The patron of husbandry., 1882-01-14
The WOrk BEFORE sfs

Y"
more work was demanded of avn,v
Irne Patron. We have reached the
RubIcon in the fortunes of our Or
oer Shall We cross into the prom.
lsed land or loiter idly in doubt
along the border of the streamp
Like a great army scattered over
the land, we have for the last ten
years been contending with the
enemy on many well-fought fields
Our success has been sufficient in
the past to Justify hope in the fu-
ture. In our greatest apparent
strength were we the weakest Like
a stream polluted with the dirt and
the dirt>wood which follows the
freshet, the Grange at its flood tide
secured the country of it's rubbish
as we'll as the worthy. Dove-t tailed
together with so many homogeneous
elements, without any we'll under
stood or definite purpose in view,
opposed by well-driIled and con
centrated forces, what the Order
| gained IN success was in cODse-
quence of weight of numbers rather
than the result of good geueralship
or developed fighting qualities.
! When stronghold was taken, The
onorufos were allowed to escape
with their arms and ammunition,
followed by a herd of spies and
deserters from our own camp.
Thus for years has this guerrilla
warfare been waged against our
forces until our outposts have been
takeu aud our SCOUTS .urIyen IN,
and our enemy eEcamped before
our fortified positions. In this hour
of depression and doubtful certainty
as to the future of our Order, we are
| consOled and encC ragged that tho
last traitor has departed and new,
recruits are coming into camp. We
cannot afford to give another inch.
| To surrender is but to go into the
cannibal camp with no hope for the
| future. IF the farmers Gf the nation
| can not maintain their Order they
certainly can not maintain them-
selves and are consequently DOOM
ed to subserviencv History is bat
repeating itself In every civilized
country under the sun, in all the
ages past and present, an lnteill-
gent, untrammeIed agricultural
people has been the foundation on
which the pillars Of every indie
| pendent State has rested since the
| dawn of Grecian civilization. And
with the decay Of agriculture-in
consequence of hardships imposed
upon its Patrons-dates the decay
of Grecian and Roman independ-
ence, while the agricultural and in
tellectuaI glories of Egypt, India,
| Mexico and Peru perished when
the hardy yeomen of these coun-
tries were, by the combination OF
wealth, circumscribed by unjust
exactions and were converted into
or substituted by slaves.
The same or like elements which
DESTROYED the ancient civilizations
of the world, followed by thousand
wears of universal servitude to petty
Kings and Princes, are at work
with a ten fold power on this con-
tinent. Great corporations con-
trolled by unscrupnlous men have
been enabled within the last thirty
years. through exaotions and ma
ninulations. to control the affairs OF
State, and to rob the people to snch
an extent that they to-day own
more than half the available wealth
| of the Nation. So omnipotent are
thev that it is considered but
pIeasant pastime for their political
| henchmen to control the Legislation
of Congress in all things affecting
their welfare Legislators are
bought up like so many cattle,
| while a great part of our judiciary,
owing their positions to the Inf1u-
! enee of these combinations. OF
wealth, warp their decisions upon
every occasion wherein they can
advance the fortunes OF their un-
scrunuIous hackers. In consequence
of these things, the elective fran
chise has become farce. The rep
resentatives of the people no longer
renresent them, and the courts aud
their decisions are no longer gov
erned bv the law of equity. The
great balance wheel of our repun>
Iican system is being eliminated
| whittier are we drifting?
Every one sees the coming dan
| GER to our republican institutions.
Yet no concert of action can be
Effected to eounteract the evil ton
dencies of the times. v no can pro-
pose anything in the way of reform