The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-09-27
THE GRANGE-ITS NECESSITY
TO FARMERS. ~ y


The necessity of organization among
farmers is, as great to-day as it was four or
FIVE years ago, when there was such re.
markable rush to the Grange, and the
Grange organization is unquestionably the
best ever devised for the purpose. The
same abuses that existed then, exist to-day;
the combinations of middlemen and other
non n-producers, who amass wealth and
gain power and influence by expressing
the producers and robbing them, ttiifssaa of the
fruits of their toll, are as strong, as aggres-a
slve and unscrupulous to-day as they W.
then; and though the farmers have learnees
something of the value of organizations,
and reaped largely of the benefits to be
derived from CO operative Efforts they
have not improved their opportunity as.
| they ought to have done, and the great
mass of them are to- day unorganized, and
consequently are still in debt still power
less to resist oppression, still staggering
under the burdens of a business system
which they have had no voice in esta bliz'~-
ing, and no discretion but to submiS
rules and regulations. 81.
The abuses in business and public IS
fairs are enough to crush any class unabN
to oppose a united front to them 1t would
he sinanlu innnssihle to en11merate the
number and character of the burdens i'm
posed upon farmers and all who gain their
| living by ''the sweat of their brow" by
the business systems of the country. The
rail road companies establish exorbitant
freight rates, and there is no power able
or willing to stand in their, way, though
the highest courts of the country have de-
clared that the people have a right to pro-
rules and regulations enforced by the bu-
siness of the towns and cities are even
more unjust and burdensome to the pro-
ducers and public at large than those of
| the rail road companies, but they operate
in an indirect way and have been the es-
tablished custom so long, that it is difficult
to point them out and impossible to es-
cape their exactions. The rail road com
l pdlllGS StH OC SOuliOiiCh, II PCOPiS
could get an honest and efficient State
government to enact and enforce the nee
essary protective laws; and the merchants
business system could be overthrown by
establishing wholesale cooperative houses
as they have in Galveston, New Orleans
St Louis and Cincinnati and of co-opera-
tive stores by Patrons and farmers. These
reforms can be effected through influences
which the Grange could bring to bear
but for the Grange to be potent in sucf
contests, its power must be fully developed
by thorough organization and discipline
lit must have the active, earnest suppor
Of all the leading, thinking farmers of ths
country. sa-eg a;e@
Political affairs are in as bad a condi
ton as they could well be. The Genera
Government is in the hands of the politi
clans, and they are controlled by tn,
Money Power. Unless there can be
change of public officials, there can be M
, reform IN legislation; and to effect this re
form, there must be a thorough organiza
ton and CO operation of the toiling classes
i. 1t is only Necessary to refer to events o
the past fewyears to show to the mem
bers of the Order the unscrupulous AM
unrelenting character Of the opposition t
their cause, On the breaking out of tn
labor strikes at the North. the leading
journals of the country opened furiou
war on the Grange. They declared tha
these strikes were caused blythe "Grange
5 Legislation" and their abuse of the Grang
: was even more violent than that whicl
; they showered upon the starving railwa.,
operatives. The object of this policy was
: to arouse public opinion against til
; Grange, and excite the prejudices of tn
| thousands Of farmers who have not JONES
the Order, and destroy the confidence Q
; the timid members the honesty or ca
! pacity of the Grange as a reforlnatory or
!. ganization These attacks on the Grang
ought to make the members stand by eacl