The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-10-11
r. Il. BROWN, w. M.
GraiGge MsstiuRR

m Grqhge Meptipg2 rA9Gi2
We hear complaints from difisreut
Oranges in the State of n-attendance
at regular meetinga at the appointed
hour, and if we do not look we'll TO our
interests our Grange will lose some of its
laurels. We ought not TO give our Wor-
thy nlaster ary occasion for complaint.
Think Of it Patrons! Can we afford it?
Will it pay7 To those who accept the
trade benefits of the Grange it has saved
altogether several hundred thousand dol.
lars the last year, and we are not saving
one-quarter what We might If we all at
tended our meetings aud massed our
orders. There is no question about this,
it has been demonstrated already. We
see it; We feel IT,, we know it. Even
our worae opposers acknowledge there is
no doubt we can mako great saving by
buying together. Although they said
when the Grange was first organized that
it would not live six months, as farmers
could not do business, buy as cheaply-
neither knew where or what to buy-you
know We now have facilities for buying
as low, if not at lower rates than they.
Now will we allow this saving, with all
the other opportunities the Grange affords
us in knowing every month what goods
are actually worth, together with the
social and educational features, to 20 by
the hoard by not attending our meetings? t?
1t is just as much our business to attend
our Grange meetings (sickness and ab.
sence from home eycepted) as it is feed
ing and looking after our stock, farm and
housework. It does not pay to neglect
the Grange for the same reason. We
should make it part of our business to
attend our meetings. If we do not, let
ns never wonder again why more farmers
VINO do not know the value Of tho order
do not join ne, when we who know ;ts
value by experience stay away. Nov let
US think for moment what the business
arm of the Grange Is. In short, It is sim
ply working together; helping one an
other to. make each others burdens
lighter to bear. Now let us think what
shop or store is. We all know it is Il
place where we buy goods of certain
kinds, and that Ne can buy OF the shop.
keeper such goods as he chooses to sell,
and If we are not pleased with the goods
he sells we can sometimes better our
selves by going to another shop. Now
We do not say there Is any harm in the
shop-keeper's making fortune if he can,
but we do say that the hundreds who
buy their goods at his shop are worth
considering as we'll as the shop-keeper
himself. There are great many ways
Of getting what people call q Giving"
One man will get living by selling poor
articles dear; another by selling good
articles cheap: Now We don't hive the
alightest ill-vill toward the ahop-keeper
Who tries to get living Or afortune by
his af,n ht,t u
one hundred can contrive under the
Grange system of cooperation to suit
thenselvAs with the same goods cheaper
than tie shop-keeper can suit them, they
are quits right in doing go.
We believe sclf.sacrifice to be q very
good thing, but we believe at the same
time there ia more reason in one man
sacrificing himself for one hundred, than
one hundred being sacrificed for one
man. Ed, liz.
Then there is another thing 10 consider
the shop-keeper will generally find il
worth his while to get as much profit as
he can out Of his customers, but If the
| customers do their own buying, they can
save this profit to themselves.
Now !. would be absurd to say that any
intelligent person does not care for the
beneGE that the GrRnges through It's vast
membership and wealth Ia able to give
| but in order to receive them of course We
| must be willing to take little trouble
about it--indeed it can reasonably be sup.
posed that nearly everybody in the world
would like to be rich if he could become
so without too much trouble, but whether
making everybody rich in the world
would make everybody happy in Che
Iv Id Is question easily answered. We
know very we'll it is inconvenient TO bs
poor, and we know many kinds of crime
and ev;! in the world are caused by poverty
There ,se reasons enough why we shoufd
seek and care for that which will keep III
from being poor if We ars not, because
| there are SO many bent on, keeping pool
by not ACCEPTING the Opportunities tc
make them Independent. The man OF
family that spends more than the income
Is poor--whatever the income be-and II
all the wealth in the world were divided
to-day amongst the poor, next month OF
next year there would he somo people
! ;.- ;;.-. - rce- rce .e eye. 81 then the hnai.
ness feature of our order hes just one OBJ
ject, viz. to better our conditions finan.
cially. simply to provide ourselves, oul
families, our farms, our households, witt
such implements as we require, OF as good
quality, and at the lowest price obtaina
BILE of manufactures and wholesale deal
ers-and this ia just what the Oranges il
the United States and Canada are doin(
as fast and as quietly as can be done
We all know .if. we do not sow we &C nno
reap" likewise If We do not keep ap on
meetings we cannot reap tho benefits O
the order. Now let us have m attend
ance so that we can OPEN our meetings q
the appointed hour, and try TO make then
go, in resting and profitable that non,
Va. Hing 10 stay away. Let eacl
one o. make arrangements to give
half day every two weeks &c q; oS::::s oS::::s G:ange
we can do it, it is part OF our necessar,
work, as much so as to attend to our othe
farm work. Why are we so punctual il
affairs on the farm7 We bend ali GU
energies 20 this and 10 that, and find tim
for it. There is no excuse as to time
We all waste mpTs tine every week thai
We gre to the Grange. II IL not onl
mo officers especial duty to attend regn
larly, but ut the hour; but it is the dut
of every member TO ''assist in promotin
the Welfare of the order according to hi
Or be: Sbility." Llkewisa we have "sol
emnly promised to perform tho duie
enjoincd in the order and aid Others /
i fha t-AYfnrr, q ma ~ kI,a aan.a