The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-01-17
POMONA GRANGE.


Remarks made before Tie Pomona
Grange at Its last session. by;report
of Messrs: Harpin Riggs and w. r..
Muller, committees Of the Grange.
! had hoped that the unfayorable
weather and the evening hour would
excuse the remarks intended for this
occasion, but at your call L obey lcav-
ing the crude thoughts, scatteringly
thrown out to be collected and ap-
propriated asiyou may deem best. :, J
This gathering Of the farmers with
theirwives from the different sections
of the, county is one Of the best fea-
lures of the Grange system, giving
an opportunity for o free exchange
of thought, community Of interest
and a, sociability, the perfection of
which is manifest in the gathering
about the board as witnessed but AN
hour since. No where else, or under
any other influences could so much
enjoyment befhad. or SO much Of hu.
man virtue be displayed by the mem
bers of community than within the
walls of q Grange room, or under the.
influences brought to- bear upon. our
conduct by the. Grange system. 9th
er gatherings and festivals, while they
are enjoyable and profitable in a high
degree, lack that organized community
of interest which is SO prominently
feature in this, system. Thele the
taller and @unscrupalous have every
opportunity to magnify fault or
defame q virtue, here we are taught
to love'a 'neighbor with all lis faults
and upon the principle of candor to
correct his errors; there the unprin-
cipled, unwhipped save by conscience,
can appropriate the contributions of
friend to his own selfish enjoyment,
here the principle of honor controls
the social board securing the pleas.
ures of. the festival alike TO rich and.
poor; there the visitor listens to hear
and goes away&to criticise, but here
instruction is given. anil knowledge
acquired to the mutual Improvement
of. the lowest as we'll as the high, st
member. Indeed so pure are themo
ftives and SO powerful are the influ-
ences for good that every man and
woman ought to become Gran cr,
if for no other purpose than to give
and to receive information and I'm
t1ammelled by the cohyentionaEtics
ofsociety to enjoy the sociabiIity OF
these festive occasions.
BY a candid exchange Of thought,
schemes might be devised and plans
put in execution which would make
the Granger independent Of the world
and unaffected by the depressing
changes incident upon what is famil-
iarly known rs harl'times. Organi-,
zation in farming is the same as any
other vocation and will result as ccr-
tainly in ultimate success here as
elsewhere. In farming communi-
ty there is no need for hard times.
Your profession is quiet and peace
full one, and these two qualities alone
are the tirmest foundation upon
which material prosperity. may be
built. The vicissitudes Of trade and
the hazard Of speculation find no
place in farmers life, but it's earn
est pursuit and its gradual gain must
and will accumulate q afortunc to re-
ward his labor. There arc but few
legitimate causes to produce hard
times with IA skilled and industrious
farmer. War may devastate his
country, lay his home. in ruins and
blight his fields, en:ailing upon him
all the baleful effects Tof hard times.
Of this cause we have had a sad expc-
rience resulting in debts that have
crippled the farmer in his operations
and almost indefinitely prolonged
the season Of returning prosperity.
The thousands of dollars, actual
working capital, which were destroy.
ed as measure of war, the thousands
us necessity Of war, and still the
thousands more expended in building
up the burned. homes antil wasted
fields, impoverished the farmer: by
forcing him TO accumulate debts
from which he. has never been able
TO extricate himself. A general fail.
ure of crops throughouta p large scope
of tegritosy smay3 hnng Suffering
and even pestilence, ten fold more