The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-02-26
FROM TENNESSEE.
TiDtOu County


man race of to day is as vacillating
and unstable as twas ia the ages
past. In reading the oldest book
extant, i. e., Moses Pentateuch, we
find that when the Jews were led
| by him through the Red Sea into
the wilderness, on their way to the
land OF freedom, they desiring 10
return to the flesh pots of Egypt in
sisted on Aaron's making them
Il golden calf, and leading them
back to Egyptian servitude.
And is this not the picture of the
agricultural classes of to-day?
Did they not readily fall into
line under the leaders alp of o. II.
| Kelly and his associates when the
| banner OF freedom for the masses
was first unfurled to the breeze?
And did they not checrfuIly fol
low the flag until the golden wedge
OF Achan tempted them to desertion
and caused them to return to their
former occupation of serving their
Egyptian task
When we had Grange agents in
our commercial centres, and Gran
gers would buy through their agen-
cies. the merchants would promise
to duplicate the agents bill and
discount it 10 per cent.
And this Was enough to excite
the cupidity of many who set out
at first with good intentions, and
ran well for a while, but not. being
able TO watch every avenue of at
tack, they accepted such induces
ments which were only intended to
esfrdnge them from their Grange, and
thus to destroy the only association
the farmers eUer had The mer-
chants know the Importance and
power OF unity, therefore they re-.
sort TO every device to destroy it
among the laborers.
SO did the lion know the power
OF the confederation among the
four bulls, and set himself at work
to dissolve the compact.
And when once he had succeeded
IN his efforts TO seperate them. be
found it an easy task to destroy
them in detail, which he could not
do while the articles of confedera
ton were binding. But, while
: Achan's golden wedge has pur
chased too many of our class, there
yet remains, here and there, a true
and faithful Caleb and Joshua, with
$780, 900 or 100000 followers in this
country.
And since "the race is not TO the
swift. nor the battle to the strong
but justice and right are bound to
win at last, we have an abiding
confidence in the stability and per-
manency of our organization, and
though it sinks here it will rise
yOnder,
As the blood of the martyr is the
seed of the church, so are oppres-
sion and Injustice the seeds that
vitalize and chrystalize our Order
But our people are yet to learn
what the lark in the wheat field
knew, and that is as long as farm
ers wait for lawyers to make laws
TOR them they will never be made
But if you want your laws made
IN your interest you must make
them yourselves; and not depend
| on Other classes to do il for you.
: And that the laboring classes know
this is evident from a remark made
to me by one who was never a
Granger.
When speaking of the seemingly
| waning of the Grange, because the
| roadside and strong ground bearers
? and sore headed or chronic office
seekers had gone back, he remark
ed, "what calamity it would be
> for the Grange to go down, it would
set the hopes Of the laboring classes
, back one hundred years.
, And yet that man never joined
; the Grange to give his weight and
influence in the cause of humanity
; Oh, what consistency! rather in
consistency,
Mr.. Editor. the only way to
brighten the intellect of the laborer
, is to continually bring his oppres
sions and his redress to his mind;
set mem before him often, as you
would rub a silver dollar to keep it
, bright.
Never tire in we'll doing, remem-
} bering Solomop's injunction, Cast
thy bread upon the waters, that it
may be gathered after many days.
Let me here state an instance OF
my experience in purchasing some
copperas, as an illustration OF the
profits made by middle men:
Wanting so pounds cf copperas,
, it could not be bought ia our home
market for less than Is cents per
: pound for any quantity less than 20
| pounds; and for any amount above
% pounds il was 121 cents per
pound. | went to Memphis aud
bought it for 3 cents per ponnd.
Query. What does the druggist
give for it?
Probably from / J to 2 cents per
| pound in ST. Louis, making 500 or
600 per cent on their investments.
Castor oil is quoted IN the St.
Louis papers at II cents by the bar
, rel and 12a cents by the case, | sup
pose it means per gallon, and | give
rs cents per quart
Query. Any profits in this? Only