The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-06-24

L.
Let us take brief view of the condition
of agricultural affairs in our country be.
fore the founding of the Grange and now,
and see if our college has done or is doing
any good. Then, the only attention
given agriculture by the nation was the
agricultural department of the patent of
fee, consisting in issuing yearly report
and distribution of seeds. Its manage
ment was such, often, as to seem like a
burlesque or national joke State and
county agricultural societies we had.
whose chief business was to hold State
and county fairs once year. These had so
degenerated that they were of little value
to farming interests, consisting of a small
exhibit of farm stock, agricultural pro-
ducts and implements; the main interests
being in side shows, dancing platforms S,
swings and races. There were. a few
farmers clubs in some OF the cities and
towns of our Northern States which were
generally ill-sustained and languishing.
A few agricultural newspapers of consid-
cradle ability were published. The New
York'Tribune" and few orher papers
occasionally printed agricultural articles
as news. Now, nnder the educational
stimulus given by our Grange our past
and present heads of the patent Office have
labored for agricultural advancement and
intelligence faithfully, and attempts have
been made to have department of sgri-
culture, and its chief or..head toIbe mem
Der of the Presidents Cabinet Our col
lege is itself great system of farmers
clubs extending through IS States and
and Territories, and the Dominion of
Canada, meeting weekly or semi weekly
as township clubs or Graeges; monthly as
county farmers clubs or Pomona Oranges
or legislative council, or as a National
Grange or Congress.
Under our influence, agricultural pa
pers and periodicals have become more
numerous, able and respectable, and bet
ter sustained. All of our respectable news
papers have a feSt columns in each weekly
issue devoted to agricultural progress.
farm news and items for the farm, as an
agricultural department. Politicians have
ceased to sneer at and are learning to re-
spect us, and when the hundreds of thous-
ands of votes which we cast and control are
used with intelligence and wisdom, they
will learn to treat our petitions and
wishes with respectful consideration
Our education is teaching us to respect
ourselves, our pursuits, and how to assert
and maintain our rights, our manhood
and wonlanhood. We must use our col
lege in its higher capacity as an educator.
We must educate. 1t is from lack of edu-
cation suited to the wants of our calling
and designed to improve and elevate it,
as becomes its importance, to which we
may attribute the comparative low estimate
in which the business of farming has been
held. We must educate, that we may learn
the best methods of receiving and storing
up the treasures mother earth has in store
for us. We must educate, to enable us to
know our rights under the laws and as a
part of the sovereigns of this land. to have
our laws so framed that we they shall! pro-
tect us and that we shall be equal before
them.
Our Grange halls are our college rooms
in which we should always learn some
thing or benefit others by reciting what we
have learned Without ill-will towards
any and with kind wishes for prosperity
and success to all honorable and honest
pursuits and professions, let us obtain in
our college such knowledge as shall give
us greater usefulness and prosperity, ena-
bling us to know and defend our rights
whenever they are encroached on and Sc
cure just and equitable legislation. Let
our college, then, go on and prosper until
it shall have done its full part towards
bringing ABOUT Ine great IlilltHluln Oh
peace, equity and good will on earth. Then
our legislators will enact only just and
equitable laws having an equal bearing on
all interests, rights and classes of society
Then will they cease to be the puppets of
our Jay Goulds and Vnnderbilts, or carouse
and travel at the expense of lobby NAM
tanned by our monopolists and whiskey
rings Then it will be felony for our
legislators and judges to travel on free
passes equally with taking brides in any
other shape. Then will all our office-hol-
ders be satisfied to hold Themselves as the
faithful servants of the people instead OF
being our masters. Then they will be con-
tented with salaries in fair proportion to
the earnings of the rest of our population.
Then we may hope that a leading object OF
life may be to learn and grow wiser and
better; do and get good; cultivate our in
tellectual and moral natures, instead of our
animal nature to drink and carouse; our
farmers to truly cultivate the soil, our
clergymen instruct us, our physicians heal
and cure, lawyers labor for equity and JUS
tice. Our college must labor without ceas-
ing for the accomplishment of this great
object. II. H. HINE.
Lake County Ohio Pomona Grange.