The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-18
The National Grange.

In response 10 Lno Call VI SLdtcS ~ tuc
National Grange last week, D. 81. Thing
of Maine, delivered the following stir
ring address. Mr.. Thing is an active
worker and his utterances are we'll worth
the careful consideration of every farmer
in the country:
bring to you the fraternal greetings
of the Patrons of the "Pine Tree State"
In their behalf I hail you brothers and
sisters, united by that fraternal bond
which pledges US to render unto every
brother his just due, and to extend to
each sister that protection which shall
shield her from all harm. How ever lar
gely or frequently other organizations,
fraternities or societies, may fail to exhib-
it that warm brotherly regard and heart
felt love which makes friendship so dear
and life so sweet, our order, of all the
creations of the human mind, the most
pure and benefcent, knows no north or
south, no east or west. We meet to-day,
from the snow-clad hills of Maine, and
the orange groves of Florida, from the
yine-clad plains of New Jersey and the
golden state ofthe Pacific, from the land
of the magnolia and the palmetto, and
the vast wheat fields Of the north west.
More than that, Worthy Master, we
meet to-day in fraternal union our broth
ers and sisters from Ontario. and Que
bee, and while we greet them as members
of the same family, the line that divides
us as nations exists only in imagination,
and as we clasp hands with the grip of
true Patrons, our patriotism spreads out
and covers all the broad land represented
here from the icebergs of the north to the
everglades of the south, from the bay
of Funda to the gulf of California, and
fraternal love wells up and encircles every
true Patron, no matter from where he
halls. While machine politicians and
den1agogues Aaunt the bloody shirt and
appeal to our party and sectional feel
ings, and seek upon the woes and ills of
their unhappy country to ride into
places of honor and power, we the repre-
sentatives Of that great conservative class
which is, and is to be, the hope and
strength of our republic, are busying
ourselves to bind up the wounds, sooth
the unkind feelings and allay the angry
passions which have thus been engender-
ed, and to bring those having q common
interest into one vast organization
through. which to make our power and
influence available and potent in the
prosecution of our great and glorious
work of stretching and perpetuating the
feelings of friendship and loyalty in every
section of our country, and ofso develop
ing and .manifesting the resources of
each as to create that feeling of mutual
dependence so essential to our happiness
as members of one family. Shall we
succeed ? Ought we to succeed? Are
We as farmers entitled to the Importance
and recognition that we claim? Are we
always to earn bread by sweat and toll
that few may eat in idlepess?
Are the creators of all wealth to be al
ways poor2 Are the honors which the
farmer earns forever to be bestowed upon
others? Are our servants to be forever
our masters? Shall the canals and rail-
roads, which without US would be use
less as the streets of Pompeii and Her
culaneum, be forever used to paralyze
the hand that upholds them? Must we
be hewers of wood and drawers of water
to other men to the end of time? Shall
we do and suffer these things, that IA
vored few may enjoy ease and honor2
Or shall we, as Gods free men, break
loose from party ties, get out of party
rings, from under party whips, and in the
future claim our rights with other men?
Look at our vast and elegant cities,
our network of railroads, our ocean and
inland steamers, our public edifces and
our high salarieq public servants, and
then for moment think who earns the
money to support and pay for all this.
Then look at the thousands who live in
ease and afluence and amass fortunes of
millions and tens of millions, never ad-
ding a dollar to the worlds wealth, and
ask yourself whose labor pays all this.
Then ask ifthere is an equal or just divis-
ion. Do not think, I beg of you, that am
seeking to array one class against another,
forI have no such purpose or desire. My
purpose is the very opposite: Whatever
conditions of society contribute to the
creation of a privileged class, tend
also to array one class against anoth.
er. Something is wrong. Railroad
kings and money kings control US, and
not only US as farmers, but they con-
troll legislation-state and national.
What is the matter? Who is to blame ?
Farmers, laboring men are not organized.
Party ties hold US and our influence is
neutralized. Instead of fighting the
common enemy we are making faces at
each other, and while we please our
selves With the idea of beating each 9TH
er. our enemies beat US both, and after
we are whipped we have to pay them for
doing the JOB. We are feeced on what
we sell and feeced again on what we
buy. Railroads fleece US in carrying our
-sI.,aa 70 r,nnrl,at and arain when they