The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-09-24
l,O-OnerafiOn.

tive Congress which met at Leeds,
England, in June last, of which
body he was chosen President
That distinguished statesman dis
cussed the question of cooperation
in all its bearings, and with clear
ness and power that will give
strength to the cause wherever his
address is read. The advocates of
cooperation in this country should
take courage from the experience
of their predecessors in England.
In that country; when Cooperation
was first inaugurated and until it
had gained strength that compelled
respect, its advocates were ridiculed
and denounced and every obstacle
was thrown in their way. Now,
the leading statesmen of England
are the friends and advocates of CO.
operation, and the principle is gain
ing such Roadway that it must and
will eventually drive out the old
competitive system, which is unjust
and oppressive to the consumer and
corrupt and corrupting in its inf1u-
ences. The day is not distant when
the leading statesmen of this coun-
try who are patriotic will initiate
the example Of Lord Derby and be
come earnest and effective advo
Gates of cooperation. S..
We will probably print other ex-
tracts from the admirable address
of Lord Durby in future issue:
THE SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF
COOPERATION.
1t is not in language of idle fiat
terry, but as the expression of de-
liberate and sincere conviction, that
began by telling you that the sub
ject which brings this Congress to-
gether, the subject of cooperation,
is in my judgment more important
as regards the future of England
than nine-tenths of those discussed
in Parliament, and around which
political controversy gathers In a
free country the sphere of Govern
ment is necessarily and properly
limited. Law restraints but few Of
our actions, sand for the most part
its operation is hardly felt by orderly
and respectable people. The prin-
ciple of action which a man shall
adopt, the occupation he shall fol-
low, the object towards which he
shall direct his life, are matters
with which the State, speaking
broadly, can not NEEDLE. We have
learned by a long experience Of
national life that many matters,
which of old it was thought essen
tial that the growing power should
regulate, may with safety and adj
vantage be left to the community:
and as we have gradually adopted,
and are more and more adopting
that doctrine, notwithstanding some
superficial appearance to the con-
trary, the risk of political CONFUSION
is Proportiorarely lessenrd. But
the energy which would cause
these commissions is diverted, not
destroyed. It runs into other chan
nels. The workman who thinks he
is hardly used III the matter of wa
ges does not ask that they should
be raised by legislation; he forms a
union and fights the employer on
comparatively equal terms. The
employer in his turn uses the same
weaponss he combines with his col
leagues in the same business to re-
sist what he considers unjust de
mands. Voluntary associations on
large scale, asking no help from
the State, but only freedom and
nonInterference, are marked and
peculiar Characteristic Of our age,
and it is to my tnind not the least OF
the many merits of this cooperative
movement that it is kept strictly
within the limits Of that principle
1t does not clamor for public money
it does not ask that its opponents
should be put down by the arm oil
the law; if does not override free
contract or meddle with individual
liberties. Even those who oppose
Utmost strongly, and whose personal
interests suffer by It's extension, &C
not venture to contend that the sup
porters of the new principle are MOI
clearly within their rights. They
argue against it on grounds of ex.
} pediency and policy, but they d.
not deny that it has the right to try
the experiment fairly, and that ths
experiment must be tested by results
That is feature of cooperation or
which | need not dwell further, but
which to my mind is one of its
: strongest recommendations to pub
? lie favor | confess that personally
L have a great distrust of the pnilan
thropist who says (and a good many
are saying it in various forms), 81
you agree with me that so and so i.
right to do, help me to force every
body to it, We are not free, de
pend upon it, from danger on thai
side, and Mr. Mills book on Lib
erty" Zone of the wisest books, as
think, of our time) is quite as much
needed now as when it was writer
perhaps rather more.