Year: 1874

At the recent session, in St Leuis, of


the National Grange of Patrons of


Husbandry, the following declaration of


principles and objects was adopted:


Profoundly impressed with the truth


that the National Grange of the Uniten


States should definitely proclaim to the


world its general objects, we hereby


unanimously make this declaration Of


the Patrons OF Husbandry


l. United by the strong and faithful


ties of agriculture, We mutually resolve to


labor for the good of the order, our coun


try and mankind


2 We heartily indorse the motto, SIN


essentials, unity; in non essentials, liberty;


in all things charity. We shall endcavor


to advance our cause by laboring to accom-


plish the following objects:


To dcvelope better and higher man


hood and womanhood among ourselves


To enhance the comforts aud attractions
of our homes, and strengthen our attach


mcnts to our pursuits. To foster mutual


understanding and co operation To
maintain inviolate our laws, and emulate
each other in labor. TO hasten the good
time coming. To reduce our expenses,
both individual and corporate To buy
less and produce more, in order to make
our farms self sustaining. To diversity
our crops, and crop no more tha1 we can
cultivate. To condense the weight of
our exports, selling less in the bushel.
and more on hoot and in fleece To
| systematic our work, and calculate in
telligently on probabilities To discoute
nance the credit system, the mortgage
system, the fashion system, and every
other system tending to prodisality and
bankruptcy.


We propose meeting together, talking
together, working together, buying to
gether, selling together and in general
acting together for our mutual protection
and advancement as occasion may require
We shall avoid litigation as much as
possible by arbitration in the grange
We shall constantly strive to secure entire
harmony, good will, vital brotherhood
among our members, and to make our
order perpetual We shall earnestly
endeayor to suppress personal, local,
sectional and national prejudices, all un
healthy rivalry, all selfish ambition
Faithful adherence to these principles
will insure our mental, moral, social and
material advancement.


3. For our business interests we desire
to bring producers and consumers,
farmers and manufacturers into the most
direct and friendly relations possible |
Hence we must dispense with surplus
of middle men; not that we are uufrendly |
10 them, but We do not need them. Their |
surplus and their exactions dimish our
profits We wage no aggressive warfare
against any other interests whatever
On the contrary, all our acts and all our
efforts, so far as business is concerned, |
are not only for the benefit of the pro. |
Queer and consumer, but also for all other |
interests, and tend to bring these two
parties into speedy and economical con
tact. Hence we hold that transportation
companies of every kind are necessary to
our success that. their interests are in
timatey connected with our interests,
and harmonious action is mutually ad
7antageouS, Keeping in view the first
sentence in our declaration of principles |
of action that "individnal happiness
depends upon general prosperity" we
shall therefore advocate for every State
the increase in every practicable way of
all facilities Tor transporting cheaply to
the sOaboard, all the productions of our
country We adopt it as our fixed pur,
pose to open out the channels in Natures
great arteries, that the life blood of com
merce may flow freely We are not
enemies of railroads, navigation and
irrigating canals, nor of any corporation
that viii! advance our industrial interests.
nor of any aboring classes. Iu our noble
order there is no communism. no
agrarianism. We are opposed to such
spirit aud management of any corpora.
ton or enterprise as tends to Cypress the
people and rob them of their just profits
We are not enemies of capital, bat we
oppose the tyranny of monopoies. We
long to see the antagouism between
capital and labor removed by common
consent, and by enlightened statsmauship
worthy of the nineteenth century. We
are opposed to excessive salaries, high
rates of interest and exorbitant profits in
trade. They greatly increase our burdens,
a"" "o ho' oea' d PioPc' pIoPoItioh 10 the
profits of producers. We desire only self
protection and the protection of every
interest of our land by Legitimate transao
tions, legitimate trade and legitimate
profits


4. We shall advance the cause Of educa
tiou among ourselves and for our children
by all just means within our power. We
especially advocate for our agricultural
and Industrial colleges that practical
agriculture, domestic science, aud all the
arts which adorn the home, be taught iu
their courses of study


B. We especially and sincerely assert
the oftrepeated truth taught in our
organic law that the grange, national,
State or subordinate, Is not political +