Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-03-11
@s'psh en- Granger to the
Front.

. Affttv3S VI tug iNuc UcNucHts
1t is certainly kind Of you to dc
80 much work for such small prof
ii to yourselves but of benefit to
numerous readers.
am very glad to see all this cor
respondence go on, as 1T shews the
masses are both capable and will
ing to enlighten their neighbors,
and that we are waking up to a re-
alizing sense Of our position.
/ was quite uncomfortable about
the platform laid down by the
State.Grange of Patrons that is,
the questions it proposes to put
to candidates. My anxiety is
somewhat relieved by mo Gran
ger" taking up the Ratchet. So
far as the questions are concerned,
they are public property, and no
doubt will be fully discussed, and
will make more than one patriot
shake in his boots. We mean to
put those questions to all candi-
dates for important positions. If
they cannot or will not answer
them satisfactorily, it will be our
business to defeat their election.
Before the election, in all proba-
bility, several more planks will be
edded to the platform; and / do
not think there will be any trouble
In getting good men to adopt it,
who will stick to their promises
mo Granger, this gentleman,
full of true inwardness, charges the
Changers with selfishness. Well,
suppose we are. Who is not?-
Isn't he, and all the capitalists of
the city? as he terms the mer-
chants and small traders, and eve-
ry class of people who compose
that large city. With the compe-
titiOn in business, don't they make
all their purchases at the lowest
prices, and sell their merchandise
and labor at the highest prices that
can be obtained :? Is that selHsh-
ness? No, it is business and in
order to control and assist each
0 her in business, it was found ne
cessary to establish the merchants
exchange. Wasn't that selfish
ness? The Hold Carriers have an
association. For what-to protect
merchants, bankers, and the peo-
pie ger orally? / presume not. It
was to help themselves. That is
not selfishness, 1t is business. So
it is with all the organizations you
have; it is for self and self only,
and it is queer that the farming
community, if they see proper to
form an organization for their own
special benefit or pleasure, should
not do it. If my memory serves,
there was once such an order as
know Nothings,' and if l am
not mistaken, mo Granger" was
one of the captains. Whatwa his
object in belonging to that institu-
ton? 1t was to effect some polit-
ical changes that he desired. He
had right to be there, if he wish
ed to, (whe cared?) but selfishness
hadn't anything to do with it.
ooh, l would that every Gran
ger in the county would read this
article, and l believe there are
some honest men among them"
That is a compliment that we ac-
cept graciously, and will enquire
after that $500 the first time g
meet the assessor, that was dug up
out of the earth, (that~is the mon
ey not the assessor,) and all this
property was accumulated by one
who never owned an acre of land,
and was dug out Of the earth. =
That would occur but once in a life
time, and that was when the funds
of the old Bank of Berkeley was
resurrected from ID. B. Ms. back
yard after the war, and in five
years that huge tax of five hun
dred per year would have swal-
lowed the cash, and the box CON
tanning it.
Consistency is a jewel, but the
thick-headed Granger can't see it,
"That the farmers make more
money than three-fourths of the
men in business, or the capitalists,
if we have any" That was we'll
put. / haven't any doubt you
state truth. Why shouldn't they
make more money, if they own
the land? They are not borrowers
of money at 10 to Is per cent, and
each individual farmer who runs
a farm of two hundred acres, well
stocked, has about one-fourth the
capital of one of your banks inves-
ted, and comparing him with the
hundreds of heavy merchants OF
the city who hasn't anything in
vested. They are the borrowers
of your money at the rates you
complain of, and that is one reason
why they are so unsuccessful
There is no business in the county
can pay any such rate of interest
and make it pay.
Like Mr.. Sperow, IN. G." has
dug his money out OF the earth,