The patron of husbandry., 1880-10-23
COOPERATION.
Letter from Past Master VIM.
Maxwell, of theTennesseeS State


Letter from Past Master VIM.
Maxwell, of theTennessee state
Grange.
Editor Patron Gladstone re-
Gently said that Effort, honest, man
ful effort succeed" The saying
that nothing succeeds like success"
he cautioned the youths of the world
renowned University is too lightly
said
Thomas Atkinson, Mississippi
farmer, made the eftrt to succeed by
the CO, operative commission busi.
ness, so he sent lis cotton to I. !.
Carver, the Generl Manager of the
Southwestern Cooperative Associ-
alton at New Orlans, and ordered
his supplies from lim. Mr.. Carver
did the business on the Rochdale
cooperative plan, rendered a state
ment in the usual way that other
commission houses do, which show
ed $IoS.Io as the charges against
Mr.. Atkinson. That amount was
retained by Mr.. Carver till the end
of the season or till the Directors
of the Association met and cast up
the whole business of all the custo-
mers and ascertai ined the actual cost
of Mr.. Atkinson's business, which
was only $o8.oS. Thus, if he had
sent to a commission house of the
old system, he would have been
charged exactly double the actual
cost on his business; he would never
have known the actual cost, but he
would have known that it cost him
the $Io8.Io Now, cooperation, true
to ito so~erlriIg principle of "inter-
est to capital and profits to labor"
declared $o9.oS to be the laborer's or
customers profit, and it was set
apart to Mr.. Atkinson, because he
made the "ef1ort, honest, man
full effort" 1t requires manful
effort to act in this way, against the
united capitalists, who are anxious
to secure the $O.oS awarded to Mr..
Atkinson, and the dividends award
ed to hundreds Of others, who, like
Mr.. Atkinson, sent their business to
Mr.. Carver. Cf these, some were
merchants, the others farmers. The
charges on the business of one OF
these merchants amounted to $52o.5I
and his profit or dividend was
$269.75, which he duly received.
The profit bears the same proportion
to the business, whether it be much
or little. Then if Mr.. Gladstone will
not allow the assumption that 'noth-
ing succeeds like success" we can
find no one bold enough to go behind
''returns" like the above and say
that cooperation is not success.
This work is gGing on. The Gus
toners are increasing. They are
confined to no loeality-they are to
be found from Iowa to Texas and
Florida. During tour last spring
and summer through Central Missis-
sippi and West Tennessee, secured
much business and many pledges of
business, and Mr.. Carver secured a
great deal by similar tour.
Medon Grange in Madison coun-
tv, Tenn, is a consolidation of three
Oranges and meets at White Hall.
Many old members have returned,
and others say they will return; pc
titions for initiation are in, and 9th
ers are promised. Members of that
Grange are and have sending cotton
and orders to Mr.. Carver, and 9TH
ers are preparing to do so.
Pleasant Hill Grange adjoining
are not idle. They, too, are lively.
as Grange, and both Oranges are
convinced of the advantages not
only of the CO. cooperative commission
system but also of retail cooperation.
and through joint committee they
have agreed on plan to form a Co
operative Association which will es-
tablish cooperative store in their
vicinity Immediately. They have ma
tured wise plan. It was agreed to
have a public meeting, at which
there was a public address on the
general purposes of the Grange and
on cooperation in particular. The
address W as listened to by Patrons
anu non aI1N'HS, II SCCIllCQ 10 De
appreciated, and some of its teach
ings were practically accepted by
the Grange, which met in call ses-
sion at the close of the address.
The principles of the Grange are as
well appreciated by the members of
these Oranges now as when the Or
der was in better working condition
in Tennessee, and we could but wish
that the Worthy Master of the State
Grange, DIR. T. B. Harwell, was so
situated that his time and great tai
ents could be given to the service of
the Grange. There is no mistake
about it-the people are ready to go
forward under the leadership of our
able Master. But his presence
among them is as necessary to for
wand movement as that of Darden