The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-11-19
The Object and Influence Of the
exrnrrrQ s

al
Grange.
As Time. with its developments
passes by the OBJECT oe mo Granoa
-,,.pes more apparent, and the in
fuence which it has exerted and
promises to exert, testifies that the
originators of the Organization
"builded wiser than they knew
All agricultural organizations pre-
viously formed had reference simply.
and solely to the Improvement of
the soil, and the produce, and the
stock, the farmer himself being
subordinated to these. The object
of the Grange, while it has compre-
hended all these, has been to make
the improvement of the farmer
himself the main thing. Ithas said
to him: Owing to the selfish in
stlncts of the human race, you have
got to look sharp after your own
interests, you have got to proceed
in the most rigidly economical fash
ion in the management of your af-
fairs; and in order to keep up with
yourinterest, and practice this econ
omy, you havei!got 10 attend to
much that you formerly delegated
others to do for you. Now that
you may be capable of1doing this,
you -hape~got to be better educated,
and as the best education comes
from the attrition of minds, you will
have~te~-meet~ tosether~at regular
and stated intervals, you and your
brother farmers of like interests,
and discuss all matters pertaining
to your development as human be-
ings with ever increasing cares and
responsibilities. AS you can not
afford to lose any of the intellectual
and moral force of the world,
Woman must be admitted to the
Order With full and equal privileges
If it is necessary that you must
cultivate the soil in the best manner
and raise the finest stock, it is in :
initelys more necessary that your
children should be well raised, and
in order to do this the best home
influences and the best schools
should be constantly aimed after
The Grange meeting, therefore,
should subserve the purpose of en-
larging the experience of each far
mer, keeping him fully posted con
corning current events, of empha-
sizing bis citizenship, enabling him
to realize that he is political factor,
and as such a power and entitled
to respect and to voice in the law
making bodies Of the country, the
laws Of which so Immediately affect
him. You will find that in order to
accomplish anything, the corner
stone of your building must be CO.
operation, that without co-opera
tive action you are pOwerIess to i'm
prove your condition and accom-
| plish any of the ends of your orr
ganization. This is what the Grange
has said to the farmer. 1t contin>
ually reiterates this through its or
gans, and gradually it is making its
impress.
The agricultural class furnishes
the conservative eleme nt in this on
rushing civilization of ours, pre-
serves the balance &C things, ard
that it may effectually do this, the
principles of the Grange must be
carried out The processes of Ma
ture are slow, and the farmer must
wait upon them; but he must make
himself a solid, respectable body OF
intelligent citizens, and not be
! pushed down and crushed out by
the sharp and INSCRIPTIONS &C
tivities about him, ever on the alert
and ever at work. He must make
his honesty tell in opposing COM
mercial and political fraud, There
is demand enough tor it.
1t is noticeable fact that the
farmer of to-day is far superior in
intelligence and better capable oil
helping himself than ever before
This is the result of the ed ucation
be has received through the Grange
and it is but the beginning of an
Improvement which will follow a
determined activity. Social eleva-
ton and financial prosperity will
follow co operative effort as GER
tainly as effect follows cause.
God save the king and kings,
They cannot help themselves much
longer,
Methinks hea~ little bird that sings,
The people, by and by, will be the
stronger #9
-
Senator Voorhees, defends his at