The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-09-03
FROM ARK ANsAS.
Letter ErDSn Worthy Lecturer
~. EShbaUgh. of the National
Grange.

Grange.
Editor Patron.' Having spent
few weeks in Arkansas, on lee
turing tour in the in the interest of
the Patrons of Husbandry. few
items may be of some interest to
the many readers of THE PATRON
in that State.
August 10th I spoke at Smithvile,
Lawrence county; August 18th, at
Shiloh; August 18th, at Pine Grove,
Sharp county, August 18th at Sui
phur Rock, Independence county;
August 18th, spent the day in travel
to reach Van Buren,, Crawford
county, for the 18th; August 10Th,
at Ozark, Franklin county; Au-
gust 18TH, Russellville; August 18th,
Potts Station, Pope county; Au-
gust 10Th, Malvern, Hot Springs
county; August goth and 23d, in
Miller county. This took me over
quite a territory of the State The
meetings, with few exceptions,
were well attended by farmers, and
also attention given to the speaking
and a good deal of enthusiasm man
ifested every where. [ found few
live hourishing Oranges, in regular
working order, and in these COM
munities | invariably found a good
| circulation of Grange literature,
among which is THE PATRON, and
the Journal of agriculture, and
where l failed in finding live Gran
ges [ also failed to find Grange pa
pers. A live paper advocating the
principles of our Order is as essen
tial to the life of Grange, as food
is to the support of the human body
Notwithstanding there is much
dormancy in the Order in Arkansas
it is not dead, only asleep, and needs
an awakening power to arouse il
from its slumbers, and a supply oil
wholesome doctrine as food for the
mind, and a live, energetic, work
ing Patron to guide the Order in
the State, and there are tens Of
thousands of good men and womer
in the State that will cheerfully re.
enlist and bear their Grange ban.
ners high and nobly on to fna
victory.
The great inquiry at every place
visited was, "How to proceed to re
organize" What is needed is Z
live man in every county that will
step to the front and take hold o
the work with an earnest determi
nation to make a success of the
great work, and good results are
sure to follow.
Then live, active man, with {
well balanced head, as leader il
the State and the work will agar
move on to prosperity.
If they had J. Y. Scott, or /
number of equal energy and perse
verance in each county in the State
success would be assured There
were two causes that contributed
largely to dormancy in the State
First,to much material uncongenia
to our Order was admitted, anc
hence but little was done to reliev:
the farmers from the injustice will
which they were burdened; dis
enlargement followed, dormancy
commenced, and the results wer,
dead Oranges. Second, lack o
confidence in each other, too man,
farmers exercising more faith anc
placing more confidence in bankers
merchants, moneyed corporation
and partisan politicians, than they
did in their neighbors, whose inter
ests are identical, and whose char
acter perhaps irreproachable, bu
being farmer, he is, in a measure
considered unworthy of confidence
All this is wrong, and | have reason
to believe that very many begin t,
see it in different light. and in
reorganization of the Order thi
error would to a large extent b.
remedied.
Take it all in all, | am mucl
pleased with the future prospects il