The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-08-05
FROM GEORGIA.
ma

:, - ~ W uOlS relative
to the Order of Patrons of Hus-
oandry and what the Grange is do.
ing IN Northeast Georgia might he
OF some interest to the manv read
ers of your paper. Therefore I will
begin by telling you that the old
Rehoboth Grange, 436, is yet living
and her little boat floating amon9
the surviving Oranges in Georgia
we have a live and prosperous
orange, with our number BEING in
creased at every meeting. We car
ried seven members THROUGH tbe
highest degrees of a Subordinate
orange at our last meeting and re-
stored two members who had been
dropped for non payment of dues
ano received two new applications
Tor athllation at our next meet;no
Our business is such that if REQUIRES
us to hold two meetings per month
to transact the same. Our meetings
are generally well attended by the
members, and sometimes the dis.
cussions are so interesting that we
regret to leave the hall when night
comes-especially so when we have
up the subject of cooperation.
Organization and cooperation
are the words inscribed upon our
banner, and we desire to hold it up
to the world until every tiller of the
soil shall fall into line and help us
brave the stormy tide of oppression,
injustice and degradation heaped
upon us by other professions and
which has almost submerged us
beneath its waves, and is daily
sinking us deeper and deeper into
servitude and srefdom, and with
out organization and cooperation
by the toiling millions they will at
no distant day bury US beneath its
waves.
Will you not, brother farmers, all
of you, enlist with us before we are
sunk SO deep into servitude that it
will be impossible for us to get out,
enlist under our banner, and let us
make cooperation our motto? Bv
1t we make our farms self-sustain.
ing; our homes happy, prosperous
and independent Cooperate until
we shake off the obnoxious credit
system which has very nearly
ruined so many of our once pros
porous farmers, whose lands and
homes have been sold out under
mortgages and liens given to enrich
the exacting merchant for supplies,
1 VIZ r ho Ic1
$50 per cent profit. Let us co-ope.
rate by establishing our own coop
erative stores, like the Oranges of
Ebert county have done, and buy
our own goods from our own store
at our own per cent, and save to
ourselves the profits that are now
pocketed by your merchant. While
it is not our object, purpose or de.
sire to pull down the merchant O,
any other profession, yet it is gu,
prerogative and privilege to do
the best we can for ourselves. 1t is
really the duty OF every farmer tc
transact as far as possible his own
business and if by doing this he
should cripple some other profes.
sion, that has been living at his ex
pense and pocketing the profits that
belong to him, l do not think the
farmer is to blame. Let US co-ope.
rate by establishing and building
our own factories and manufacture
the cotton that we produce into
thread and cloth and save to our
selves the thousands, yea millions
of dollars that go annually out O.
our pockets for bagging and tie.
for which we get nothing in return
and also save to ourselves the mil
lions of dollars now pocketed by
the railroad men for shipping of
the raw cotton and shipping bach
the same made intocloth, which we
ourselves consume. This would
save to ourselves from 3 to 6 cent
profit on each pound of lint cotton
which is now realized by those wht
manufacture it into thread anC
cloth, while we who produce it d.
not realize a net profit of more thar
one cent On the pound, and otter
the cost of production amounts t.
more than we receive for it.
Brother Patrons, let US co-ope
rate in tanning our own leather
and manufacture our own shoes
and then we will have shoes bot
toned and topped with leather ant
not have to buy those whose top
are split and bottoms filled will
wood.shavings and paper.
Let us cooperate until we shall
have an equal share of representa-
ton in the State Legislatures AM
the United States Congress, AM
not as it is to day. The number o
farmers there now is almost too in
significant to count. Only clever
farmers, believe, out of two hun
dred and fifty Representatives nov
in Congress-the balance are law
D yers, with few merchants, doctor
r and landholders. Is it any wonde
;, that most all of the legislation
a being done in the interest of othe
S classes, while the interests of tn
: farmers are ignored?
$ Through and by unjust and dis
S eliminating laws, and the neglec
of just and proper laws, the agri
$ cultural interests of the States hav
been shamefully neglected, is it nc
a fact that most if not all Legislative
bodies have been and are being as
sailed by professional lobbyists VIII
: are using all their skill and intiu
# ences and plying their ccrruptin
d trade in behalf of the various meas
: ures intended to rob the honest ii
s Lee &c The coil solely for the benef