The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-02-28
aDDRESS BY VIM. G. WAYNE.


State Grange:-Once more we meet in
annual council for the purpose of careful,
v considering the wants of our Order, and
/ again becomes my duty to make such
as seem to me proper for our
guidance in the work before us. We have
IN the past year enjoyed our usual health
as people, and have again gathered from
our farms bountiful harvest, and have a
good reason to be thankful to the Giver OF
all good for the many blessings and bene-
fits conferred upon US; but still, TOR the
want of just laws, we are not reaplng the |
full rewards of our labors. l
We are producing largely in excess OF
our wants, and our products IND reaoy
market at prices that would be remunera-
tive and satisfactory if we could be fairly
protected in putting them on the markets.
The extortions practiced by the common
carriers, and the prodigal expenses OF our
State government, with the unjust and
UNEQUAL system of levying the tax, keep
ms moor. while the classes favored by leg
;slation grow rich from the productions
earned by our unremitting toll. This sys-
tenn of governmental abuse is not new to
us, but had been gradually taxing our
energies and earnings until it became
ruinous to our business, and some plan
had to be devised that would bring the
| farmers together, SO they could consider
their condition and the causes for it, and
! take such steps as would seem necessary
ito provide a remedy. The Order of Pa
irons of Husbandry is an outgrowth OF
this condition of our agricultural people,
and has come for their protection and
benefit, and it behooves them to take adj
vantage of the opportunities offered
through this Grange organization to build
up and strengthen themselves for their
/ labors, and their general advancement in
! the educational, social and business affairs
| of farm life. 1t is the only agricultural
association adopted since the formation
of our government that begins at the
bottom and works up through the towns,
lcount:es, states and nation with perfect
, symmetry and simplicity, ana is there
fore most worthy of entire confidence and
. support. The general principle of CO.
r Operation embodied in its organic law
. Igives us the best opportunity yet offered
: for the great body of farmers to consoli-
date their business interests and work to-
: Egether in various ways it affords for saw
ing to themselves the profits that have al
S ways been Appropriated by others to their
! detriment, and to make such changes in
, the laws of the State justice demands.
e We have found since we began to CO.
, operate and work together through the
e Grange how difficult it is to change sys-
+ tenn Of traffic that had been allowed to
r grow up and become so strongly entrench-
ed that it was claimed to be a fixed law of
t trade; but we have proved to our saiisfac-
: ton at least, that any system of trade that
e deprives the producer OF his just profits on
L. - IL i
Exchanged, if such body of farmers as
D we now represent determine that it shall
e beI1one. Before the Grange was organ
e izet our farmers were isolated, and they
0 allowed their strength to be scattered and
: FILTERED away, while other classes with
no more industry and ability than we
? possess collectively have grown rich and
2 strong upon what was Justly ours, and
a which can now be held by US for our own
b advantage without infringing upon the
: rights of others if we continue to work
!, together as our organization fairly pro
h yides. We can, through the Order of Pa
a irons of Husbandry, accomplish for oul
!. class Just what other classes have been
e doing for years; and we are now, after six
e years of cooperative labor, in a condition
: to make an advanced movement that will
/ give results even more favorable and sat
: isfactory than we have yet received. We
r have not been idle during the time that
y has passed since our Order was establish
ed in this State, and a glance backward
2 will show the many benefits we have re-
> ceived individually and collectively; YET
we must not be satisfied with what is al
\ ready done, but must continue on, making
each year some step forward that will give
S US new advantage and fresh courage for
+ further work We have in the six years
past been gradually and surely learning
+ to work together for the good of all ou1
i membership, and each year have been
4 making progress in all that pertains to our
t well-being as farmers and citizens. We
E have built up and sustained many hun
!. dreds of healthy Subordinate Grange or
! CARNATIONS in as many towns in our State,
= each one of them giving its members OPP
Dortunities for educational and social Gull
ture that could never have been enjoyed
by them under the old system of isolated
living, and yet we have hardly begun to
appreciate the advantages that have been
given us through the Grange organization.
We have built up trade associations that,
} during the year just passed. have done
business to the amount of nearly or quite
t one million dollars, thereby saving large
profits to the members who have availed
themselves of such opportunities as were
afforded to all. We have built up, and
successfully managed, fire relief associa-
tons within the borders of our Order that
now carry fire risks TO the amount of
many millions of dollars, each one of them
perfectly secured in the honor and integ-
rity of its membership, paying such losses
as have occurred fully and promptly,
proving to ourselves and the country that
we have the ability among ourselves to
manage such associations wisely and
economically, and in such ways as have
saved to our membership through these
associations thousands of dollars annually
| since their formation