Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-05-11

not pay their accounts. The complaint is
a vindicatin nof the Grange principle, which
discourages all credits, and aims at strictly
cash payments.
But g the worst of it is !" that farmers are
in the habit of clubbing together and get
ting somebody to fill their orders in New
York. Retailer" thinks that this "must
have some effect on the retail trade. The
only reason for farmers clubbing together
and ordering their goods in New York is
that they can thereby get them cheaper.
This they ought to do. 1t is not only every
body's right, but duty, to buy where he can
buy the cheapest. IT the middleman is cap
able and enterprising, people can buy of
him cheaper than anywhere else. He tacil-
itates the exchange o%fproducts, and enables
others to produce more cheaper and extern
siyely. When a retailer cannot do this, the
fact simply shows that he is not needed
that he is not doing a necessary OF useful
work in the community. That so rude and
imperfect an organization as that Of " the
clubbing together of farmers" to buy in
New York, can undersell the local retail
dealer shows, that from some cause, posi- bly,
lack of capital, of enterprise, or both, he
is not fit for his place, Or that there is no
place tor him. 70 argue differently would
imply that monopoly and extortionate prices
were, in some way, public benefits. Accord
ing to this theory, every village should be
disposed flike a post-tradership and no out
siders allowed to interfere.
The Grocer partially states an important
truth, when it says that " the relations of
retailers and farmers are so interviewer that
upon the prosperity ofone class depends that
of the other" So far this is exactly true but
whose prosperity is paramount-that of
the producer or that of him who exchanges
products? Why not say that "upon the
prosperity of the producers depends the
prosperity of the retailers WheE he can
sell goods cheaper than any other agency
he becomes not only important but even
necessary to a community. But this class
make no complaint of the Patrons of Illus
bandry. The Grange agents cannot posi-
bly, interfere with them. 1t is the retailers
who cannot sell cheaply, and who thereby
prove that they are not necessary parts of
the community, to whom all buyers are oblig-
ed to pay an extortionate price lest the $ adj
vantages OF schools, churches, and the best
fruits of our modern civilization" should
to be given up.
Seventy or eighty years ago, men with
narrow notions thought the steam engine
would make horses valueless, and improved
machinery would destroy the wages OF la
Dor. The wealth which the steam engine
and labor-saving machinery nave created
has doubled the numbers of horses, more
than doubled their value and has increased
the demand and wages of labor. But for the
steam engine, there would not be a quarter
OF the wealth in the world that now exists,
and articles now regarded as household ne
c%essities would be impossible luxuries.
The Order of Patrons of Husbandry has
saved millions of dollars to the farmers of
this country, by devising cheaper methods
of charges between producer and consumer.
This vast amount is so much clear addition
to our national wealth. Its a great absurd
lty to suppose that money saved to farmers re-
mains in farmers pockets. 1t is seen in a
greater abundance of the comforts and lux
uries of life in the farmers home-in better
facilities for doing the work on his farm, in
better schooling for his children and better
support for churches and " all the best fruits
OF modern civilization" individuals may
hoard money but communities never do or
can. Anything which increases the wealth
OF the agricultural class, is necessarily felt