The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-08-16
CORRECTION.
From Patron Of Husbandry

Fp,roR PATRON: It Is much to be re
oretted that the very able and instruct
I've address of Judge W. T. Harris be-
fore Che societies Of the University OF
Mississippi, should have been marred
by the errors mo less than seven IN
number) contained in the following
short extract:
am conf .onteti in my plea for soc ETY.
work by the failure Of the Grange. Ihat
organization failed everywhere from the
same cause. 1t separated one great inter-
eat from oil others, aud was in spirit mill
liant. II made war on those engaged IN
AIDE and transportation, ana in the atLempt
TO break down monopoly, menGced free
compet on. It did not propose TO teach,
but to govern, and fell from its inherent
defects
That Judge Harris fell into this err
roneouJ statement of facts, can only be
accounted for by his having received in
formation on the subject from enemies
of the Grange, who, from its orgeri,
cation, have misrepcegented Its OBJECT
and acts, and used every unfair means
to obstruct its progress. Not having
succeeded to their satisfaction they now,
ss q last resort, proclaim it failure,
and affect to believe it dead.
Error LIST. The Grange is not fail
ure, but, relieved az it is from many
unworthy members-secret enemies,
who should never have been admitted
is now living reality.
End. 1t has from its origin and with
ont ;ntermission, made the improve
ment OF the methods OF agriculture one
Of its principal aims.
Bid. It nerer attempted to separate
the interest of agriculture from other
interests; on the contrary, 1t hos always
aimed to bring about more direct and
intimate relations with other interests,
bv discarding the middle-men who in
teryened; but it did and does undertake
TO assert the equality Of the agricultural
interest-in rights and consideration,
with any and all others, and to elevate
it to the rank its Importance entitled 1t
to in civilized society; and it was mill
tant only 80 far in the spirit OF self
defence, and made necessary by other
interests which were degrading the
tillers of the soil into mere "hewers
of wood and drawers of water" o
servitude intended to convey all the
profits OF agriculture into hands neither
stained by the soil nor hardened by toll.
4th. It did not make war on trade and
transportation, but it demanded for the
farmer equal rights in the position as q
buyer or seller in the markets, which
,.ade denied by attempting to force
him to transact all his business at great
expense through host of middle-men.
It also insisted that he should get
transportation on the same terms en-
loved by trade, without discrimination
in terms or facilities. For this asser-
ton Of equal rights for the agricultural
wageuta0 y fSs,s8s and tiiR9ltleete g and
CAPITAL against the Grange.
9TH IL aid not menace competitor; tc
the contrary, it encouraged it, by eX
posing the enormitias of, and refusing
to submit to, the monopolies formed
by trade and transportation; thereby
bringing about fairer and more direct
relation between the interests of egri
culture and legitimate commerce.
9Th 1t did propose to teach, and ite
efforts have been crowned with con-
siderable success, for there is no COM
munity in which the Grange has been
properly organizee, but that has been
benefited by its teachings morally,
socially and materially.
7th. 1t never proposed to govern,
but it has taught the tillers of the soil
that they are equals, possessing the
same rights, with those engaged in other
pursuits, and has encouraged them to
assert and maintain that equality, and
refuse to be goDerned as menials by the
arbitrary and unjust rules of t-ade, and
agrandiZement.
That the Grange is not b failure is
proved by it's success in establishing the
claims of the tillers OF the soil to equal
ity, and the recognition OF their rights
by other callings, which, if not openly
denied, had been ignored to their great
cost and disadvantage.
The arrogant claim of vested rights
and exemption from Legislative super
vision, made by organized capital in
vested IN railroads, was tested and
successfully met by the Grange in its
denial and resistance to q principle
so dangerous to free people, being
fully sustained by The Supreme Court Of
the United States.
The Grange may have made mistakes
what that is human has not? but this
one act of public benefit alone, should
have saved it from the charge of being
failure.
So long as these misrepresentation
come only from the known enemies of
the Grange, they were harmless, but
coming as they do through so respecta-
bic medium as Judge Harris, they are
calculated to injure the Order and place
distractions in the way o; its progress in
the advancement of the interests of
agriculture, which by just and proper
means only, is its sole mission; hence
the necessity for their contradiction.
D.
A whoop-bang sort of boy, with feet
IS broad and fiat as a pie-tin, trotted