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

all al tiSiS idNOtlilS lne CanOlQaCY OF a lar
mer merely as such, a measure which
would initiate against the welfare of the
State by bringing class interests into pol
itics and endanger the success of demo-
cratic principles upon which the public
prosperity is believed to depend. The far
mers of Mississippi can get capable rep
notwithstanding an actual practical
farmer or not-without leaving the party
ranks. But let THE PATRON speak for
itself on the subject:
We are glad to learn that movement is
on foot among the farmers of the fourth
district in this State to nominate Hon. !.
O. Hamilton, of Holmes county, for Con
gress. We sincerely hope they will sue
coed and they will succeed if the farmers
of that district can be aroused in time to a
proper appreciation of the importance. the
imperative pecessitv, of having a stronger
representation of their class in the halls of
Congress. Bro Hamilton is a farmer and
an active member of the Grange, and as
State Senator he has displayed such intel
ligent, patriotic devotion to the best inter
ests of agriculture trait he can be relied on
to represent that interest in Congress ably,
faithfully and fearlessly.
The Grange is doubtless a useful insti-
tuition, but we deprecate us assuming the
guise of practical party faction in poll
| tics, and think that the majority of its
members are far too wise and patriotic to
permit such movement to gain any
measure of success"
1t is the opinion of the most in
telIigent and patriotic farmers of
the land that agriculture requires
stronger representative in both
State and National legislative
bodies, and that this representation
"a representation that will at all
times be efficient and reliable-can
be secured only by the election of
honest and capable farmers whose
interests are mainly agricultural
If the professional politicians who
| manage the political parties will
not accord the agricultural classes
a fair share of representation in the
legislative bodies of the country,
then the farmers will take matters
in their own hands and nominate
candidates in whom they are will
ling to confde their interests. And
they will not be deferred from
this course by the cry of
the political press that it
will bring class interests into
politics and endanger the success
of this or that political party We
think that the farmers can unite in
any District and select candidate
from their class who would be ac-
ceptable to nine-tenths of the
people.
The Grange has never yet as
sumed, and never will assume, the
"guise of practical political party
faction in politics" 1t has nothing
whatever to do with partisan polls
tics; it dominates no candidate for
office nor engages in the support of
any political party. But 1T does
teach the farmers with all the pow
er at its command to look after and
| protect their own interests no less
in political than in business and
| Industrial affairs. Its leaders and
its press are every where urging
the farmers to strike from their
limbs the shackles fastened upon
them by professional politicians
and cast intelligent votes; to cease
for all time to vote for a candidate
simply because he is the nominee
regardless of his fitness.
That agriculture is entitled to a
large representation in our legisla-
tive bodies is admitted by the great
mass of it's votaries, yet political
parties have been SO manipulated
by other classes that it has virtually
bad no voice IN enacting and en-.
forcing the laws while it has been
made to beer the chief burden ni
taxation. 1t was not until the
Grange was organized that legisla-
tive bodies and party manipuIators
seemed to be aware that the farm
ers had any rights that need to be
respected by other classes, and this
influence will make itself felt more
strongly in the future than it has
in the past.
The farmers in the Fourth Dis
trictSdo not propose to go out oil
their party ranks for candi-
date nor organize new party
They think that they are emit
tied to a representative who will
look closely after the leading in
terest of the country-agriculture-
farmer who is of them and with
them, and in presenting such a
candidate for the nomination, il
they do so, they will simply be
De doing openly and fairly what
other classes often do secretly and
by trickery.
|
We have the pleasure in this
connection of announcing the tri-
umph OF the farmers of Dallas