Milford chronicle., 1889-11-15
Milford Pat rons Of Husbandry


As the Granger's business is to develop anC
utilize the resources ofthe country, the agents
and instrumentalities to be used become i'm
portant factors in his work. These instru
mentalities are brain and muscle. Brain tc
direct, muscle to execute. Brain must be
educated, muscle trained and strengthened
Here is the necessity of the Grange, com.
posed of the practical, successful farmers
who are willing to impart to others the
knowledge they have acquired" There are
no mysteries about the Grange, except those
necessary TO protect from being imposed
upon.
/ The one requirement is, that you are will
ing to use brain and muscle to make happy
fresides, thrifty homes fields of fertility,
and orchards of plenty. It is to some ex-
tent a missionary work. Many a farmer
grinds out his life by inches, from not know
, ing what to do or how to do it. The GraHge
gives him just the information he needs for
that particular time and locality, relieves him
from this crushing anxiety, and leaves life's
forces to accomplish their legitimate work.
The Grange composed Of the active men and
women Of The day, necessarily keeps abreast
ofthe times and is not blindly cropping among
the dead issues of the past. Everything
tends to make an honest man. There are
no tricks oftrade, no cheating the laws of
nature. AS the Bible asserts, Whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap" He
is thus far dealing with economics
the profitable, the successful. But econo-
mics alone-this struggle for gain or success
wears out life fast like machine not oiled
which, on account of friction, fails to accom-
plish its purpose and soon wears away. To
relieve this strain, kind Providence has
given us, not only these fields of grain, but
lovely plants that grow and flowers thai
bloom, which give elasticity and buoyancy
to the over-tasked brain, and fit it, like oil to
thesmachine, for its work. This missionary
spirit necessarily pervades a true Grange,
which is a mutual aid society," brotherhood
Of humanity, whose aim and purpose is, not
ia enrich the few, but to give happy home
life TO the masses; and still more, progress
sive life. Build a splendid mansion and fill
it with statuarv and painting and what is the
result a sameness-it will be tomorrow
what it is to-day, a dead monotony reigns
there, it becomes a charnel-house, "a buryine-
| ground Of all the noble aspirations of human
ity But go to the Grangers home, and in
stead Of these lifeless, deadening environ
ments, all is life rnd animation. The low
ing herds are quietly feeding In the rich pas
tuIes; nature has put on her mantle ofbeauty,
and the blooming flowers beautify the land
scape; the orchard blossoms come as har-
bingers of fruitful year, The blade ofgrain
comes up in the enriched fields, grows, blooms
and fruits, until you behold its loaded heads
waving beneath the footsteps of the passing
breeze; thus the Granger's varied life leads
him through this animated nature up to ma
ture's God. No atheism here. there must be
a Being that gives all this life and beauty,
this verdure and plenty
The Granger is continually brought in con-
tact with the great problem of mans exis-
teuce, and the intimate connection of the
present and the future. He learns that there
is Wise and Good Being that superintends
the affairs of the world; that there are fixed
laws that govern those affairs and through
this combined intelligence of the Grange he
can learn those laws and make a success OF
life. Understanding aud obeying these laws
made by Wise and Benihcent Being, he, OF
! all Others, need take mo anxious thought
for the morrow"
Being memb er of an organization, whose
motto is live aud let live" and which is
able to sustain this principle, he feels a Sc
curity which would not result from his iBdi-
viduality. The Apostle Paul was at one time
seized by an officer who, supposing he was
only dealing with one of the despised sect
of Gallileans was about to scourge him.
Paul knew his rights, and knowing, dared
maintain them, simply said, am Roman
| citizen, and Rome's arms Of protection were
thrown around him. So it will not do 10
say now, as 1t has often been said, "he is
only farmer, and consequently Of no inau-
ence. Railroads and monopollsts haYe moth
ing to fear from him." for the avowed OBJ
ject Of the Grange is, to protect and elevate
Just this class of persons, TO give them the
rights Of farmers aud the knowledge and
skill of the farmer, and hasten the time when
this shall be country of homes and home
pleasures.
The Grange die Yes, it may, when the
successful farmer shall cease to care for
others, and instead Of trying to benefit them
glory in his superiority. When his soul is
filled with the sel6shness that would absorb
all that surrounds him, when the sense Of
brotherhood is gone, and self aud selfinter-
est permeates his very existence, blighting
his affections, destroying his social nature,
making him walking skeleton ofgreed and
gain. / will not liz the curtain and look be-
yond, but turn my eyes to the time when the
Grange shall have accomplished its work
and these huts of the starving poor shall be
changed to lovely cottages Of plenty, these
empty hoyels 10 we'll filed barns, these bar
rem wastes to fertile fields, and the toiling
millions of earth shall be passing from happy
homes below to still happier ones above.
The Cranger's work is not work of mere
pity and charity that grudgingiy satisfies the
exacting wants of the present, and leaves the
recipient to that utter loneliness that crushes
out his manhood; but it is an uplifting work
as well as educating, that comes to him as a
brother and asks him to help, and tells how
he may help subdue the thorns and this
ties Of this sin-cursed earth and bring ii back
to It's Eden ioveliness. Under the inspira-
tion of that brotherhood, how the eye
brightens and the very pulses Of life aud