The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-01-31
THE OBJECTS OF THE GRANGE.

objects sought to be attained by the or
panization known as the patrons OF Illus |
bandry' or National Grange
The principal objects of this organlza-
ton are, to elevate the calling of the far
mer socially, financially and intellectually,
to labor for just and proper distribution
of the burdens as we'll as the benefits OF
society and civil government, to reduce
public expenditures and tighten the bur-
den of taxation. to secure the enactment
and maintenance of plain and wholesome
laws for the speedy and economical ad-
ministration of justice, and in short to give
to labor more intelligent direction and Sc
cure to the laborer his full reward.
Now let us consider the condition OF
things which made necessary this organi-
cation of those interested in farming pur.
suits. When this organization was pro-
jected, farming was fast becoming the
pack-hors of the professions, and the life
of the farmer had come to be looked upon
as life of drudgery with scant reward,
to be avoided by young men if possible.
To such young men as were unable to
enter any of the professions, and had no
capital wherewith to become farm own
ers, the farm offered the following pros
poets: The yearly wages of the farm la I
borer was the lowest in the scale, while
the price of those things he must purchase
| for his use or consumption often increas-
ed one hundred and sometimes two or
three hundred per cent after leaving the
shop where produced, before they came
within reach of the scant purchasing
power of his small wages; while his life
of almost constant toll left him little time
for mental Improvement, and social dis
| - Il. 60 ralx
came to the farm laborer p IL.
The evil of paying enormous profits
upon articles purchased affected the farm
owner as well as the hired man, while the
! farm owner suffered from another serious
evil, in that the price of his produce being
| fixed in the great markets, it must leave
his farm at comparatively small price in
order to pay in its course the exorbitant
price charged for transportation and the
profits of needless number of interme
date dealers, while his tenure of the very
land he cultivated was seemingly held at
the mercy of the lawyers who gathered
in the legislative halls, levying taxes with
out stint and encumbering the statute
books with countless laws so obscure and
uncertain in meaning that our whole judi
clary system had become an expensive and
cumbersome piece of legal machinery for
obstructng and delaying the administra-
ton of justice. The cost of the whole
machinery of government, n National, State,
county and municipal, had more than
doubled IN proportion to the population,
while the burden of taxation resting upon
the soil per acre had more than quadru-
pied, and special legislation was making
the confusion that already. existed in our
/ laws worse COMPOUNDED.
Taken altogether, the prospect that
opened out before the tillers of the soil
was cherries, unaccustomed as they were
either to public speaking or writing, the
management of caueuses and conventions,
Tor political action of any kind, with the
lpolitical machinery all in the hands of
flew men who gathered in the shade of
aevery court house in the land and parcel
ed out not only the public offices but par
celled out and continually increased the
public plumber
This was the existing condition of
things when the Grange sprang into ex-
istence; and it was to remedy these evils
that it became necessary that there should
be systematic, united, organized effort on
I the part of the friends of the farming in
terest everywhere.
/ But how is it proposed to remedy the
evils, and in what way can the Grange be
instrumental in the work of improvement
and REFORM? s..
The first step is to train the farmer for
for the part he is to take in this work
+ Farmers have the power to remedy all
these evils, if they but learn how to use it.
They have decided majority of the votes,
and Of the property; but because farmers
Rs a rule were unaccustomed to speak or
bet in public meetings, this immense pow
Pr has allowed itself, SO far as its political
fction is concerned to be made puppet
n the hands OF the lawyers and the va
fious court house rings, to dance when
over their masters pulled the string, and
o pay the bills at the end aa-
The Grange is doing a great work in
training its members to public speaking,
parliamentary usage, and the management
pit the business of meetings; and while it
Hoes not attempt either to bind or bias
lhe political action of any of its members,
Yet by training them to self-relant action
"a public gatherings, and by discussing
he scope and bearings of legislative &C
Eion and tracing the connection of such
action with the farming interest and its
effect upon the same, it fits each of them
for the more intelligent and effective
carrying out of their own individual polt-
SaI views. ana ltlS not surprising that,
having an exact community of interest,
and drawing their conclusions from the
observation of common circumstances and
surroundings this free interchange ofideas
upon one common social level should tend
to break down the barriers of partisan
prejudice and bring about a common DO
itical purpose, and tend toward a unity
pf action in accomplishing that purpose.
fence we see that Changers, when thew
ZEE public officer or representative faith
PLY trying to Tighten their burdens and
eform the evils from which all farmers
fffer, openly approve his action and give
m their mutual support and encourage
8. emf, irres pectiYe of the nnestion ss1no