The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-04-24

through these channels we have
with hope and pride reared aiott
our superstructure of prosperity,
one stroke of legislation may lay 1t
low. ,rbeu how hazardous, if not
futile, are all of our. efforts in this
direction, so long as we have no
bulwark to guard US against those
great tidal waves of politicaisdor
ruption which sweeps over the
land leaving ruin and devastation
inetheir path. !.
Under the present condition of
affairs the farmer may digand delve
and strive from day in to day out
He may scatter his good seed broad
cast upon a fertile sohs but l1eswiill
ever find in the end the pfddl EN- an
and the money king standing like
vnltures, ready to swoops d own and
Lbea~of the fruits of his toll;
From such premises as these it
requires no logician to pass to the
natural conclusion, that in order to
give permanence and stability TO
it's work, the prime preliminafy
step of the Grange should be TO
secure for the farmer just and
equitable share in the law-makirlg
power of the land.
Some would object to this. They
tell us that we must discard politics
and should treat all political affairs
with kind of holy horror. This
sentimental advice partakes moreFoi
fancy than-of logic and. common
sense. ssPolitics if we make use OF
tile Common accep tation of the
term meaning partisan cavil, sec.
tional pickering and thatsystematie
fraud and chicanery practiced by
the office seekers for selfish aggran.
dizenent, is.trnly a very ,contempt
ible thing. But when taken in its
Ijust and proper sense, meaning the
science of government..by which
life and liberty are guaranteed
the right of. property secured and
peaceful industry fostered and pro
tected, then it is not a thing to be
scoffed at by prudent men,. 1t il
in this light that i would have yer
view the, subject to-day ,...f.,
You have life. You have prop
erty, and as citizens, you have al
freedom and privileges to be pro.
tected that are enjoyed by Other
classes. Then why not have men
whose interests are identical with
your own, who can comprehend
your wants and necessities, to rep.
resent you in the law making power
of the land?1u19 81 ssht go zgs'I
alt was principle of freedom
enumerated and established by the
founders Of this government, that
taxation admits the right of repre-.
sentation, and who, more than The
farmer,is taxed to support our com.
mon governmental and who, more
than he upon this principle, is en-
titled to a fair and just representa-
ton? Then as a natural birth
right, and one which has been well
purchased, let us seize upon it and
make use OF It. -fBssisFHf.f &. ftt.
Agriculture is the basis of our
State and National prosperity. II
is the basis of our foreign com
merce and our Internal traffic. 1t
supplies the loom and it supplies
the mill 1t feeds. the hungry and
clothes the naked. In short, it is
the most noble and the most useful
of all callings in this life-yet the
most neglected. Then it behooves
us to create for ourselves a political
representation, and to use, it, as a
great fulcrum power, for restoring
our lost rights and for raising agri-
culture to that higher plane of re-
spectability and prosperity which
is Justly its own. bur s uu.e
=, In conclusion, will say the issue
is fairly before you. How will you
meet it? | hope you will not re-
main supinely needless and insen-
sible of your condition, for look at
that condition in whatever form or
light you may and it will resolve
itself into that simple alternative
I" To be or not to be?" How strong
does this appeal to every manly
principle within us melting us to
vigilance and activity, and it is to
be hoped that it will continue to
animate us, until we have swept
every vestige of those wrongs and
determinations, which have been
entailed upon us by the mal-admin :
stration of our political affairs xiioa