The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-02-28

ton among the farmers of the State. Our
interests demand that we should now
cease to support and encourage the press
that ignores our existence as a body, and
give our support fully and cordially to
such as labor for our welfare, and advo-
cate the measures upon which depends
our prosperity as citizens and farmers.
From the date of our first State meeting
in 1874 up to the present time the ques-
ton of assessment and taxation and rail-
road transportation have been kept prom
inently before our membership, and such
measures taken at our subsequent meet
ings as would be likely to awaken public
sentiment in favor of laws that would give
the agricultural interests of the State relief
from the unjust burdens that had been fas-
tened upon them through the influence
exerted over our law making bodies by
the money of the corporate powers, and
we now have the satisfaction of knowing
that the sentiments of large majority of
the people are with us upon the principle
of making all the property in the State
pay the just proportion of the taxes, no
matter where such property is invested,
and of so fixing by statute law the tariffs
upon all our railroads that no more shall
| De CndI SCd lOI Jul HAONo~~ 9
short distance than is charged upon the
same roads for carrying the same kind OF
produce a longer distance. This is justice
and eq uity, and no kind of sophistry OF
subterfuge should be longer tolerated upon
duce the greater part of the wealth of the
state, and are in all cases the mainstay oil
the government. --
We are not political organization, and
l thank God we are not, for that leaves
us free to act intelligently on all questions
that concern us and our interests in such
ways as are beyond the reach of partisan
politicians who are for nothing but theil
own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and who are ready
to betray the people at any time when
their own selfish interest seem to demand
it. We are entitled to all the privilege:
conferred upon other classes of citizens
!. by the constitution ahd laws of the state
and we should not longer barter away oul
rights for the success of political parties
but stand by such only as are ready to dc
US justice when they have the opportuni
ty. The party now in power in the ex
ecutive and legislative branches of The
state government declared in their plat
forms that they would do the people jus
: the control of the government, and the,
must now redeem that promise to tn
letter or be branded as unworthy of thu
confidence of the agricultural people.
: is not manly in us to longer find fault witt
corporations for controlling the legislator
, of the state in their interests by thei
money when we have the power to max
and unmake legislatures by taking tn
matter in our own hands, and by on
voting power, regardless of party dicta
ton, elect such men as are beyond tn
reach of money influence and who Wi
5 give US the justice we are entitled to.
| The National Grange at its last session
in Canandaigua took strong grounds il
? favor of exerting that kind of influence
and | have no hesitation in saying her
1 that in my judgment it must come to tina
E before we will succeed in our demands
and when it does come to that, then is on
victory assured.
1 That body also discussed and adopted
E a resolution in favor of raising tho grad
< of the agricultural department at Wash
ington, making its chief cabinet officer
: and making it in all respects equal il
r power and influence with the other de
1 partments of the government.
( When we consider the magnitude anc
/ variety OF the agricultural productions o
this country, the growing demand for then
from all parts of the world, and the extor
e tons and frauds practiced by gamblin,
t rings and robbers that stand between tn
producer and consumer, we claim Their
should be the same power granted to tina
department for our protection from unjus
t transportation tariffs and swindling gam
: blers in the staff of'life that is now eivel
: to the secretary of the interior for the pro
: lection of the public lands from the rimbe
r thieves who depredate upon them, or t
S the postmaster general for keeping oh
: scene literature and lottery swindler
r from the mail bags. This is proper sub
! Ject for your consideration, and respect
fully present it for such action as you ma
: think proper.