The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-26
a False RHmOr Exposed g.

To tie Editors Of the Herald and Mail:
At Irregular meeting of the Columbia
Grange No. 200, the undersigned were
| appointed a committee to correct some
| false charges put in circulation in our
community, which aredetrimental to GU
| our organization.
| Is. 1t is charged-and believed by
many of the laboring class-that we
| havecombined to put down labor; say
ofmales to five dollars per month, and
females three dollars per month; and in
the refusal OF hands to work at these
prices, we are organizing a military
C mpany at Columbia to cOerce the la
Dor. This is simply ridiculous and
false; yet some malicious person or per-
sons have so poisoned the minds of the
c)Iored population, that this is given as a
reason for so many of their number CO.
ing to Kansas. Our Grange has had it's
regular sessions since December, 1873.
and the subject of hired labor has never
yet been discussed, and we have no con-
nection whatever with any military
company. If the colored people now
le wing are running from the Grange
movement in Tennessee, they make an
egregeors mistake, as they will find
many more Changers in Kansas than
here, according to population.
%. It is charged that we have put
down the price of cotton. This is too
absurd to merit discussion. We are
generally growers of the weed, and
would not commit the folly of putting
down our own production. If we had |
been charged with trying to raise the |
price Of the lint, we could not so easily |
deny. We do propose as all organiza-
ton to urge our people, white and col |
ored, to economy and industry; to ill.,
duce the erection of manufactures of |
all kinds throughout the South as we'll |
as North, and to induce our planters to
raise less cotton and more provision,
thereby becoming more independent,
and look less to foreign markets for our
family supplies. We propose as far as
possible to concentrate and procure
through ireights, and avoid local dis
elimination; not that we blame a rail
road for charging more on local than
through freights-but we think it our
prerOgatige il We can, TO avail ourselves
of the lowest rates which we may do by
concentration. We think we should
our own wheat into flour:
our own timber and iron into nipple
ments OF husbandry; our Own cotton in
to warp and wool, and thereby save mil
lions of dollars of useless freight. We
wish to encourage all branches of me-
chanism, and as far as we can to dispense
with useless QQnsumers, and induce
them to become producers,
We would like to induce capitalists
and skilled mechanics to settle among
Us from North or South or from Europe,
and invest in IN anufacturing. Most
heartily do We commend the energy of
our mill men who seem determined to
come t-pto hrst-c'ass milling standard,
md our pillow manufacturers, who seem
bont on vieing with eastern establish
ments.
we wish, as we can, TO elevate the
standard and dignity of labor, either
agricultural or mechanical, believing it
no disgrace IN either male or female to |
do a reasonable share of the farm, the
household and shop and mill work.
We think it as much a coV|yaand of the
Almighty t. work Elk days as to rest or
keep holy the seventh We are not
warning upon the 'Middlemen" or COM
mission merchant for charging his rea-
sonable fees or commissions, but if we
can by concentration dispense with half
their number, and induce them to be-
come producers, are we blamable? If
we can through our own agents buy a
sewing machine, a reaper, or wao5n at
saving OF from 50 to 90 per cent. are
we culpable? Or if we cap so manage as
TO nave these things manu- f&afured at |
our doors instead OF sending north or
east for them, have we wrOnged any
one? If we should by copGentEation
make void the occupation OF many of
our local and travelling agents, we do
not WiFb thereby to throw them out OF
employment most cordially do we in
vIte them to our beaYen- bestowed occu-
PatiOn-thAt of agriculture. "ln union
there is strength" Take the surplus |
wheat OF the Northwestern EtAL~- ;ur- /
nished Eastern consumers, say 40 OOO. 900 |
bushels: to snip to those markets from |
Chicago costs Sl4 ,00O 900. Suppose they |
had combined and erected mills ard /
converted that wheat into flour, say |
100000 barrels, they coulG have ship |
ped TO the same markets for $1,000 900, |
thus saving on neights alone IS, 900, 900, |
enough TO have erected a host of mills, |
The same rule will apply equally 10 cot |
ton, only in larger proportions. The |
compressinG OF our bales to shipping |
size, which could be done at home costs |
each cotton crop moro than 81 200 600, |
and tho freight of the line east, and |
cloth back, costs many millions.
How soon would this great saving. if |
continued, build us cotton mills all over
our sunny South. For the want of uni
ted action, these golden standards of
true liberty and independence pass year /