform. As the changes which
are inevitable take place, the purest parties
gradually become corrupt while in power,
and nothing but continual watchfulness on
the part Of that power which lies behind
the government-the people-will save our
republican government. But there is no
danger Of an immediate downfall Of the Re
public. That power is ample for its preser-
walton. When the republican party came
into power with Lincoln in the presidential
chair that party was comparatively pure.
But the people placed too much faith in it I;
all the old political vampires began to work
their way into the party, in pursuit of the
lOaves and fishes, and they have had good
success. Not the grangers alone see the
need Of reform. The farmers movement in
the West embraces many anti.grangers, and
all over the country people begin to look
more at men and principles than at party
names.
The other objection that the course of the
grangers will "ruin the local mercantile and
mechanical interests in any or every part Of
the United States" is entirely without sup.
port. The Patrons are not opposed to mid
dlemen. They are only opposed to paying
more for their supplies than is necessary, or
taking less than necessary for their products.
Local traders are a necessity, and will de-
rive the larger part Of their business from
the farmers. But if in some places there
are too many Of these traders, and in order
trade they have been obliged to charge high
profits, competition has failed to prove "the
greatest safeguard Of the poor" and now
they propose by combination to protect
themselves. A shrewd, keen business man,
in locality where he can get custom enough,
can buy goods at wholesale and retail them
to the people on more advantageous terms
than they can import them themselves, and
the only effect of combination in buying and
selling among the farmers will be to drive
the surplus Of dealers from the field and
give a larger and more profitable business
to those who are left
The retail dealer who acknowledges that
few farmers, inexperienced in business
matters, can send to market and procure
their goods at such advantageous rates as to
interfere with his trade, confesses an inca.
pacity for his business and had better 90 to
chopping or hoeiug for those farmers, where
he may have a talent to succeed.
As for the grange being "a monopoly to
play into the hands Of foreign traders in the
large commercial centers," we fail to see any
moro improperly in that if it can be profit.
ably done, than in playing into the hands Of
"the retailers in the country villages" while
these retailers again play into the hands Of
those "foreign traders"