San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-10-06
DECLARATION OF PURPOSES.
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ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL GRANGE At
ITS SEVENTH ANNUAL SESSION.
PREAMBLE.
Profoundly impressed with the truth
that the National Grange Of the United
States should definitely proclaim TO the
world its general objects, We hereby
unanimously make this Declaration Of
Purposes Of the Patrons Of Husbandry :
GENERAL OBJECTS.
l. United by the strong and faithful
tie Of Agriculture. we mutually resolve
to labor for the good Of our Order, our
country and mankind.
2. We heartily endorse the motto
sIn essentials, unity; in non-essentials,
liberty; in all things, charity"
sPEcIFIc OBJECTS.
8. We shall endeavor to advance our
cause by laboring to accomplish the
following objects:
To develop better and higher man
hood and womanhood among ourselves.
To enhance the comforts and attrac-
tions of our homes, and strengthen our
attachments to our pursuits. To tOster
mutual understanding and cooperation.
To maintain inviolate our laws, and to
emulate each other in labor to hasten
the good time coming. To reduce our
expenses, both individual and corporate.
To buy less and produce more, in order
to make our farms self-sustaining. To
diversity our crops; and crop no more
than we can cultivate. To condense
the weight Of our exports, selling less
in the bushel, and more on hoof and in
fleece. To systematic our work, and
calculate intelligently on probabilities.
To discountenance the credit system,
the mortgage system, the fashion sys-
tenn, and every other system tending to
prodigality and bankruptcy.
We propose meeting together, work
ing together, buying together, selling
together, and in general acting together
for our mutual protection and advance
ment. as occasion may require. We
shall avoid litigation as much as posi-
BILE by arbitration in the Grange. We
shall constantly strive to secure entire
harmony, good will, vital brotherhood,
among ourselves; and to make our Or
der perpetual. We shall earnestly en-
deavor to suppress personal, local, Sec
tional and national prejudices, all un-
healthy rivalry, all selfish ambition.
Faithful adherence to these principles
will insure our mental, moral, social and
material advancement.
BUSINESS RELATIONS.
4. For our business interests, we de-
sire to bring producers and consumers,
farmers and manufacturers, into the
most direct and friendly relations pos
sible. Hence, we must dispense with a
surplus of middlemen, not that we are
unfriendly to them, but we do not need
them. Their surplus and their exac-
tions diminish our profits.
We wage no aggressive warfare
against any other interest whatever.
On the contrary all our acts all our
efforts, so far as business is concerned,
are not only for the benefit of the pro-
Queer and consumer, but also for all
other interests that tend to bring these
two parties into speedy and economical
contact. Hence. we hold, that trans
portation companies of every kind are
necessary to our success, that their in
terests are intimately connected with
our interests, and harmonious action is
mutually advantageous; keeping in
view the first sentence in our declara.
ton of principles of action that "Indi-
vidual happiness depends upon general
prosperity"
We shall, therefore, advocate for eve
ry State the increase in every practible
way Of all facilities for transporting
cheaply to the seaboard, or between
home producers and consumers, all the
productions of our country. We adopt
it as our fixed purpose to open out the
channels in natures great arteries, that
the life blood of commerce may flow
freely.
We are not enemies of railroads, nav
igable and irrigating canals, nor of any
corporation that will advance our in