Rocky Mountain husbandman., 1877-09-13
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY,

t{1 '''Watchman tell ls OF the night, ftsif@ G#
laia4i What the signs of promise are. 4o a
.d.Y Traveller, Q o'er yon mountain height
Comes the promised morning STAR
wonder if all the members Of the order
of Patrons comprehend and understand tht
progress made in the right direction during
the last five years? If understood in all it,
length and breadth, there would be encour
agement on every hand. 1'.'' ''.e
Five years age the producing classes were
content to reach the largest resalt in Tho
way Of production; content to give the
lions share Of their product to those who
took it to market, or who waxed rich by
its exchange content to be hewers Of wood
administration of public affairs in the hands
of professional politicians; content that
those Of our young men and women design
ed for the so-called learned () professions
should be educated, and that, too, at the ex-
pense of the State, while those engaged in
agricultural pursuits plodded along in the
old, dull routine; content that the class
which pays their full share of the taxes. and
which furnishes four-fifths Of the property
exported to foreign countries, should sur
render to the favored few the absolute con-
troll Of public affairs, and leave the duty of
legislation to the members Of one profess
sion. while they cultivated the soil.
But a wonderful change has come over
the spirit of the people. We remember we'll
when the grange movement first began to
of tntto or ho,
by open or secret ridicule. A prominent
railroad magnate OH Wall street, on being
asked what would be the effect of the grange
movement Of the west ON railroad securi-
ties, replied 1T will not amount to any
thing; they have NOT intelligence enough
to agree among themselves for one year :;
and il any enterprise required but dollar
from each farmer, they would let it die for
want of money" This was the opinion OF
a nnnn who had accumulated millions from
the industry of the country, and wholprob-
ably never earned an honest dollar in his
life. Nor were his views singular. Con-
tempt aud derision are mild terms to ex-
press the estimation in which this famous
movement was held by the class who
thought that In some way they incarnated
in themselves the wealth and wisdom of the
nation. Farmers were a useful class to pro-
duce corn, wheat and meat, hut anything
beyond this was outside their sphere.
When the first attempts We're made by
an outraged and indignant people to assert
the Sovereignty of the State over soulless
corporations. what2a howl went up about
"granger legislation" When a railway
official in our State was demonstrated with
because his company refused to obey the
law of the commonwealth, he replied With
pampered insolence, 8. that may be granger
law, but it is not railroad law"
The conflict between the people on the
one hand and the greed of corporations on
the other, has been a bitter one. Those
who first entered upon the contest did so
with full realization Of its magnitude and
Importance. But even their friends scarce
ly hoped for success. On one side was the
nblest talent with unlimited wealth ut com.
mand. and for them-better than ala per-
feet unity of interest and complete organi-
zation. On the other hand, there were on-
ly the masses Of the producing classes-un-
accustomed to work together, living for
the most part in isolation, without cohesion