The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-08
9be Farm.
Published by request of prominent
Grangers.1
The National Grange and
Cooperation.

S1 lOlIulIlC I'll tlAS A~S1
the National Grange, we expressed
our regret at the development IN
that session, for the first time, OF d
feeling of jealousy on the part OF
East and North towards the South
and West, excited by the appreilen-
sion that the cooperative move
ment-which has been growing IN
favor SO rapidly in the Mississippi
Valley. the South Atlantic and
the Pacific States-would divert
much of the commerce of these sec
tions from Northern and Eastern
centres of trade to the Southern,
and to Europe. Up to the last
session, from the time the Rochdale
plan of cooperation; with the
proposition to extend it to COM
merce with the Societies OF the
United Kingdom, was presented to
the National Grange at the ninth
session by Past Master John L.
Jones, then of tie Executive Com
mittee, this had been the most
prominent subject. At the first
election afterwards Brother Jones,
the acknowlecg ed leader IN this
great movement, was made Master
of the National Grange. At every
session since, until the last, this
plan of cooperation was not only
heartily recommended to the order
but measures were adopted to IN
struct the members IN It's pure
principles and TO carry them INTO
practical operation. Objection was
made to the name of 1.-The Mlsslss-
ippi Valley Trading Company"
that it Indicated Il sectional enter
prise under the auspices of IA Ma
tional Order. A Commissioner
was sent to England with instruc
lions to ask a change of the name
of the Company to AnglO-Amer-
lean" and to urge important
changes in the articles of assocla-
tiOn first presented to us from the
other side for our consideration.
The proposed changes we're discuss
ed in the cooperative congress OF
united kingdom, and finally assem-
sented to. The we'll considered and
matured plan was adopted on both
sides and mutual CALCULATIONS eX-
change. Our members had con. e
TO understand the great principles
underlying Rochdale &C operation.
That these principles carried out
in practice would rightly solve the
vexed problem between capital and
labor, by awarding to each an equi-
table share of the profits of their
joint production, preventing for
the future that undue c%oncentra-
ton of capital which now threat
ems to reduce the freehold farmers
of America to the condition of vas
sal tenants and menaces free gov
eminent.
In communities there was yet
left some capital which had not
been reached by the grasp of the
tyrant money power in the East,
cooperative enterprises were daily
spring up and working satisfacto-
torily, retail distrbutive societies
were developing into WHOLESALERS,
international cooperation was the
next natural development of the
system.
Bro. Jones, as Master of the Ma
tional Grange, had given much
valuable thought to this subject,
and in his writings and speeches
through the country had created
a deep interest in it. He demon
strated forcibly that the immense
and rapidly increasing products of
the great West could be relieved
very much Of the heavy and extor-
tionate cost OF transportation over
long lines of railroad to the East,
III the adoption of the more direct
and natural route by the Mississ-
ippi river and its tributaries to the
Gulf and to Europe. That it is
the duty of the National govern
ment to improve this national high
way. That it is to the interest of
the West and the South to cult
waite an acqualn ance and inter
est of the West and the South to
cultivate an acquaintance and inter
course with the capitalists of Eu-
rope through the Anglo-Americar
Cooperative Association, to be
relieved from their dependence or
Eastern capital for the transpota.
ton of their products to market,
and for the development of the ag
ricul,ural, mineral and manufac
turing resources of these sections
These were among others, the OBJ
jects of the Mississippi Valley Trad
ing Company, as originally con
celyed by the Cooperative Uniol
of the United Kingdom amende,
in its articles and changed in nam,
to accommodate u views.
IL. 1911 IL N