The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-01-13
rEE PATRONS IN TENNESSEE.
Present Condition OF the Order-En-
satisfactory Results Orthe NOV
Departure i'm Trade.
I-.--slta 400
Knoxville Age.


Departure i'm Trade.
Knoxville Age.
Nothing has yet occurred m the
history of the Patrons Of Husbandry !
in Tennessee to shake our confidence
in its future stability and success We
do not deny that some things have oc-
CURED we rather had not, but then
we are all fallible. None of Us are
perfect. If we have committed mis-
takes, let us have the charity To- con-
clude that they were more ofthe' Head
than the heart, and, in the FIXTURE,
strive to guard against them. we
have simply been passing Throughout
probationary existence. 1t has been
one of trial. Our noble order sp4tng
suddenly INTO existence. 1t swept
ike a tornado over the State. There
was but little time for thought and'
investigation. We hnrriedly conclufeN
ed that we would reap, all at oncef
immense financial advantages and
that we Would reduce the price OF
everything we had to buy to mere
song. Scores of good men have been
disappointed expectation not so much,
let US Justly remark, on account of the
inability of the Order to bring about
this result as on account of the meff-
cheney of many of the subordinate
Oranges in laying hold of the financial
benefits extended to them by the Or
der. If such benefits have not been.
secured IL Eas beer because the
Oranges referred to have not done
their duty. :,
We have been more troubled ssrtt
! bothered by our business system thar
by any other cause. Some how or 9TH
we have never been fully able to de-
wise and put forth system that would
meet the demands Of the Order. We
have been at sea: We have fiouhder-
ed in the depths of its mighty waters.
We had hoped, ere this, that some b.
nancial brain would arise and prove
itself equal to the emergency of lea@-
ing us underlings on through the IN
tricate labyrinths of trade. We hrve
been disappoi, { d.; AT first we seemed
TO start off right, that Of uniting as
Gfrnges and trading directly with tic
manufacturers and merchants, and OF
selling our products directly to the
consumers. This was easy, natural
and legitimate, and our people COM
pretended it without an effort. Many
Of them seized the plan and Vent to
to work on it and we're successful.
Directly, however, it began to be-
whispered that we had better have
agents, general and local, and, in the
course Of time, that plan was inaugu-
rated, and with what success we leave
to others TO determine.
For one we had ardently' hoped, III
common with hundreds Of Others, that
the National Grange, at its recent scs-
sion in Louisville, would be equal to
the occasion and draft business plan
that would meet the exigencies Of the
Order. It was not done, and what Is
worse, it seems to have been given UP
in despair. 1t was, it is true, agitated,
but the agitation only developed the
apparent incapacity of that body to
handle the problem. Some were in
favor of employing agents on stiPgla!-
ted salaries, Willie some were for then
working their way along on to'nn'tS'
sions.
What will the Tennessee State
Grange do? 1t Will soon assemble IL
Jackson, West Tennessee. 1t will h
called upon to shoulder this question
and to put in shape to satisfy ouI
people from one end of the State te
the other. We are inclined to believe
that we have been trying too hard t.
build up a system Of business inside o
All old established system which ha'
been in vogue from time immemcrlal
Whether we can do this successfully
, is the question, and it is one we ar'
compelled to investigate. Its appa
rent to every careful observer thai
every attempt we have made to estab
= lish a business IF o.tr 6wnj we hay,
been confronted with sharp competi
ton and forced to cOihe down accord
ingly. a.. ..t.