The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-03-20

uuaninity of thought and purpose
amongst ourselves, as is necessary to the
ends in view.
That the agricultural interests of the
country shall be properly represented in
its councils, it is demanded that the
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE
be made a cabinet officer. 1t is surely
important that this should be done, for
this great leading industry, the main source
of national wealth and power, has not
received from the general government
the consideration to which il is entitled,
though made to bear an undue share of its
burdens. This is mainly due to the fact
perhaps, that those engaged in agricul-
tural pursuits, unm.ndful of their own
strength. and of the extent of the interests
in their hands, have allowed other classes
to monopolize, too largely, the legislative
functions. Thus gold spectators, the
banking, bondholding, railway and other
corporate interests, have been enabled,
through the powerful appliances at their
command, to obtain such legislation as that
to which we are indebted for the wide
spread financial distress which has SO
nearly bankrupted the industrial interests
| for the last few years. Whilst we have
seen the interest of those powerful classes
ably championed in both houses of con-
gress, and supported by powerful and
opulent friends in the Hobbies, the votaries
| of agriculture have found few friends on
either floor, or in the. Hobbies, to protect
them against the rapacity of those who
have been allowed to rob them under
color of law, and to levy, at will, an un.
| Just taxupon their hard earnings.
| It is remarkable that agriculture has
scarcely representative from its ranksin
the Senate Of the United States, and the
House, and yet, had it been properly rep
resented in these bodies for the last de-
cade, we doubt not many of the grave
evils which have overtaken us would
have been averted, and our people would
have been prosperous, happy and united.
When sectional animosities shall have
been buried, the tyranny of party spirit
crushed, and the masses of our people
unifed upon the broad principles of right
and Justice, this truth, full of interest to
every citizen, will be freely recognized
| that the several sections of our common
country are adapted to such variety of
/ productions and industries, as never to be
in any sense commercial rivals, but that
each is the complement of the other, and
all are the integral parts of grand whole,
which, working together in harmony and
under the operation of wholesome laws,
securing to each section, and to1every citi-
zen, equal rights and Justice, would
secure for our common country such
wealth, power, and grandeur as the world
never saw.
/ This is the acme of the Oranges hope,
and in tie progress of the Order towards
] its attainment, we hold that this demand
for a representative in the cabinet,
through the National Grange, is hopeful
/ augury for the future, Jas it indicates an ava
kening of the people to their interests in
this direction. They should be fully arous-
ed, for now, whilst they, through wiser
counsels, and their own indefatigable eff
forts, are struggling from under burdens
and disasters which had we'll nigh de-
stroyed their faith in their rulers, their res
pect for the supremacy of the laws, and
had almost crushed out from their hearts
that sense of independence which is the
birtlrright of every American citizen, and
are again animated with the hope of re-
tur hing prosperity, they will need to exer-
else the utmost vigilance lest finance bro
kers, as is now threatened, shall by further
legislation of at least doubtful advantage
to the great agricultural interest, re-enact
the scenes of ruin and distress, with which
we have been SO familiar in the recent past.
AGRICULTURAL BUREAU.
We should take courage from the fact,
that bill is already before Congress, look
in to this object, and which has been rec
commended for passage by majority of
the House Committee on Agriculture, and
which was reported by that staunch friend
of the farmer, d. Wyatt Aiken, of s. C.
Brother Aiken is one of the most talented
members of the lower house, and an elo-
quent and forcible speaker, an earnest
Patron, whose whole heart is imbued with
the spirit of the Order, and filled with the
Hottest conceptions of its grand mission
This bill is opposed, however, by the
chairman of the committee, who is law
yer, and perhaps, is practically unfamiliar
with the questions involved, and favors
the abrogation of the Department of Ag-
riculture, and would remand all questions
in reference to this Important industry to
the tender mercies of Congress made up
4 too largely of those to say the least who
have no interest in common with those
who pursue it. ~ @
i Let us then, by the authority with
/ which our numbers invest us, demand
representative near the throne who comes
Il from our ranks, who understands our
wants and interests, and who will labor
with those who are already batting for
/ your rights, to protectus against ILL., advis-
ed and adverse legislation, and the con-
summation of all schemes in the interest
of privileged capitalists and other power.
tul combinations that might in the future
as in the past, impoverish and degrade the
industrial classes, whilst tending to the
concentration of power and. wealth in the
hands of the few. 80
The subject of
TRANSPORTATION
is exciting very deep interest in almost
every section of the country, as out of the