The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-04-24
Co-onerafion i'm trississippi.

Mt. Nebo, Lafayette county, MISS,
as well as Salem Grange, are living
realities. They are the themes of con-
versation when neighbors meet. Old
members are returning to the fold,
applicants are petitioning, and stock
is being increased in their store.
The business was opened ABOUT
the goth of February last. The in
voice bills, furnished them by ct. ].
Carver, New Orleans" and by
"Child & Carver, ST. Louis" amoun-
ted to $733.oI; $500 of that has been
in store but few days; sales up to
March aoth were $375.5I. They are
educating there; they seek the light,
they act, and good comes of their ed
ucation. At the request of a number
of live people, they made arrange
ments for public lectures on coop
el alton at their hall on the 10th of
February and again on the 2oth of
March, and urged me to meet them
for that purpose. Patrons and non
Patrons were present; they gave
listening ears; they needed the
teachings, and have proven their ap-
probation by acting.
They have established business
with their aggregated capital, little
from every one of many; they sus-
tain that business by their own Gus
ton and the custom of others not
members. The profit on the bust
ness in the aggregate will be the
same as if it were the business of an
individual; but the profit in the lat
ter case would all belong to the in
dividual, while in the former it is
returned to the customer on settle
ment day, which is to be quarterly,
every one receiving the profit on his
or her individual custom. This is
securing exchange and distribution
at actual cost and expense. 1t settles
the "irrepressible conflict" between
capital and labor, because they are
in partnership in business OF their
own choosing. They pay the CAPT
tai interest and the labor wages, and
return the profits to custom. Thus
Equity is done, Justice satisfied, and
Mercy placed within the reach of all.
There are some hindrances to CO.
operation. Some of them might be
very profitably noted and reported
occasionally. Want of confidence is
one. Education in the true principle
begets confidence. A correct knowl-
edge of it develops the fact that true
cooperation is not antagonism, OPP
position, nor warfare. 1t does not
destroy business, business men, nor
towns and cities, nor extort from
labor more than enough of its earn
ngS to defray the actual cost of ex-
change and distribution. 1t may re-
duce the number of business men,
and in some places may relieveso
man or men of their business labors
and place some others there by cleo
ton of associated customers. But
changes of that kind are constantly
| going on everywhere. There is
nothing new in changes. One man
is elected President only for four
years. Change in that is result of
the free choice of the people to be
served. So may changes be made
in business men by those to be
served, and they are constantly
made, either by individual or the
, will of associated customers.
Offensive warfare is not the tao
tics of the Grange, nor of those who
understand its principles and purpo-
ses as sent out by the National
Grange, except against ignorance,
, corruption and embezzlement in
, high or low places. But if it must
war, it is to be defensive and its wea-
. pom EDUCATION. Its object is the
, same in character as that of the as
sociarions of every other class: gen
eral improvement. advancement,
protection and defense Of the par.
S ticular class represented; and it is
}. only initiative in all that. The far
: mers, always slow to act, never or
gained until necessity forced them
to it, and not then till the wisest and
: best men of the professions and
e trades had repeatedly urged upon
:. them the benefits of organization.
!, Such has ever been my under
standing and my teaching Misun-
derstanding or misrepresentation
] may have placed me in a different
light. And the best of feelings and
friendship, and the hearty co-opera-
ton with the principles of oul
i Order, as understood and taught by
me in my intercourse, have been
expressed by those / have been as
E ISOLATED with +, and may my
5 tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth" ere I should teach any.
, thing to the contrary. And if there
is warfare to be had only against
E the exceptions noticed above, let il
Y be defensive, never offensive, on the
, part of the Grange tits education
, we are after-light continually
And as we get the light, walk by
: it +; walking and teaching together
:, in peace and harmony means sue
!. cess.
/ A hindrance to cooperation in
lpractice, is that some who could be
customers, even some times stock
n holders, go to other houses to buy
n some articles that the cooperative
e house could furnish, because it may
be offered a little cheaper. In
stances: One stockholder passed hi.
. own house and bought few yard.
!, of domestic, because he could get i
4. half cent cheaper in the yard; hs
s bought, probably, 20 yards, anc
| with M ~