The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-10-14
Synopsis of Hon. j. j. Wood
mans Address.

1 - AOTWAS va MAVMs 9A J" VVus
MANS Address.
The following remarks are res
ported by The Journal of Agrical-
ture as made by Hon. J. J. Wood
man Master Of the National Grange,
before the Texas State Grange:
He said that he did not come to
Texas for the purpose of making
speeches, but to see the great South
west; to meet the Patrons of Hus-
bandry face to face, and to inquire
into the workings of the Order in
this State. He did not come to con-
denim and cry down other profess
sion, or laud his own vocation
above all others, though he would
insist that all others depended di>
rectly or indirectly upon the farm-
er; that the farm is the source of
all wealth and the farmer the great
motive power that runs and sus
tains every other industry and en-
iterprise. He said he had Travelled
over the greater part of Europe,
and found that in every country he
visited, whether amid the squalid
poverty of the peasantry in Ireland,
or in England, where the farmers
own no land, found the farmer al
ways occupying the lowest position
in society, brought on themselves
by allowing others to do their wri-
ting, their thinking and their legis
lation. The same causes are new
operating, said the speaker, in our
own country, and, unless averted
by organization snd earnest labor,
our farmers will eventually become
tenants and serfs. That the history
of the world shows that the farmer
has always been degraded and op-
pressed, occupying positions of
slaves to the aristocracy and the
moneyed powers of the earth; and
all because the farmers have not
organized for the purpose of pros
tecting their own interests. That
until the farmers do this, and study
farming as science, they will re-
| main SO.
He said that the grand object of
the Grange is to elevate and to ed
ucate the farmer, morally intellect
ually; that the Grange had already
accomplished q great deal; that it
was at the petition of the National
Grange that the Bureau of Agricul
ture was established, and the bill
introduced providing for the crea-
ton of the Department of Agricul-
ture, represented in the President 8
Cabinet; that it was at their in
stance that the bill, known as the
inter State commerce bill, was in
troduced in Congress, and from
which so much is expected by the
country. He thought that it was
of the higheet Importance to have
the agricultural interests represent
ed in the cabinet; that every coun-
try in Europe have Department
of Agriculture represented in their
cabinets, and be could see no sound
reason for the lack of representa-
ton in our own cabinet; that the
Agricultural Department, as here
tofore managed, is farce, and that
| not until the farmers are fully rep
resented in the principal depart
ments of the Government could
they expect a full and adequate
protection and enforcement OF their
rights. The organization of the
Patrons of Husbandry is only an
experiment; the first and only or
ganization looking to, and having
for it's aim, the protection OF the
farmer and his interests, and that
should it prove failure, in it's fall
the farmer will fall with it, and its
last note will be death note to the
farming interests of the country.
He urged the necessity OF the
education of the farmer; that there
was no avocation or trade that de-
manded deeper thought or more
thorough knowledge of the scien-
ces; that farming is better adapted
to the development of mental,
moral and physical strength than
any other trade or profession, and
that it was the intention of the
Order to educate the farmers, men,
tally morally and politically; that
in order to protect themselves they
should elect men to Office who will
not bow down TO corporations and
other moneyed powers of the land;
men who would look we'll to the in
terests of the farmer, and who will
not yield to bribery and corpora
tions, The Order is not political
in it's nature, but claims the right
of petition, which can be best ac.
complisbed through and by well
organized body; that public men
who persist in giving their aid and
influence to corporations, and in
| ignoring the rights of the people
are unworthy, and the farmers
should strike them from their tick
cts as uIworthy-that is the way
party lines are being broken dowr
| throughout this country. He sale
| that farmers were not opposed tt
| railroads--that no class of people
] needed them more--but the rail