Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-02-19
THE NATIONAL GRANGE,
Hts Platform Of Principles Adopted
at ST. Louis. February III.


Hts Platform of Principles Adopted
nj 81. Louis. February III.
Profoundly Impressed with the truth
that the National Grange Of the United
States should definitely proclaim to
the world its general objects, we here
by unanimously make this declaration
of the purposes Of the Patrons OF
Husbandry:
!. United by the strong and faithful
tic 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 ih.nge, charity"
3. We shall endeavor to advance oul
cause BY laboring TO accomplish the
following objects: To develop a bet
ter and higher manhood and woman
hood among ourselves TO enhance thu
comforts and attractions of our homes
and strengthen our attachments to oul
pursuits to foster mutual understand
ing and cooperation to maintain ia.
violate our laws, and to emulate eacE
other, to hasten the good time coming
to reduce our expenses, both individ
ual and Corporate; to buy less and pro
duce more, in order to make our farml
self.supporting to Diversity our crops
and crop NO more than we can cultivate
to condense the weight Of our exports
selling Jess in the bnshel and more Ii
the hOof and ON fleece ; to systemstizs
our work and calculate intelligently
on probabilities; to discountenanct
the credit system, the mortgage sys'
tenn, the fashion System, aud every
other system tending to prodiRality
and bankruptcy. We propose meeting
together, talking together, WORKING
together, buying together, selling to-
gether, and generally acting together
for our mutual protection and advance.
ment, a. occasion may require. We
shall avoid litigation as much as pos
sible BY arbitration in the Grange we
shall strive to secure harmony, good
will, vital brotherhood among our.
selves, and to make our order perpet-
ual; we shall earnestly endeavor to
suppress personal, local, sectional and
national prejudices, all unhealthy ri
valry and all selfish ambition. Faith.
full adherence to these principles will
insure our mental, moral, social and
material advancement.
4. For our business interests we do.
sire to bring producers aud consumers,
farmers and manufacturers into the
most direct and friendly relations pos.
sible. Hence, We must dispense with
surplus of middlemen. Not that we
are unfriendly to them, but We do not
need them. They are surplus, and
their exactions diminish our profits.
We wage no aggressive warfare against
any other interests whichever. On the
contrary, all our acts and al our efforts
90 far as business IL concerned, are not
only for the benefit Of the producers
and cohsumers, but also for all other
interests that try to bring these parties
into speedy and economical contact ;
hence we hold that transportation
companies ofevery kind are necessary
to our success, that their interests are
intimately connected with our interest
and harmonious action is mutually adj
vantageous. Keeping in view the
sentence in our declaration Of princi-
Piles OF action, that individual happi-
ness depends upon. general prosperity.
we shall therefore advocate for every
State the increase In every practicable
way of al facilities for transporting
eheapiy to the seaboard, or between
home producers and consumers, oil the
productions Of our country. We adopt
1t % our fixed purpose to open out the
channels In natures great arteries, that
the life blood of commerce may flow
freely. We are mot enemies Of railway,
navigable and irrigating canals, nor Of
any corporations that will advocate
our industrial interests, nor Of any
iaboring classes. In our noble order
there lie no Communism, no agrarian.
ism. We are opposed to such spirit,
and the management of any corpora
ton or enterprise which tends 70 on.
press the people and rob them Of their
just profits. We are not enemies TO
capital, but we oppose the tyranny OF
monOp0lies. We long to SEQ the an
tagonism between capitol and tabor
removed by common concenf snd by an
enlightened craftsmanship worthy or
the nineteenth century. We are on
posed to excessive salaries, high rates
of interest and exorbitant per cent
profits In trade. They greatly Increase
our burdens, and do mot hear proper
proportion 70 the profits Of the produ-
cor. We desire only self-protection
and the protection of every true inter.
est Of our land, by legitimate transac.
tions, 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 advocate
for our agricultural and industrial col.
leges that practical agriculture and do.
mestic science and all the arts which
adorn the home, be taught in their
course of study. III
5. We emphstically and sincerely a.
sert the oft-repeated truth taught in
our organic law, that the grange, ma
ionsl, State or subordinate, IL not Q
political or party organization. No
grange, if true to its obligations, can
discuss political or religious questions,
nor call political conventions, NOR
nominate candidates. nor evou discuss
their merits In Its meetings; yet the
principles we learn underlie oil true
craftsmanship, and, IL properly Varied
out, will tend to purify the whole 20.
litical atmosphere of our country, for
we seek the grestest good for the
greatest number but We must always
bear it in mind that no one by becom-
ing grange member gives mp that in
alienable right and duty which be-
longs to every American citizen to take
Q proper interest in the politics Of his
country. On the contrary, 1t IL right