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

corner groceries striking hands with the
enemies of the farm, by ieering at the
Grange, is going back on agricultural
progress, putting in jeopardy the bread
which should be for the nourishment of
his own babes, and deserveth to be held
IN derlsion by his brethren of the pillow,
tor he possesseth not enough of the good
grace of gumption to see that the mad
boot against the Grange is a war cry to
keep the farmer, neck and heels, in the
grip of his old bondage.
In those gloomy days when the Grange
was being weeded of its lukewarm disci-
Piles, the hearts of its faithful friends were
sorely cast down, and they lifted up their
voices one to another and said, sfBehold
how our labor of love is coming to naught,
and where now is our hope of lettering
the condition of the men of our tribe? Our
fathers toiled in sorrow, and went groan-
ing through life burdened with the sup
port OF horde of those Haunting fellows
who neither toll nor spin, yet anoint them
selves in the oil of plenty, and frisk around
in nobbY raiment, and now we, the I'M
happy sons of those wretched fathers,
must poke along in the same ignoble ruts,
with the same old bevy of idlers packed
upon our aching shoulders. Alack! and
alas! that we ever had the misfortune of
birth amid the stiff necked and gain say
ing old dodgers of this 10th century"
Nevertheless, wiser counsels soon pre-
vailed, and good Changers began to see
that the backsliding of SO many who had
rushed into the ranks and then trampled
upon their voluntary vows, was only win
moving worthless chaff from good wheat,
and casting off dead weight that hindered
the progressive march of reform.
And now the brethren within the gates,
and all those faithful landmarks who are
Matrons, have learned the lesson of faith,
hope, charity and fidelity, and are going
forward in every good word and work.
1t has been revealed unto them that brain
ripened up with the riches of knowledge,
is the birthright of the farmer; it has en-
tered into their creed that making home
attractive, is duty not to be neglected; it
has come unto them as new oracle, that
whose worketh by day needeth the night
for repose, without wasting the starlight
to make labor burden; they have dis
cerned the square meaning in that biblical
maxim. that bending all of life's energies
to the getting of money, is vanity and vex
alton of spirit" They have learned that
social fraternity is prime blessing that
addeth no sorrow. They have mooted the
problem to the core, and chalked it down
among their best texts, that the husband
man should have such thorough knowl
edge of all the details of his own business,
that he need never belittle his manhood
by seeking agricultural advice from the
petty potentates of small villages, or suffer
the shekels he has earned by honest labor
to be ciphered out of his own pocket by
the unrighteous dividing and sly gobbling
up of keen eyed middlemen. They have
girded on the armor of mighty men ofwar,
and are shifting the railroad magnates, even
under the fifth rib, for their naughty diplo-
macy in the matter of transportation They
are mastering up the grit of courageous
men, land have snubbed those big doctors of
the law who ieer at honest rustics, and set
forth the false doctrine that men in bro
gans should never 60 to Congress. Their
face is set as flint, yea, even the solid
granite, against the genteel and heightened
book agent, who sails around in top bug
gy; the brazen- faced peddler of life insu
rance is an abomination unto them, and
they visit not that the tramping vagabond
with lightning rods in his kit should live
another hour Their feet are shod with
the squeaking leather of industry, and
their loins are girded up in behalf of edu
eating the farmer, and of elevating the
progressive pursuits of agriculture as hath
not been done for these long centuries
yea, not even since man buttoned up his
royal Jacket and took charge of the world.
And it came to pass, when the scribe
had worn out his shrinking cap" and
busted himself with coming multitude
of words, and sounded the praises of the
Grange even unto the seventh heavens,
that much yet remained unsung and un-
written. For, if all of the worthy work
and noble aspirations of the Grange were
crowded into book, it would SO hamper
space that corner groceries would be JOS
tied into the corner and have but little
room left for the profits of plumber, while
those profound owls of fogy farmers, who
are too wise to see any good in joining a
Grange, would either be up barren
stump or cover down in their rusty moe
casins as mute as mice. Thus saith the
law and the Patrons of Husbandry