The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-11-12
THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
Declaration of Purposes OF the Patron
of Husbandrv.

Il VI
l. United by the strong and faithful
tie OF agriculture, we mutually resolve
to labor for the good of our order, our
country and mankind.
2. We heartily indorse the motto
. In essentials, unity in non-essentials,
liberty in all things, charity"
3. We shall endeavor to advance our
cause by laboring to accomplish the fol-
lowing objects To develop a better and
higher manhood and womanhood among
ourselves. To enhance the comforts
and attractions of our homes and
strengthen our attachments to our pur-
suits. To foster mutual understanding
and cooperation, To maintain inviolate
our laws, and to emulate each other in
labor to hasten the good time coming.
To reduce our expenses, both individ-
ual and corporate. 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 the the hoof and in fleece:
less IN lint and more in warp and wool
To systematise our work and calculate
intelligently on probabilities. To dis
cOuntenance the credit system, the
mortgage system, the fashion system,
and every other system tending to pro-
digality and bankruptcy. We propose
meeting together, talking together,
working together, buying together, sell
ing together, and in general acting to-
gether 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 constantly strive to secure en-
tire harmony, good will, vital brother
hood among ourselves, and to make our
order perpetual. We shall earnestly
endeavor to SUPPRESS personal, local, sec
tional and national preiudices, all IN
healthy rivalry, all selfish ambition.
Faithful adherence to these principles
will insure our mental, moral, social and
material advancement.
4. For our business interests, we de-
sire to bring producers and consumers,
farmers and manufacturers into the
most direct and friendly relations posi-
BILE. Hence, we must dispense with a
surplus of middlemen, not that we are
unfriendly to them, but we do not need
them. Their surplus and their exac-
tions 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 bu-
| siness is concerned, are not only for the
benefit of the producer and consumer,
but for all other interests that tend to
bring these two parties into speedy and
economical contact. Hence we hold
that transportation companies of every
kind are necessary to our success, that
\ their interests are intimately connected
! with our interests, and harmonious &C
! ton is mutually advantageous /; keeping
| in view the first sentence in our decla.
ration of principles of action that " in
dividual happiness depends upon gener-
al prosperity" we proclaim our settled
conviction that we cannot expect to help
ourselves in any form that involves the
injury of others. We shall, therefore
advocate for every state the increase il
every practicable way, of all facilities
for transporting cheaply to the seaboard
or between homo producers and con
sumers, all the productions of our coun
try. We adopt it as our fixed purpose
to "open out the channels in natures
great arteries that the life-blood of com
MERGE may flow freely" We are no
enemies of railroads, navigable and ir
rigating canals, nor of any corporation
that will advance our industrial inter
ests, nor of any laboring classes. II
our noble order there is no communism
no agrarianism. We are opposed Il
such spirit and management of any cor
poration or enterprise as tends to Op
press the people and rob them of theil
just profits. We are not enemies to cap
ital, but we oppose the tyranny of mo
nopoliee. We long to see the antago
nism between capital and labor removed
by common consent, and by an enlight
ened craftsmanship worthy of the nine
teenth century. We are opposed 10 ex
cessive salaries, high rates of interest
aud exorbitant per cent. profits IL
trade. They greatly increase our bur
dens, and do not bear a proper proper
tion to the profits of producers. We de
sire only self-protection and the protec
tion OF every true interest of our LAND
by legitimate transactions, Legitimate
trade, and legitimate profits. We shall
advance the cause of education among
ourselves and for our children, by al
Just means within our power. We es
pecially advocate for our agriculture
aud industrial colleges that practica
agriculture, domestic science, and al
the arts which adorn the house, bC
Taught in their courses of study.
3. We emphatically and sincerely as
sert the oft-repeated truth taught in oul
organic law, that the grange, national
state or subordinate, is not political OF
party organization. No grange, if true
to its obligations, can discuss politica
or religious questions, nor call politca
conventions, nor nominate candidates
nor even discuss their merits in III
meetings. Yet the principles we teacl
underlie all true politics, and trut
statesmanship, and, if properly carried
ont, will tend to purify the whole polit
zeal atmosphere Of our country, for W,
seek the greatest good to the creates
number. We must always bear in mine
that no one becoming Patron of Hus
bandry gives mp that inalienable RICH
and duty which belongs to every Amer
, lean citizen to take proper interest il
, the politics of his country. On thu
, contrary, it is right fol every member {,
do all in his power legitimately to in
, fuence for good the action of an,
, political party to which he belongs. i
! his duty to do all he can in his own part,
to put down bribery, corruption an,
trickery; to see that none but compe
tent, faithful and honest men, who vii
unhinchiDgly stand by our industrial
J interests, are nominated for all posi-
tions of trust and TO have carried on
J the principle which should always char
acterize every grange member, that th
office should seek the man, ana not tn
man the Office. We acknowledge tn
broad principle that difference of orin
ion is no crime, and hold that "progres
towards truth is made by differences o
opinion" while the fault lieth in thu
bitterness of controversy" We desir,
a proper equality, equity and fairness
protection for the weak, restraint upOi
the strong; in short, justly distribute,
burdens and Justly distributed power
, These are American ideas, the yer,
essence to American independence, an,
J TO advocate the contrary Is unworthy o
the sons and daughters of an America
republic. We cherish the belief tina
sectionalism is, and Of right should be
dead and buried with tbs past. Gu
work is for the present and the future
In our agricultural brotherhood and it