The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-06-18
For the Patron.
The q range: It's Past and Future
Work.


The good accomplished by the
organization Of Patrons of Hus-
bandry Is of such magnitude, that
even good Patrons almost lose sight
of the many advantages, unless we
occasionally pause and take retro
spective view of the past. When
we become truly enlisted in the
cause, and earnestly engaged in the
great work, our minds become So
absorbed in its progress, and in the
hope Of the future, that we almost
forget the past. But when we no.
tice the change in our social being
and fraternal feeling, we then to
some degree realize the great good
accomplished, for we then see how
the social feature of our Order has
removed selfiShnesS and isolation,
until we entertain a kind and irateT-
nal feeling toward all mankind.
Bound together by the strong tie OF
fraternal friendship, as brothers and
sisters laboring together IN every
section Of our country for the ad-
vancememt and elevation OF oar
members, we should keep watch
ful eve on the past, as well as on
the present and future, so that the
errors Of the past may be avoided
in the future and the advances made
he securely held and fully developed
far tb. general GOOD
In taking a review of the past,
we feel fully justified in saying that
the social feature Of our Order has
been of greater value TO its memb hers
than all it's cost in time and money.
Then, when we consider in add
ton thereto the educational advan
tages, and the financial benefits we
find it inculcable. Education is
the grand and important object of
the work in the Grange, for it is
through this fundamentally that we
hec me conversant with and more
fully understand ourselves, our in
terests, our rights and privileges, as
we'll as our obligations and duties
of true citizenship, and as we be
come familiar with these, we more
fully realize the relations which the
different classes, interests and sec
lions bear to each other in the pro-
duction of true happiness and real
prosperity. The neglect or depres-
sion of any interest is an error and
leads to misfortune. and the more
important the interest, the greater
he misfortune, while we, as a peo-
pie, have many interests that have
importance and merits that we cam
not well afford to dispense with or
even allow them to become depress-
ed or non-prosperous. But the
great and most important interest
of all is agriculture, which is para
mount to all others combined, for
all others are dependent upon agri-
culture for support and prosperity.
Then agriculture above all others
should receive, as it is entitled to,
the greatest care and protection, to
keep 1t ever prosperous, which
would enable Il TO distribute its
blessings to all classes and interests
still more abundantly; this then
would lead to the happiness of the
whole people and make us nationally
prosperous. The necessity of a
Grange education among the agri-
cultural classes is of the utmost i'm
portance, that should not longer be
neg lected. We must through some
means educate tie outside farmer.
Members of the Order who have
devoted time in attendance at their
Grange meetings, and have given
the subject proper thought have
learned to understand the great i'm
portance of the agricultural interest
and the various interests of the
| whole country, and the relations
they bear to each other; they have
also learned to understand political
economy in its varied forms and APP
plications, and are becoming more
and more familiar with the affairs
and management of government,
local and national The advanta-
ges of this educational work enables
the members to fully carry out the
NS0>HAh - VI oui olQCI, ana the
principles upon which it is founded,
VIZ: that all classes and interests be
properly protected in their legiti-
mate rights, and that the blessings
and burdens of government be
equally distributed to all classes and
sections of our common country;
that discrimination against any le-
gitimate interest is anti America in
principle, unjust and detrimental to
the interests of the country, and spe-
cial favoritism in legislation or 9th
erwlse is unwarranted by law, an
tagonistic to the best interests and
the general welfare of the people,
but that legislation and the man
agenient of all governmental affairs
be upon the fundamental principles
OF exact justice to all classes and
interests in every section of our
land. These are sound Grange
principles, and should be we'll un-
derstood by every Patron and bv
every farmer in the whole country.
For if we are now that free gov
eminent established by our ga
theirs, then the people should gov
ern, and we are only qualified to
govern to the extent of our knowl-
edge of the affairs of government.
The number engaged in agriculture
IN the United States are about 90
100000, or one-half of the popula-