The Granges--what Are They Doing?

Whenever a handful of politicians are gathered together they are asking of one another what the Patrons of Husbandry intend doing ? There is not a county in the United States but has within its borders men and woraen deeply interested in the answer to this question. While politioians of that class which have so long fattened upon the people are sneering at the efforts of the farmers to doublé teams by organizing, they are trembling in their boots in fear that they who have so long stolen from the people will be in the future ignored. We have often been asked the meaning of this comparatively new organization, what the necessity of such a move, and what the farmers expected to accompisli As tor the neoessity for such au organization, and what it mcans, we will endeavor to show - if we rightly understand them - in as few words as possible. For years the Government of the United States has been offering land iuducements to all who would engago in husbandry. Without population, the great prairies of the West, and the fertile plantation lands of the South would be useless and unprofitable. On the assuinption that the soil of the different territories belonged to the people, our Government gave, or sold at low rates, to actual settlers such farms as the ones wanting them - meaning tho pioneers - saw fit to lócate. As the crowd pushed on to the West, every t'viu it passed became more and more valuable. Thus land increased in value, and the pioneer of yesterday was rewarded by his neighbor of to-day - or by the moving forward of that neighbor with his family and property to occupy the wild land. Thus towns and cities grew. Thus enterprise was tempted to step forward for its reward. Thus the atteniion of mili ■ ïons of honestf, industrious men in the old world were drawn to the inducetnents offered in the new world for ali who would become residents of the land of the tree. In time as the country became great, there came along in the rear of the workers an element selfishly political and disgustingly corrupt. Every aim of these scheming men was to blind those who lived by labor. Every argument ignorance, fanaticism, arejudice, greed, seliishness, and graspng avarice could invent was used to af"eet the minds of men who were more in:eut upon feeding the lamba than guardïng against wolves. Where the Government promised to protect the people all alike, men grew careless, and neglected to protect themselves. Not being eternally vigilaut, they lost their liberty. Bad men forced themselves to the jront. Dishonest men worked their way to power. The statesman who dared to teil the ,ruth wus ignored for the politician who ïad merely a personal object to gratiiy. Men who were honest, but not so vigilant as they should have been, believed other men to be honeBt, and gave them heir votes. The legislativa halls were filled with agents of money makers and swindling speculators. The editorial sancLums came to be filled with too many men who orgot the poople in their anxiety to curry favor with the plunderers. Individual ratíier than national interesta have for years been forced ahead by aw-makers, till now the farmers, and all who live by labor, find themselves almost ïopelessly in debt under what are known as State and national obligations, in the majority of cases unjustly, dishonestly, llegally and unconstitutionally imposed. Millions upon millions of acres of the )ublic lands have been stolen from the ons of farmers and from new corners, and ïave been given to rich monopolista for heir exclusive benefit. Lands which ïave been stolen from the people by disïonest Congressmen, and given to their 'uilty partners, can now be had by the eople. only on paymeut of ourageous rices. The Government has given away the mblic domain which might have been used to pay the public debt, and in the hape of bonds saddled it upon the peo)le who have been duped, robbed, and outraged. The law-making power of the people ïas been stolen from them for the time y a set of arrant knaves, who stop at no crime, hesitate at no swindle, pause at no outrage, from stealing baok-pay to ;rampling the life out of a, sovereign. State. Corruption and extravagance have aken the place of decency and honor. Patriotism springs only from the people after a succession of outrages upon them, The outrages have been perpetrated, and the people are now for the first time in years becoming patriotic and determined to protect themselves. To protect themselves, to purify the halls of legislation, to put a stop to f urther plundering, to give the custody of the country into the hands of honest keepers, is now the object of the farmers, who constitute a majority of the people of the United States. To this end they are organizing as Grangers or Patrons of Hubandry. For this purpose they are keeping step together, ignoring political and religious differences, intent upon securing to themselves, their wives, their children, and their country, the blessings, rewards and benefits dishonest politicians have for years been despoiling them of. They seek to elect only honest men to office. They seek to provide this country with money that will be uniform. They seek to build up a general line of enterprise in place of those gigantic monopolies which enrich only a few in sections. They seekto better their condition in all the relations of life, and to make their homes more mellow as resting places. They seek to advance honesty, liberality, public decency, and that feeling of united interests without which men lose care for each other, and become arrayed against common interests. All this they can do, and we hope they will do, the wishes of tricky politiciaus to the contrary notwithstanding. - The Locomotive. " How is it that you have never kindled a fíame in any man's heart r"' asked a rich lady of her portionless niece. " I suppose, aunt, it is because I'm not a good matcb," meekly replied the poor niece. ,