The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-05-06
From the Master of the Florida
State Grange.
To the Patrons of Florida.

hand of me for over three months.
My business is all behind and /
have had to lay aside many letters
for future attention. The interest
for our Order is always uppermost
in my mind. It's importance to
the farmers of our country is great
er than that of any other institution
save that of Christ 1t is the vehi-
Gle of thought that reaches the
homes of every farmer in our land,
it is his only benefactor-his
only protector-it sheds light upon
him that has and is studiously shut
cut from him; since its organiza-
ton, it has placed the farmer Pat
ron one hundred years, in point of
intelligence, ahead of his time-and
yet he sees that the great work has
Just commemorative advanced in
telligence by organization, makes
him heard in the Halls of our Ma
tional Congress-his appeals are
not UNDECIDED in our Legislative
bodies-in County, State or Nation;
he is more rational, thinking be-
ing.
There is not point in Florida
but there are farmers who want the
Grange, who want to see it build
ing up over our entire country. |
wish | could reach the home of ev-
cry one of these farmers and Pat
rons every week; / wish | could
visit their homes and their neigh
bors; this is impossible at present,
but urge upon every Patron in
our State to go to work in his vicin-
ity and get up list of subscribers
for The PATRON OF HUsBANDRY;
distribute sample copies among
your neighbors and get your Grange
to work; if you have no Grange,
have a Deputy appointed in your
county, by writing to the Master of
your State Grange. l hear of far
mers and Patrons crying out for the
Grange. While writing, the Chair
man of the Executive Committee
called on me. He says that one
hundred new Oranges can be or
ganized in Florida this year, if we
had active workers in the field; he
has Just returned from a tour among
our farmer citizens and says they
are wanting the Grange movement
to take new hold. This is the case
all over Florida. We know that
the farmers cannot do without the
Grange;we know it has done a
great deal of good for the farmer
class; we know that it is firmly es-
tablished, that it is one of the per-
manent institutions of the land; we
know that it is an organization of
farmers; we know that it looks to
the education and protection of the
farmer.
l am happy to inform the Patrons
of Florida that the Secretary of the
National Grange at its last session
reported an increase of S. per cent.
receipts over the rear previous
nearly double. The work of reviv-
ing dormant Oranges and organic
ing new ones is still going on in
nearly every State in the Union,
| wish every Patron in the State
would write me and tell me the
condition of the Order and what
they want done. / will do every
thing possible to give them all the
needed assistance to build them up.
Deputies and Masters of Subordi-
nate Oranges are notified that | ex.
pect them to report to me monthly
the progress, condition, &C., of the
Order in their jurisdiction and
Grange.
Deputies and Masters, write for
sample copies of Grange papers and
distribute them among your farmers.
When you receive sample copies,
make it point to distribute judi
ciously. The Grange has built up
a widely circulated and powerful
press, no organized body in or out of
existence has built up such power
in the press in the same length of
time.
This is an index of what the press
of the Grange will he in the future
Already the monopolies are dread
ing its powerful infuence-they
know that the member of to-day in
Congress will do anything that will
send him back. I then appeal to
every farmer in the State of Flori-
da to come into the folds of your
own Order; that bids you welcome
with open arms. Every Patron in
our broad nd,-Brother and Sister
alike, are bidding you welcome
with warm fraternal hearts-our
cause is their cause-what Cypress
es them, Expresses us.
Direct and indirect taxation is so
oppressive that l doubt whether
the working man gets 40 cents out
of every dollar he works for.
Think of it-that the farmer must
plant 90 rows of corn before he
plants 40 for himself think of it,
that you made 90 bales of cotton for
your Master and 40 for yourself.
Let us assert our rights and dare
maintain them. Unorganized, we
can effect nothing, we are only the
plant tools of the organized; or
ganize, and we can plant the ban
ner of prosperity, peace and happi-
ness in the heart of every neighbor-
hood in our land.
VIM. H. WILSON,
Master, Florida S. 6.
Wilson, April IS.