The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-10-30

TINS direction. If this is done, dc
not see why the retail dealer SHOULD
despair of his future position. He
has, at all events, this in his favor
that personal attention and adapta.
bility to the wants of individual
customers is more easy in his case
than 1t is for the general storekeeper;
and common experience shows that
IN the matters of buying and selling
this is great point.
| have thought it right to deal
fairly with the objection to co-ope-
ration, so tar as can see. no reas
sonable objection whatever lies. if
only it can be made to succeed.
Hitherto, however, it has been at
tended with only chequred suc-
cesses. The faith of co-operators
has again and again been sorely
tired. More than one great under
taking has been started on the CO.
operative principles. 1t has flour
lshed for few years. The sound
ness OF the principle seems to be in
Dictated by its prosperity. Then
suddenly it collapses. its fall is
great in proportion as the hopes
raised by ii were great And the
strain on the faith of cooperation
| has been the more serious in conse-
sequence. But all faith is tested by
disappointment and strengthened
by failure. The apostles of invent>
i've science, not less than the re-
llgious teachers of mankind, have
all passed through this ordeal. 1t
is as faith, [ know, that co-ooera
ton is cherished by not few. 1t
is as faith that it will force its way
to success. By calling it faith I
mean that it has its roots in the con-
vlctions of the essential soundness
and truth of the principles, though
immediate appearances may seem
to give the lie to it. Faith is not
opposed to reason. Faith is op-
posed to sight. Faith is the evil
dence of things not seen. All faith
must be moulded and refined in the
fiery furnace of adversely.
But it may be more to the pur-
pose to inquire what has been the
cause of its failure. May we not
say, generally, that the schemes
have not been too ambitious in
themselves, but too ambitious for
the present level of economic edu
cation among the great body of CO.
operators? Cooperation is still
feeling its way. The problems con-
nected with it are manifold and
difficult. From it's very natale it
depends for its success, not on the
intelligence of the few, but on the
education of the MANY. If the con.
ditlon of success in any particular
undertaking are not sufficiently OBJ
vious-~as, for instance, if it is a
business in which the fluctuations
are great, or the returns are not i'm
mediate, or the expenses of super
lntendence are large-the result will
be impotence, discomfort, suspi-
cion, and the like, where economic
knowledge is defective; and failure
is the almost inevitable consequence.
Above all, the great body of those
who join In any large CO operative
industry need to learn that equality
is not equity. Equity distributes its
I rewards according to worth; equal
lty distributes to all alike. No zeal
ousy must interpose to prevent those
who contribute most to the busi-
ness-whether in the way of labor.
or of capital, or of management
from receiving most from it. This
is an especially difficult lesson to
learn, where all concerned are So
cially on the same level
On the future, Of Cooperation as
a productive agency, l shall not
venture on any prediction. I can
not boast either the vision or the
tongue of prophet; and therefore
leave it to others more bold or
gifted than myself to tread this
perilous path. But am not there
by precluded from the expression of
my heartiest sympathy, and this l
beg to tender to you as my poor of
fering to- day. It seems to me fully
to deserve all the enthusiasm which
has gathered about it. If it fails
Though | do not know why it
should fall it will at least have
elected much valuable experience
which may have, led to other more
successful economic movements. 1t
will have stirred many noble aspi-
rations, will have called forth MANY
unselfish and generous efforts, and,
however men may scott, unselfsh-
ness is never fruitless. If it is sue
cessful, it will work a benefcent
social and economic revolution of
the widest scope-a revolution,
| moreover, so conducted as to leave
no heritage of suffering and no ag-
gravation of-bitterness behind. Vio-
lent revolutions may sometimes be
dire necessity, but they are always
giant evil. The French Revolu-
tion-to say nothing of its imme-
date cruelties and excesses-has
left the political and social life of
whole century swaying violently
between opposite extremes. From
your work no such consequences
can ensue. 1t aims at a noiseless,
peaceful, gradual change. 1t inter
feres with no man, it robs no man,
it Expresses no man. It wears no
party colors, it demands no excep-
tional legislation, it courts no spe-