Year: 1873

The following preamble and resolutions
were introduced by Worthy, Judge T Hart
Hyatt, and unanimously adopted by the
Vacaville Grange at its regular meeting.
April 26th, 1873.


Whereas, We, the members Of this Grange,
all claim as the fundamental principle of our po-


tical creed, the basis of political action, the
grand maxim of the Greatest good to the
greatest number" this being our confession of
political faith, the keynote Of action, we
dogmas and to act as honest citizens upon the
faith that is within US. And as far the
greatest number of the citizens of the State, and
Union is made up of tllers of the SOIL we,
Patrons of Husbandry, which We emphaticaly
profess ourselves to be, deem it O pleasure as
well as duty, eschewing all demagogue partisan
chicanary, to declare ourselves in favor of cleo
ting only such men to our Legislature and other
positions of trust as shall be faithful and devoted
to the great agricultural interests of the State
and nation; men who cannot be bought or brlbed
to do the bidding Of heartless monopolists, who
seek to cripple the farming industry of the coun-
try by extortiOnate rates of fares and freights--
who burden that industry with onerous taxes
and partial, high tariffs, discriminating against
the farmer, and made to oppress his interests to
build up manufacturing and railroad monopolles
taxing the lands we plow. taxing the horses
and the plows, and the seed we sow-taxng our
growing crops whether they ever mature or not
taxing the machines with which harvest
and thresh our grain-taxing the teams and
wagons with which we haul our crops to market
taxing the sacks in which we put our grain
the grain itself, and the money for which the
grain is sold-taxing not only his lands, but the
money he borrows on the credit of his farm; all
this taxation and much more the farmer has to
submit to to keep up the credit of his Govern
ment and to support vampires who are robbing
the treasury, and to pay interest on bonds of the
Government to bondholders, who pay no taxes
on the bonds they hold, which are, virtually,
mortgages on the farmers lands; paying onerous
tribute to railways built mainly with our public
land and with Government bonds that the
farming classes are taxed to pay.


Resolved, therefore, That we will support no
men for lawmakers, or for administrations of
our laws, or for any position of public trust, no
matter to what party they may belong, whose
character for integrity and honesty Of purpose,
and whose fidelity to the true interests of the
farmer (Which are the true interests OF the
country are not beyond doubt.


Resolved That we wage no war against rail-
ways and other modes of transportation, or upon
grain buyers commission merchants, only so
far their treatment of the farming interest is
manifestly unjust and oppressive. So far as
they are governed by honesty and fair dealing,
our aims and interests identical, and we wish
to cooperate harmoniously with them. But
when they form 'rings" or odious combinations
to oppress the farming interests and cripple and
crush out the vitality of this great paramount
industry Of the country, then may be COM
PEELED to beat our plough-shares into swords
and prunning-hooks into spears, and go
after the common enemy.


Resolred That a copy OF this preamble and
| these resolutions be sent to the Oranges of the
Patrons of Husbandry now formed and that
may be hereafter organized III this State, asking
tIatr t1,n aC
therein proposed, so far as they accord with
their ideas and views of the necessity of the case
and the exigences of the times.


These resolutions express fairly the griev-
ances of the farmers of California, and meet
with no objections from any honest man of any
profession; but in fight with the monopo-
lists that oppress all the producing classes
on the coast, the organization must cover
and include all producers. Each separate
profession may have its distinct organization,
but these different societies must confederate
themselves together before they can cope with
and overthrow the monopolies that have op-
pressed all the producers of the land. The
farmers, the miners, the mechanics and the
middle men have no interests that conflict,
but all are absolutely necessary to each other,
and the monopolists rob all alike; then how
necessary it is that all should combine against
the great enemy! The people are beginning
to think of these things, and these resolu-
tions are timely and appropriate; ;and we give
them as about the best information our read
ers can have at this time. The producing
classes of the United States are now robbed
Systematically of fully one third of all they
create, and it is time they were throttling
the robbers.