The Georgia grange. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1873-1882, November 01, 1873, Page 4, Image 4

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4 ATLANTA, GEORGIA, NOVEMBER 1, 1873. To the Patrons of Husbandry in Georgia This paper is devoted to the interests of the Patrons of Husbandry. It will do yeoman’s service in building up and strengthening the cause here, ami else where. ft will discuss all questions that may arise, relative to the interests of the Order, in a frank, fearless and candid manner. Justice and fair play is what the farmers, and their friends want, and this rule of conduct shall guide us in every discussion. We shall uphold the Kight with all our strength, and denounce the Wrong with equal vim; we will countenance no half-way measures in this respect. We want the Granges of Georgia, and of the entire South, to sustain us, and lend us a helping hand in our struggle for the advancement of the welfare and best interests of all. Hearty co-opera tion will insure success, and feeling that we will receive it, we launch our enterprize with hope and confidence. To Patrons. Desiring to encourage the formation of clubs in Granges, and, at the same time, enlarge the circle of usefulness of The Georgia Grange, we place the subscription price as follows: To clubs of 10 and upwards, forwarded at one time by the Secretary of the Grange? $2 (each) a year. Patrons coming together frequently can easily make up the necessary clubs, reaping the advantage of their as .ocia tion, and benefiting themselves. Notice This. The Georgia Grange will be the exponent, the advocate, and the cham pion of the order of Patrons of Hus bandry in this State. It will deserve the support of the Granges, and their friends, by meriting it. We propose to give full value for all the patronage be stowed upon us. We have perfected our plans in such a manner that success must come. We have not undertaken this work with even the remotest inten tion of allowing it to fall short of the mark. The Georgia Grange shall be the Granger’s paper, his mouth-piece, his familiar friend—the companion of his fireside. We shall make it to the interest of every member of the Order to take it. Mutual benefit is our motto, as it is the motto and aim of the Patrons of Husbandry in Georgia. A Warn ini; Note. The only jar in the harmony of the new movement is tin 1 appearance of veteran politi cians as spokesmen, if not directors. Both of the old parties sendintheir best men to take the lead, and it is amusing to note how adroitly they adapt themselves to the feelings <>l the in censed farmers. It is impossible to exclude wholly these ingenious, unscrupulous persons, but the Patrons of Husbandry must b • careful how they trust them, or the new party will be wrecked.— N. K. Journal of Commerce. If that is a “jar in the harm-my of the new movement.” we have not seen or felt it. It is certain that there is no jar in the harmony of the Georgia Grange. Veteran politicians in this State have not yet become spokesmen and directors of Georgia farmers, and, by the help of Providence and common sense, they never will. The political parties of Georgia will be somewhat surprised at the universal action of the Granges in this State to avert the very evil the Journal of Com in iv comments upon. Those who may have alrea ly crawled inside, through h des and crevices, for malign and par tisan purposes, will find the majority of true, honest and determined men so overwhelming, that tlfey will not dare to show the cloven foot and forked tail which they adroitly hide beneath the spotless broadcloth. The Patrons of Husbandry in Georgia will never be “wrecked” through these causes. “To be forewarned is to be forearmed.” and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In order to make this journal as in teresting and valuable as possible to the members of the Granges through out the State, we solicit correspondence from every part of Georgia,and any items of news which can be of interest or in any way benefit the cause. Communi cations must be brief in order to insure insertion, as we desire to give attention and place to a great varietv of subjects. <—~a— . I'nr (u’pbrnui Gnm-*?, a weekly journal, has lu-en started at Sin Jose, by G. \V. llen ning. k will advocate the interests of the farmers, and the putting d >wn of monopolies. \\ e bid the r God sp 'od. From Cami la to the Gulf, from the Atlantic . t > the golden shores of the Pa- ifie. the ) u-x'-l cans? is prospering. So mot • v it be. wns ns o "o; j 'o. sjk wp ns 'awc-, To the Georgia State Grange. We present ourselves to the Patrons of Husbandry, and the friends of their cause, with a full consciousness of the responsibility and magnitude of the duties we assume. It will require a stout heart, a clear head and a steady hand to speed the good work of our Order, to guide its councils, and, in some degree, to give direction to the vast power which the organization controls. We are aware of the great difficul ties to be mastered, and the obstacles yet to be overcome, before the goal of our desires can be reached. All great reformatory movements, every disenthralinent of the people, or any class of them, from the shackles of despotism, or the no less grievous op pression of prejudice and class legisla tion, must, in the nature of things, ex pect to meet opposition from those whose peculiar theories or selfish inter ests are threatened with destruction. In the great reformatory movement of the people against the serious evil of class legislation in favor of moneyed rings, and for the purpose of estab lishing a fair basis of dealing between the producer, the consumer, and those classes who control the avenues of trade and the means of transportation, direct opposition from the evil itself, and its supporters, must not only be encoun tered, but prejudices based upon de generated usage, and ignorance of the principles involved, must be removed from the public mind. To do this most effectually and speed ily, we know of no power more potent than the power of the press. Aware of this fact, wo propose to make this publication a strong, candid, clear and fearless advocate of the legi timate principles underlying the organi zation known as the Grange, or Pat rons of Husbandry, and to champion their cause against ail opposition and combinations of any kind or name, whatsoever, whose object is to under mine the stability and impair the use fulness of the Order. We determine to do this chiefly upon the ground, that our efforts to sustain and promote the common cause will meet with the earnest support and hearty approval of every member of the Gran ges of Georgia, and of every honest friend of the movement. In addition to the departments de voted exclusively to matters affecting the interests of the Order, and the dis cussion of subjects within the scope of its peculiar purposes, The Georgia Grange will give its readers the pleas ure ami profit of a wide range in the co-related fields of agriculture, litera ture, art, science and current news; thus making it a journal full of the best, features of modern journalism, and a welcome visitor to every home in Georgia, and the South. Should Tile Georgia Grange be ac cepted and recognized as the official rep resentative of the (leorgia State (1 range, it will,of course, become indispensable to every member of the subordinate lodges throughout the State, who desires to be kept posted in regard to the acts and legislation of the Order, and the pro gress and results of the movement throughout the country. With abiding confidence in the glo rious results t> be achieved by the Order we have the pleasure to represent, and with expressions of good-will and brotherhood, we remain, Very respectfully, Till! GEORGII riBLI.'IIIG CO. Tile Grund i‘iKiiii'll. Much int erest is felt in the approach ing meeting of the Grand Council of the Georgia State Grange, which takes place in Ma ron on the 29th of 0 tober. The Masters of all th" Granges in the Cotton States have been invited,. It will be a gathering of the leading re presentatives of a mighty power —one whose results will hoof immeasurable importance. Many questionsof practical benefit t the firming int *rests of th? country will be discuss ••!. We lo »k forth? proceedings of the C Hindi with deep interest, and shall lay them before our readers without delay. The Trenton (Tenn.) Coz ltrs tys : “A son of Robeit Overall, eleven • ears old. near Yorkville, recently picked in one dav 305 pounds of cotton, and another, nine years old.pick 1 th? same day 2! > pounds, and stopped 1 mg enough during the dav to have a hard chill. These bovs are worthy of praise and encour agement, and we have mitered th-ir names upon our subs ript on b >nks. and will s md them the G one year free of charge.” Anti-Monopoly Con volitions, October 22d, an important Convcn- I ion met in Chicago, called by the State Central Committee of the Illinois State Farmers’ Association, who requested delegates to bo sent from farmers’ clubs, granges, farmers’ associations, agricultural societies, hoards of agri culture, and other organizations of the industrial classes of the United States. The Convention discusses the overchar ges in transportation, and the neces sity for a perfect organization of the agricultural and other industrial classes, who are the chief sufferers from these overcharges. A solid phalanx of these classes of our citizens, thoroughly or ganized, in every State, territory and district of the country, will overcome this enormous fraud, and throw an overwhelming influence against future exactions, and will also secure such prompt and efficient legislation as shall terminate in the complete extinction of all monopolies, railroad or otherwise, now preying like leaches upon the life, blood of the land—our productive in tciCsts• A Splendid Fact. It is considered certain that two hun dred and thirty-six Granges, and per haps more, will be represented in the State Grange Convention, which meets on the 28th instant, in Macon, during the Georgia State Fair. These Granges represent a member ship of about fifteen thousand, com posed of intelligent, capable and influ ential persons, second to none in the country in any of the ingredients ne cessary to constitute that excellent combination “a good citizen.” Think of the power for good this mass of sound brain and active muscle can exercise in any direction! The respon sibility is great —but we are not afraid of any flinching on their part. Brief as their organization in Geor gia, has been, it has already accomplished much that is beneficial to the produc ing interests of our Commonwealth, and we look for an augmentation of the gen eral weal, through the deliberations of the State Grange Convention. Specimen Typograp!>y. The reader’s attention is directed to the beautiful appearance of The Geor gia Grange. In all respects splendid specimen of newspaper print ing—something novel to this country— and we take an especial pride in naming the house at which it was designed and executed: The Franklin Steam Printing House, Atlanta—a Southern and a Georgia institution. The gentleman! v proprietors, Messrs. Jas. P. Harrison A Co., have announced their purpose to conduct the publishing business on the most extended scale, and thev will. Supplied amply with the indispensable requisite capital, constantly adding every modern improvement in machin ery, types, etc., and calling around them the finest artists obtainable, their order busin ‘ss, already, surpasses that of any other establishment in this sec tion. It will continue to grow until the highest merited success is reached. The House is cordially commended to the printing public. We place this number of The Grange before the Committee on Typography, at the Georgia State Fair, fully assured it will call forth the Committee’s hearty commendation. Equal Lights.—Equal rights and common honesty are essential ingre dients in good government, but, unfor tunately they, are too rare at present in our national polity to give us much practical benefit. No power has suc ceeded, in the course of time, so well in depriving us of the fruits of these excellent principles, as the clique which controls the monev-power of the count ry. Monopolists, middle-men and factors, have been busy in the work of chang ing the spirit of our republican insti tutions to a system of autocracy. We cannot afford to allow this dangerous cancer, upon the body politic, to spread its ravages further. The Granges are organized to perform this work of cure and redemption. Farmers send the majority of men to State Legisla tures ami to Congress. L-t these men be controlled by the prim iple of equal rights ami common honesty.and all will yet be well. They muet be so controll ed. Let the Grangers see t > it, that no man shall receive the benefit es the power they v\er-i>? unless he realL de serves it. New Granges are rapidly organizing throughout Georgia, and the South generally. Wbnt Is It? In this stirring age of novelties, when the most wonderful events are constantly occurring, and changing as rapidly as the bewildering splendors of the kaleidoscope, public curiosity is forever upon tip-toe, and every event in the various phrases of every day life is scrutinized, criticised, adopted or condemned,with a celeri ty of thought and action entirely unknown in the slower and more deliberate times of our forefathers,and this in itself is an eloquent index of the cumulative energy and developed power of modern civilization. Not least among the numerous events and startling social, political and scientific phenomena of the limes, is the sudden rise and pre-eminent importance of an order or organized union of the agriculturists of this country, known as the Patrons of Hus bandry, or Grangers. The rapid andpmexam pled popularity of the movement —its almost phenomenal extension over nearly every State and territory of the Union, the vast natural wealth and influence represented by its mem bership, and the sound material of which the latter is composed, has given rise to innumera ble comments and speculations, both wise and unwise. As everything in this country is sup posed to influence politics, or to be influenced by it, the professional politician, and the parti zan press of every shade of political opinion, are considerably exercised as to the immediate or, probable future bearing of this “Farmers’ Movement” upon their special party interests. The organization, therefore, has been either cajoled and flattered, or denounced and ridi culed by its opponents just as the whim of the moment, or the exigencies of partizanship may dictate. On the other side, a tremendous monied and corporated power, representing the culminated evil of years of monopoly in the public traffic, and in the channels of demand and supply, opposes this uprising of classes heretofore con sidered as the serfs 'of p >wer, looking upon this demanded reform and cry of “ fair play” as a sort of simoon, whose hot breath shall shrivel their “bonds and perquisites,” and bury their future gains as well as their power for mischief beyond the quickening influence of’ resurrection. Corrupt politicians, a subsidized pres.--, and all the vultures that usually gather around the golden calf of Mammon, are in voked to assist the monied Philistines in this their hour of need, and help to strangle the infant Hercules even in his cradle. All the charges that well-fed malignity and unscrupulous demagoguism can ring, are sounded in the public car, and even the tocsin cry of “communism” is howled by the jackals who do scavenger duty for the factious and corrupted money-autocrats of the land. All of this is to be expected, and however violent the storm may be which these paper magnates can invoke, its destructiveness can be only temporary, the business and political atmos phere of the country will only be purified there by, and remain healthier forever after. Ih question upon which the new movement turns is more clearly understood by intelligent, con servative and unselfish men, from day today, and the accession to the ranks of this “ Order ot the People ” of the best elements of society, East, West, North and South, proves it. As the people are sovereign in this country, and the foundation of the true wealth and prosperity ofthis Republic rests upon the agri cultural and producing interests, there need be no fears as to the success of the movement, and the consequent result of great good to the coun try at large. Nothing iconoclastic, or destructive of the true and mutual interests of every class of our citizens, is contemplated by the action of the vast majority of people known as “ Grangers,” their steady purpose being simply to work a salutary change in the conduct of our legisla tive aflairs, and that the channels of commerce between the States, and the marts of the world lie so regulated, as that they sh ill not become sources of wealth to individuals and corporate bodies at a ruinous expense to the general pub lic, but contribute “the greatest good to the greatest number. ’ This is the spirit of the Grange movement. The question so frequently asked, “What is a Grange?” is well an swered by one of our contemporaries, who says: “ The Grange is an organization of farmers’, with their wives, daughters and sons, it is intended to enlighten and elevate, and better qualify him for his God-giving avocation. It aims to bl ing this to p iss by association. It unites those of the same calling into one grand brotherhood, for the protection of all. It establishes in every neighborhood a lec ture room,which is the Grange itself, in which the most important truths are unfolded and dis cussed—it disseminates valuable information, that all may be benclittcd. It receives knowl edge as well as dispenses it The Grange is an intellectual institution, for it calls for an exercise of mind, it draws out talent, and makes active and tangible what has before been dormant and unseen. The Grange is a social institution. It will make one gran J brotherhood and sisterhood of the farming community ; it unites by strong ties those that Lave before l»een strangers; it heals tiie wounds of the unfortunate; it ad ministers to the comfort of the sick, and allev iates the suffering of the distressed; it ought to be a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow, and make every neighborhood one kind and affectionate family. The Grange should Is -a financial institution. It should seek to obtain for its members the best markets for i h ir products ; it looks to the good all. It uld luy the ntct --?;ics of lite where they can be had the cheapest. It should throw its protecting arms over and around all its memlx-rs, and strive to make them more independent.’ N otice. O tr tal le of sub rdtnate Granges in the State contains about thirty Granges more than the tables published by any other journal in Georgia. The blank space in Gordon Grange N >. lot?, sh uid have b.-en filled with the name of Mr. W. M. Whitehurst, who is the Worthy Master of that Grange. Shun tlic Breakers. The great Farmers’ Movement in be half of the common interests of our people, as opposed to the iniquitous sys tem of monopolies, and the plans of partizan demagogues, is one of the notable events of this progressive age. It is the crystallization of the wisdom, justice, and patriotism of a great peo ple; it is a power whose object is the destruction of venality, corruption, and demagoguism; it is the crowning, at the hands of the sovereign people, of King Kight, and the downfall of Ty rant Wrong, with all of his satraps and minions. In this general uprising of the honest yeomanry of our country, we see the working of the grand spirit of the age; the onward march of a higher civilization; the dawn of an era of brotherhood, whose annals will fill the pages of history with achievements whose luminous beauty shall far ex ceed the meretricious brilliancy of the past. But while the gallant ship, so deeply freighted with the welfare of the labor ing and producing classes of this re public, is riding proudly upon the crest of success, and steering for the haven of common weal, her crew must not forget the hidden dangers over which they glide, nor shut their eyes to the breakers ahead and on either side. If ever the heavenly virtues of wisdom, justice and moderation, are worthy of application in the affairs of men, that time is surely now; nor could a broader and nobler field be found for the exer cise of these principles than the move ment now under consideration. The object of this movement is to disen thrall the farmers, the middle classes of our country, from the chains which the spirit of monopoly has been quietly forging. The centralized power of money is immense; if left alone, it will override every obstacle which justice may place in the path of its mad career, and every consideration based upon the rights of individuals or of communi ties. This centralized power shows itself in the form of vast railway corporations, and organizations or “rings” of mon eyed persons, organized for the purpose of making the many tributary to the few —an aristocracy of Money distinct from the plebianisni of Labor. Irresponsible power soon perverts its purposes, and perverted power is ty ranny —the very tyranny against which the people have risen; at least, that overwhelming majority of our people who have most to suffer and to lose from the oppression of moneyed “rings,” and soulless corporations. The great danger to this popular movement lies in its very vastness, and the almost unlimited power it is capable of exer cising. To keep this power within its original bounds, and to employ it for legitimate purposes only, is a subject wort hy of the' greatest consideration—a point never to be neglected under any circumstances. If we become bloated with unlimited power, indulge in class legislation to ju'omote our special interests to the detriment of those of others, and be come oblivious to justice when dealing with the rights ami privileges of oth ers, we turn blessings into curses, re solve ourselves into a tyranny worse than the one whose scepter we are breaking, and ourselves deserve the condemnation of every upright and honest man. Politics Ins nothing to do with the organization of the Patrons of Hus bandry; nor should it have. Its ranks embrace many of the most distinguished men of the nation —men whose purity of motives, and devotion to wise and practical measures, cannot be doubted; these are backed by large masses of our most intelligent, industrious and influential citizens. How vast, therefore, the moral influence this or ganization can bring to bear upon the government of the country ! How useful its sphere! How great its re sponsibilities! Once let the serpent politics trail its slimy folds over the fair prospect, and the garden will be come a wilderness; harmony will change t > discord, and the fruits of our labor the harvest of desires for ourselves and our children—will, like the fabled apples on the shores of the Dea 1 Sea, turn to ashes in our hands. It is, th trefore, a wise provision of the statutes of the Order that politics, or th? agitation of merely political party questions, shall be forever ex cluded. Let Grangers guard this ark of their safety with sleepless vigilance. Another equally important matter to be considered by all intelligent men, is the necessity for controlling the policy n of the organization in its campaign ' against monopoly, or all who make the people “hewers of wood and drawers T of water” for their own aggrandize ment. Here the virtue of moderation will shine with peculiar luster. In be ing just to ourselves, we should also be just to others. Truth is the mightiest weapon we can wield, and wo should use no other. The Patrons of Hus bandry do not represent exclusive good, nor their opponents exclusive evil. We must live and let live. The sturdy blow of the Granger is not aimed at railroad corporations per se, but at the evils which combinations of unprinci pled men, in these corporations, create by unjust discriminations in their fa vor, over the producing classes, or by controlling or influencing legislation to the detriment of the general welfare. If we crush this hydra-headed monster, strip political and corporative rings of their power to do evil, and establish a reform on the basis of equal rights to all, the work which patriotic men have undertaken to do will be done. Noth ing short of this, nor anything beyond this line of moderation ought to be, or will be allowed. The golden mean is the safest road. The complicated machinery of hu man existence requires a nice adjust ment of parts; these depend one upon another. To disarrange them, or to lighten the labor of one by burdening the other, is to impair the usefulness of all, and risk disaster. By preserv ing our integrity, we command the re spect of the world, and rob our enemies of all chances to circumvent us. We must ourselves practice the vir tues we desire to see in the political and business conduct of the classes against whose transgressions we have declared war. Nor can we expect or desire a victorious issue under any other banner than that of “Wisdom, Justice, Moderation.” All sorts of wild notions are afloat concerning the true purposes of the Order of the Pat rons of Husbandry. Kingscraft and communism, agrarianism, and despot ism, is equally charged against the or der, and with equal inconsistency. Our actions must overcome these absurdi ties; for we all know that actions speak louder than words. Many of these charges are insinu ated by the enemies of our cause. Po litical partizaus, like moles, are at work to undermine the foundations of the noble edifice which Labor —nay, a ho lier one than he even, Liberty —is erect ing in this broad and lovely land of ours. We must guard against this vermin by making the waits so strong with truth, so deep with wisdom, so broad with liberal opinion, that they can never penetrate 'i't. We must never forget the übiquitous power of gold, by which spies of every complexion tire enabled to penetrate our camps, to re port our weakest points for the benefit of their masters. We must arm our selves against duplicity; and the coun tenance of Satan, though it be full of the smiles of peace and patriotic zeal, must not be allowed to blind us to his secret wiles, or make us hesitate in our honest purposes. The contest that has begun is one of vast proportions; it is a war waged against a powerful and unscrupulous foe. To succeed we must be sound to the core; our strength lies not in numbers, but in purpose. To do greatly we must dare to be true to ourselves, ami vindicate right by the exercise of right, and victory upon this field must follow as surely as effect fol lows cause. If we “shun the breakers” we have endeavored to illustrate in this article, what can prevent success ? A faint light in the misty horizon struggles for the mastery—an anxious people are watching the broadening progress of the luminous herald —let us greet it with songs of praise and hearts of gracious thankfulness! ' Doing Good.—The rapid establish ment of Granges of Patrons of Hus bandry throughout our State, is already working wonderful changes in the feel ings of our farmers and their friends. Instead of being isolated, left to his own resources, and the unwilling prey of speculators, rings,and moneyed auto crats, he feels that in the Grange his interests are safe; he feels that com mon int Tests bind all the brethren in ( bonds that can not be broken, and he feels the force of the old adage fully, that “ union is strength.” Let the good < work go on ! There are 20,000,000 acres of wild land along the Mississippi river. A!