The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-12-20
sity and energy which has been applied to

.ity and energy which has been applied to
all pursuits, whether industrial or moral.
We feel very little concern in regard to
the tender age of our Order. We are for
PRINCIPLES rather than dates. and more
Or posed to inquire what the Order is,
than when and where it originated
There is a. disposition in many minds to
view with kind of sacredness that which
bears the stamp of antiquity, forgetting
that the old always yields to the new"
They often honor and revere systems and
institutions simply because they are an
Gent We are free to say that, in our
view, the Order of Patrons of Husbandry
would be no better, as a fraternity simply,
IT it was as old as the everlasting hills.
We contend that the principles on which
1T is founded, the objects it has in view,
and the good influences that it exerts
among men and women, are matters of
much more Importance than its venerable
age.
The duties which our Order enioins
upon her children are these: she teaches
them to be good citizens, good fathers,
mothers, husbands, wives, brothers and
sisters, sons and daughters. She teaches
them not to regard mere external appear
ances, which all true Patrons know are
often deceptive, but to Judge of character
ny actions, conversation, ''by their fruits"
She teaches reverence for humanity
She tells us that MAN is a greater name
than President or King. Though his back
be ragged, his hands hard, and his coun-
tenance sunburt yet in as much as he
possesses the human face and form in SO
much does he partake of Divinity; and if
his character is unsullied and his morals
fair, we take him by the hand and hail
him brother. We disregard the Fictitious
distinctions of rank and privilege, and
Judge of men by the only true standard,
their intellectual and moral character
This is the voice of nature; the voice of
God. We have brushed away the rising
tear from many widows eye and many
an orphans cheek. We have healed the
broken hearted; we have bound up the
bruised soul; when the spirit Of the wild
owed mother has been borne down to the
earth, crushed by the weight of accumu-
lating sorrow, the tenderest tie that bound
her to earth severed, the friendly hand of
the Patron has raised her up again.
These, fellow citizens, are some of the
virtues that adorn the Order of Patrons of
Husbandry. Faith, trust and confidence
in our principles and in one another, is
the great sheet-anchor of our cause.
Cling to these and we will weather the
storm-will ride the pillows of opposition
without any danger. We know that
there is a dreadful tide setting in against
us-that the merchants, lawyers, standbe-
tweens or middlemen, rings, cliques, com
binations of capital, demagogues, political
tricksters, are spreading all their canvass
to catch the breeze to run us down.
Then | ask again, Is there need of or
ganization and cooperation among the
farmers? Why is it that we are at the
mercy of all other classes? Because they
are organized and work together, while
we have been working with all our power
and might to keep the wolf from the door,
never stopping to think of the oppression
and unjust and grievous burdens that are
heaped upon us by well-organized band
of thieves and vultures that have been
praying upon our vitals. How long, O,
how long, my brother farmers, will you
shut your eyes and stop your ears to the
evils that afflict you, to the expressions
under which you groan, to the unjust bur-
dens you are compelled to carry? l ap-
peal to you in the name of everything
that you hold dear, in the name of your
wife and children that look to you for
their daily bread, in behalf of that house
and home that you now own, stop and
take sensible view of your true condi-
ton, of the dangers that surround you;
for if you do not it will not be long before
it will be too late / would not raise a
false alarm or picture dangers that are
only visionary. Far be it from me. But
what are the facts? Are you growing
richer year, by year; are you educating
and preparing your children to fill high
and responsible stations in Church and
State? Or is it not fact that you are
growing poorer every year; that you are
not able to give your children a common
English education; is it not fact that
many men are tenants on the land that
their fathers once owned? Nay more, is
it not fact, that thousands upon thous-
ands of acres of land are to-day rented out
by merchants that now own it, to the men
that owned it but few years ago!
know this to be so, and so do you. | tell
you, fellow tillers of the soil, the time has
come when you must rise in your might
and throw off the CALLING yoke of bond
age, help purify the false and foul bust
ness system that is fastened upon you, and
think and act for yourselves. Stop pay
ing others to think for you; they. charge
too much for it. You can do it much
cheaper and much more to your interest
Believe that you are somebody and that
YOU were created for higher and noblei
purpose than to be shewers of wood ano
drawers of water for thieves and rob
bers. We do not war upon any legltl
mate business, but we shall attack false
hood, fraud, corruption and unjust op
preston whenever and wherever we INC
it. Our Order contemplates a retorma
ton in all these things. To you who SEE
these dangers and are willing to iend
helping hand, we bid welcome to tht