The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-07-16
Alabama State Gram,
OFFICE OF SFCRFr,

the first page, | find these W. %
off the Oranges in Alabama .a
the plan of allowing a vote f., "ooF
share they will fail in their 90 eaCa
rative enterprises" OPe'
This criticism, to say the le...
it, shows that you are unfsmna
with the Statute Laws of Your "a a
tive State. I'D
Section 1873 of the Code Of Al,
bama reads as follows: "A meet.
of the stockholders shall be LIE
annually in this State at such ~; .~
and place, and under such nofica "
the Bylaws may direct for a.
election of the directors and far ~ ~
transaction of business; in all o,.a.
ings of the stockholders, each stocL
holder shall be entitled TO one W. W.
for each and every share of so,l
held or o7Vned BY him"
For the correctness of the abor.
quotation l respectfully refer W.
and your readers to Sec. 1919 Cod.
of 1876.
Now, allow me to say that
should never have made dr,h
upon your space had not nv fratar
nal brethren seen fit to elect me .,
Secretary of the Alabama STATE
Grange and also to adopt your "a.
per as the medium of official com
munication.
Having received a nurlber ofIet.
tiers from the Secretaries of Suhor.
dinate Oranges in the State asking
for more light on the subject of CO.
operation, notwithstanding | have
always had a dislike for appearing
in public or in print; being familiar
with the plan suggested by the Ma.
tional Grange and also with the
laws of Alabama relating to such
organizations, together with con.
siderable experience behind tie
counter of a cooperative store
which has proved a success beyond
the most sanguine expectations Of
its most enthusiastic members, with
a desire to hasten the good time
coming when there shall be co.
operative store in every township
in the State, | furnished the plan
which you tell your readers will re.
suit in failure.
If the plan suggested by the Ma.
tional Grange had been altogether
applicable to the Alabama farmers
and had not come in conflict with
some of the Statute Laws Of the
State, then l should have referred
those seeking light to the Digest
when. they could have found the
plan suggested by the Nationa
Grange, but as that plan did cone
in conflict with the laws of Alabama
and being familiar with said laws
| so remodeled the plan recon.
mended by the National Grange as
TO make it comply with the Statute
Laws of the State of Alabama. and
made such suggestions as ] thought
would be Of importance TO those
wishing to incorporate a co-opera-
tive Association, and it seems to me
that it would have been the part Of
prudence, if not wisdom, for YOU
to have first seen whether or not IN
Alabama we could restrict stock
holders to one vote, before YOU pub
lished to the Oranges Of Alabama
that to allow more than one vote to
a stakeholder would result in failure
to their cooperative enterprises.
Now, our condition is simply this;
The Za70S Of our State says we
must allow one 0ote for every share
The editor of our official organ says;
"If the Oranges in Alabama adopt
the plan of allowing one vote Tor
each share, they will fail in Their
cooperative enterprises" Now
what shall the Grange do? Every
failure reacts prejudicially upon the
interest of our noble Order. Then
will you have us content ourselves
and wait until our good Represent
alive shall see fit to change our
laws?
God forbid. We must work out
our own salvation, and if we pre-
ferred restricting stockholders 10
one vote, it could not be done IN
Alabama under the existing laws
of the State, and I, for one, feel no
disposition to run on in the old .'rut
until our Representatives shall sec
fit to change the Statute and allo"
us to restrict our members.
My advise is, organize as soon as
possible and comply with the laws
of your State, by allowing you,
stockholders one vote for each anu
every share held or owned by theul'
then call your Representatives az
tention to the Objectionable feature
of the Statute and ask him to secure
the desired change after which you
can amend your Bylaws ana &c
strict your members to one vote re,
CARELESS of the number OF shares
held or owned by them.
We have a cooperative entel-
prise at this place which allows ~
stockholders one vote for each anu
every share held or owned by the"i'
and if it has been a failure then !
would to Heaven that we had Jus
such a failure for every ten squai'
miles in our State.
Now, Mr.. Editor, you are ~
doubt correct in advocating the ons t
vote system, but you made a mos
aryor xubar1 Won SAID IH0