The patron of husbandry., 1881-02-26
A Contrast.

n y ear vi IWO ago an organ lZd"
ton was formed at Vicksburg by
the cotton planters of Mississippi,
Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee.
The first step which this Associa~
ton took was to establish a monthly
journal, and 10 make it a success
the mem bers gave it an earnest sup
port; indeed, il was made splendid
financial success at the start. The
intimate relations between the cot
tor planters and commission and
other merchants of New Orleans
and Memphis was an assurance that
the new organization would attempt
nothing opposed to the interests Of
the merchants, and the latter gave
the official journal j most liberal
patronage and exerted themselves
to extend its circulation. The paper
has had the active support OF the
mem bers IN the above States, and
the result is that the publishers
Of the Planters Journal are about
to publish in addition to their
monthly a large first class weekly
at a very low rate of subscription
Some of the avowed objects of the
Association are praIseworthy, but if
it's leading ones are to induce the
farmers OF the cotton States to de-
vote their time and attention mainly
to producing big crops and CON
tinue to conduct their business
under the old mercantile system.
tnen the organization is IA danger
Gus one. Under such a condition
of affairs, the farmers would be
little better than serts
But it is not the character and
objects Of the Association that We
intend to discuss We merely wish
to point out to farmers the wide
difference in the methods employed
by these classes who are accustomed
to organized effort and those who
are not The cotton planters and
merchants understand the power of
organization, and they know that
| 10 build uD an organisation and
| make it efficient, they must call to
| their active aid the newspaper press.
The mem bers of the Grange have
never displayed this wisdom in
| their support of their press In no
instance since the organization of
the Order have they sustained their
press with any degree of Iiberality
A grave mistake was made at the
outset in each State Grange attempt
! ing to establish an organ Of its own.
and it was usually the case that
these Grange papers were put into
the hands of persons who had nc
practical experience az editors OF
| publishers Since the es ablishmen,
of this journal in 1873, we believe
that every State Grange in the
South has bad its organ, but to day
not one of them is in existence.
This journal, unlike the organ o
the Planters Association at Vicks
/ burg. has met and is still meeting
with strong opposition in the or
tanzation it represents, not because
Il tails to come up to the standard
oi a Grange paper, but because tn,
leaders in other States want an or
gan Of their own. 1t has beer
clearly demonstrated that the Order
in any one State is not sufficient e
support first, class week y devoted
/ to the cause, and that to make sucI
a journal strong enough for efficien
| work. the Order in several States
must concentrate upon it. In con
sequence of this opposition, TIL
/ PATRON has been held back and il
power to do effective work circum
scribed to a comparatively imitet
extent.
Ii the leading members of tn
Order n the Southwest bad as hig!
an appreciation of the value Of thl
/ press a. the cotton planters AM
commission merchants, they woulc
like them alng aside all local ene