The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-12-30
COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE.
Pleasant Mound,
Splendid weather.

when we get it. Dec. Q was the date
of the last copy we have had--18 days.
Our mail facilities are a miserable
farce. Don't let up on the Govern
ment until they stop letting contracts
for carrying mail-only to actual
carriers.
That the balance of the world may
know we still live and move and |
flourish, and that we still fling our
banner to the breeze on which is in
scribed "Live and let live-equal
rights to all and opposition to all
forms and monopolis." herewith
send you complete list of the names
of the officers of Pleasant Mound
Grange, elected at the last meeting,
for the ensuing year:
E. D. Cornish w. NJ.
N. Capen w. D.
J. s. Parks; w. l..
It. ID. Francis; w. 8.
ii. Parks; w. A.. s.
y, ", Chamberlain nnIsd o. NC.
Mrs. NJ. Il. McKibben; w. Soc.
+. o. Marks W. q. X.
Mrs. L. II. Dredge Ceres.
Mrs. ]. X. Wilder Pomona.
Mrs. Jesse Mack Flora.
Mrs. VIM. Chamberlain L. A. 8.
Mrs. A. M. Stephens /; Chorister.
A. NJ. Sephens Purchasing Agent
Saturday, January IA, 1882, the new
officers will be duly installed. at
which time the sisters of the order
will provide the usual feast of
oysters, chicken pie and let caeteras)
which are calculated to create an ap.
petite.
The purchasing agent Mr.. Stephens
has been furnished with a Grange
fund with which the agent is doing
flourishing business for the members
as it enables him to purchase goods
at wholesale, paying cash for the
same, and distributing them to the
grange at cost price, freight added.
BY this method from 20 to so per
cent. is saved from the retail price
and on some articles even still more
is made. Kerosene which merchants
retail at 80 cents per gal. has been
furnished in any desired quantity at
a cost of only Is cents. On dried
fruits so per cent. has usually been
saved, while on notions the margin
is even greater. Not an item of food
or wearing apparel, or piece of ma
chinery used on the farm from hoe
handle to a self-binding harvester
but what the agent can buy at great
saving to the purchaser. 1t is a great
pity that farmers can not all be made
to see and act alike on subject of so
much interest to them. Why wrong
for farmers to combine and make
their purchases where they can get
the most goods for the least money {?
Don't all other trades and professions
do the same thing! And don't they
advise us in effect to quietly stay at
home, raise all we can, pay our taxes
without murmur, and when we
have anything to sell ask them what
they aoiU giUe /? and what we buy, ask
of them ptat they oiH take? Merchants
have there board of trade, millers and
doctors their associations, lawyers
their legal societies; railroad compa-
MES and other corporations their
combinations and rings, and me-
chanics their trades unions,-all of
whom combine to .fr prices.
But what of the Is millions of poor
"benighted" farmers who are per.
mitted to stand with their hands tied,
and look on and be feeced seriatim /?
We are told not to NEEDLE with poll.
tics as that would prove our ruin
that another set of individuals stand
ready to sacrifice themselves by mon.
opolizing all the offices and providing
ways of dispOsing of our loose change.
Let US combine by joining the grange
or by forming alliances in every
school district in the State and be
prepared another fall to dictate who
shall run the machine-the people or
a few public robbers, sometimes call.
ed corporations.
Let us demand economy and a
change in the present abominably
wicked assessment law, and the
method of collecting taxes.
(Will your correspondent who sign
ed himself "Bombasticus" explain
what he meant by "anomalys of our
assessment lawg) GRANGER.