The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-06-10

cooperation.

work, number of individual:
working together with a common
object in view-log rollings anc
house raising are fair illutrations o.
Cooperation. To cooperate sue
cessfully, it is necessary that the in
dividuals engaged should have &
knowledge of the object in view
and they must have well defined
knowledge of the means to be EN-
ployed to attain that object. We
must learn to work before we car
successfully co-work. For instance
take number of able bodied mer
that have no experience whatever
in working wood, with no plan fol
building; furnish them with all the
timber and tools necessary, tell them
to build house and you will pay
them for it. Would you have much
faith in the project? would you in.
vest much capital in it? l am salts
fed you would not. Just so it is
with cooperation in the Grange
We must learn to operate individu.
ally, before we can successfully CO.
operate. Therefore let us take the
word labor, which means to work,
to operate. Let us take this as our
first lesson, carry it home with us,
apply it to our farms and business
in general, and see if we have done
our work to the best advantage,
do not mean selfish advantage,
but have we done our duty as far
ners, without envy toward our fell
low farmers. If we have not then
we should find where we are wrong
and endeavor to get right; and we
should co-work together in trying
to get right. |, for one, am salts
fed that successful management on
the farm consists in making a liv-
ing at home. All farmers are ready
to say, "Why, certainly make a
living at home; where else do
make it," Let us investigate the
matter a little and see. Have we
raised our own meat, corn, wheat,
oats, molasses, potatoesi Have we
produced our own wool and cotton /?
Have we raised all the stock that is
necessary on the farm? Have we
given that encouragement to our
wives and daughters that we should
have given in manufacturing the
wool and cotton into good solid
jeans and homesPuns? Have we
taken the proper care of our farms
and utensils? Now if we have
done all this l am satisfied that YOU
will agree with me, that we have
learned the first lesson, which is
work reasonably well. If so we
are then ready to co-work. But if
we have not learned to make a liv-
ing at home let US not go a step
further until we do learn it, for co.
operation in buying and selling will
not remedy any defects in our first
lesson, labor or making a living at
home. Besides we can not go into
any cooperative business without
means, and to get the means we
must first make living at home
and save something besides to start
cooperation. Therefore we must
first learn to work, then to co-work.
Perhaps some of you may think
am opposed to CO. operation. Well
am opposed to it in one sense,
ane that is in supporting monopoly
or anything else that does not give
a ust return for the investment.
Yes, says one, "If we raise all the
articles you have named we will
have but little use for cooperation"
Very well, if we have but little use
tor it then let us use it but little.
But | am satisfied we would find
enough profitable use for co-opera-
t on to employ all the means within
our command after raising all that
we can produce at home.
Cooperation in home affairs.
For illustration, let us suppose this
Grange should conclude to produce
their own wooden goods, and that
there is twelve families to be sup
Piled, and that we should cooper
ate in every branch of the business.
Now let us take glance at the
savings.
Fist, Our sheep could be pro-
tected from dogs, and the stock
could be more easily improved; and
II we manufactu~e the goods at
nome, we would save the transpor
tation to the manufacturer and
back. also the heavy tariff now i'm
posed upon wooden goods, besides
the profits Of half dozen middle
men. When enumerating wooden
goods, hats should not be overlook
ed. No hat suits a farmer better
than one made of wool. | imagine
that 1t requires but small capital
to start factory for coarse hats.
linen let us take our shoe bill.
winch IS not small item in our ex
Penses. We produce the material
OF which our shoes are made; we
have tanning material, which costs
nothing but the preparation, and
there plenty of idle and willing
hands to do the work, the only need
educating. Then why not co-ope-
rate II IN this line, and keep the money
at nome which goes to the East an
nually for shoes, and give employ
ment to the idle laborers in the
country and escape monopoly en-
tirely, the railroads nof excepted?
L know there great many, per
maps some members of this Grange
ready to say that we can raise cot
ton and buy the articles named
ou1dPef than we can produce them
at home. | will offer no argument
On 'nat now, except to carry your
minds back, say twenty five years.
"nen most of the articles of neces
Sly were manufactured at hama