Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-05-30
FROM A GRANGER,
10 the Eds. Lldepcndent:

10 the Eds. Ildependent:
1t seems that where peace and
friendship prevail, that there is
always discordant element to stir
up and agitate certain kinds ofper
sons, who follow as many different
avocations. / notice in your pa
per of May l6, that person, sign
ing himself, or rather wishing TO
be addressed as a "Mechanic," has
mentioned several things which
am sorry to say gre very much
misconstrued Everything YOU
hear is Granger and the Grange. -
How Is 1t that other branches Of
business can have their organize
tion and not a word will be said
But just let the farmer say word
or do an act to bring about sys-
tenn in their workings, and see
what hey are branded with. He
says we send off and buy salt by
the car load. Now suppose Mr.
Mechanic, ] would bring a shoat,
for instance, to Martlnsburg, and
would ask you So for It; another
party would have one equally as
good for 81; what would you do?
Which would you take I? The 81
of course. Now then, if we can
save 80 or 70 cents on one sack of
salt, ought we not to do it?
Wouldn't you do it? Yes, and
glad of the chance. Tell me what
Grange has gotten barrel Of mo
Iasses through its resources; and |
will thank you kindly for it. The
merchants buy our produce, and
what do they give us? just what
they please to. III go to mer
chant with butter, (if ! should be
fortunate enough to have any ).and
say 0 him, ] want q certain price
for ii, and if ii accords with his
price, and gives him a chance to
make p cents on one gallon ofcOal
oil, then he will take it, if not he
will say that he can't afford to give
that for butter. What then? ]
must either take what he offers or
take my batter back home with
me. Is this right? Are we to
keep up set of people who are
trying to wrench out of our hands
the last almighty dollar we have ?
No. Let them 90 to work like we
have to do, and perhaps they will
enjoy life much better.
How does our getting molasses,
salt coal oil &c, effect the mechanic?
Does he have to pay more for the
butter tnat he gets from the mer-
chant than they pay us? / hope
not, and by So doing let the mer-
chant make double profit. He says
that they buy all Of our butter,
eggs and potatoes, and the miller
our wheat and corn and give the
highest prices for them. Suppose
potatoes were selling in town to-
day at ST per bushel that would
be the highest cash price. A car
load Of potatoes would be shipped
from the West, which could be sold
at 70 cents ; would he give the far
mers 81 for the same potatoes that
could be bought at the other figure?
No, indeed he would say that they
asked too much for potatoes that
we could buy at rs cents. What
moral can we bring to bear right
here. CHARITY begins at hofhe.n
We are not combined against you
nor your Board of Trade. Is this
what the Board of Trade is for? To
array themselves against us? Ifso,
let them sing 1t ont. They say it is
to protect themselves against bad
pay, or parties who won't pay at all
and not in opposition to the grange;
fight the Grange with it own wea-
pons. What weapons have we?
What do We want? Nothing but a
fair and square deal but not to let
man make 125 per cent. on sin
gle article. We don't propose to
go abroad or send abroad for any
thing which we can deal fairly for
at home; but when we cant, we
have the points, wherewith 20 act
abroad.
Hoping that / have not taken up
too much space in your valuable
paper, and also that | have given
themechanic full satisfaction about
the signature,
remain yours, q.