The Lancaster Farmer. 



Dr. S. S. RATHVON, Editor. 



LANCASTER, PA., NOVEMBER, 1879. 



Vol. ZI. No. 11. 



Editorial. 



ORGANIZATION. 



Its Order, Its Organic Forms and Its Power. 

 It has often been written, und as ollen re- 

 peated, that " Order is /tfai'cn's first law,'''' 

 and, we niiglit lejiitiinately add, that true 

 order cannot possibly exist witlioiiL ort^aniza- 

 tion. The most obvious nicauiiii; of ori,Mni- 

 zation is simply the arrangfiiiciit of the ele- 

 mentary parts and prineiplfs of things, in a 

 consecutive series of order, and HuoukIi the 

 combined energies of this order tho.se ele- 

 mentary principles are ultimatcd in visible 

 forms. There are no energies within the 

 realms of the created universe that are not 

 subordinated to the principles of order tlirough 

 organic manipulations. The Creator of ihe 

 universe himself works not arbitrarily, but by 

 orderly means. Every creiited thing on the 

 earth, in the waters '"under the earth," and 

 in the starry canopy above the earth, is obedi- 

 ent to the organic laws through which it was 

 brought into sentient being, and which both 

 stimulates and limits all its active energies. 

 Every beast of the lield, every fowl of the air, 

 every fish of the sea, and the innumerable 

 hosts of creeping things "that pass through 

 the paths of the sea, "are all in harmony with 

 the order in which they were created, and 

 their organic functions are a reflex of the or- 

 ganized energy through which they "live, and 

 move, and have their being." 



The inanimate world is equally subjected to 

 such organic laws iis are adapted to its de- 

 velopment and perpetuation, and its progress 

 is proportioned to its harmony with those 

 organic laws. There is not a rock, a tree, a 

 shrub, a flower or a perfume that is not the 

 subject of orgauic laws, and they all find their 

 highest development in their obedience to 

 those laws; and so far all is "very good." 

 But, there is one exception in the scale of 

 creation, and that exception embraces the 

 human family— the highest intelligence and 

 the crowning work of the whole. Man alone 

 is restive under the rules of order which have 

 been instituted for his supremest good, both 

 physically and morally. He alone, under the 

 simulation of liberty, places himself in an at- 

 titude antagonistic to order; he alone, except 

 for selfish or ulterior ends, is unwilling to 

 subordinate himself to organic rule, he alone 

 is indifferent to that unity which is the result 

 of thorough organization'. "I care for nobody 

 and nobody cares for me," becomes the sel- 

 fish motto of a large proportion of the human 

 family ; in the degree and to the extent that 

 they imagine themselves independent of the 

 ministrations of their fellow-men ; a senti- 

 ment that is entirely oppo.sed to the very 

 spirit of creation— opposed to every law of 

 preservation and perpetuation — opposed to 

 social organization and progressive de\elop- 

 ment — opposed to anything and everything 

 that does not culminate in self. 



In all the vast catalogue of created objects, 

 there is no one thing that is entirely indepen- 

 dent of all other things. Every single thing 

 is immediately, mediately or remotely, depen 

 dent upon, and connected with some other 

 thing, for its comfort, its convenience, and 

 its progressive development. And, in the 

 category of vast creation no subject assumes 

 the attitude of isolated independence more 

 pertinaciously than man, even when he may 

 be in a condition of the most,abject surveilence. 

 On the one hand he may ignore or resist the 

 restrictions of organic rule : whilst on the 

 other hand he may be the veriest slave of 

 impulse, or the victim of the most tyrannical 

 habits. In a quasi jiolitical sense man may 

 be said to be independent, but he is not so 



morally, socially, or physically, as he stands 

 related to his Creator, or his fellowman. It 

 is true, that ni;in may be inlniisically fn^ .so 

 far as thai fiT.-d.iia nMatrs to tlic ,;x.'n-isc of 

 his own moral and spiritual volition, liut, 

 extrihsiciilly, he is only in rational IVeedoin iii 

 proportion as tlie trutk makes him free. All 

 libertv independent of, or beyond this stand- 

 ard, 18 lial)le to digeiiorate into .selfishness, 

 irresponsibility, recklessness and lieeiise, and 

 these attributes are adver.-e In those organ- 

 ized forms of aeiinii, and llmse mutual con- 

 cessions, 80 essentiiil to lieallliy luogress. 

 Destroy the cohesive attraction through 

 Inch the physical universe is organized and 

 continued in orderly se(iuence, and the whole 

 structure would lieeoine disintegrated, and its 

 component atoms \v(jnld lly off in so many 

 tangents throuiih illimilalilc space. Destroy 

 the .social and fraternal (•ohesion through 

 which the human race is bound together, and 

 the column of human atliliation would topjile 

 over, and men would become moral and 

 social "fugitives and vtigabonds" on the 

 earth. Nothing is really a(:eom|)lished— no 

 permanent and widely dill'used progress is 

 made through independent individual action 

 alone : Even in cases where the outward ap- 

 pearance seems otherwise, there are unseen 

 sympathies, aids and aspirations, which give 

 impulse and energy to, and determine the 

 quality of external actions. The greatest, the 

 most potent and rapid strides in human 

 progress, are those that are made in man's col- 

 lective and organized capacity; and those tire 

 most effective where human energies are sub- 

 ordinated to those rules of order which iire 

 deemed essential to effective organization. 

 The true principles of order involve energetic 

 unitt/, and an abnegation of self for the sake 

 of the common good. Where these principles 

 prevail there is not an integer in the social 

 compact that will become the subject of pre- 

 meditated neglect. Every function will be 

 exercised— every interest will be served; and 

 whatever other reward may incidentally 

 follow, the chiefest compensation will be the 

 delight afforded in the performance of the use. 

 Social organization is deemed essential to 

 the prosperous advancement of all the various 

 interests which may distinguish social pro- 

 gress. All enterprises, all objects, and all 

 pursuits avail themselves of the benefits of 

 organization, and adopt general and special 

 rules of order for their better government. 

 In proportion as such rules are fiiithfuUy ob- 

 served in their inherent integrity, in that same 

 degree will the organization adopting them be 

 successful. These principles of action do not 

 contemplate, nor do they involve any species 

 of coercion, any farther than the individual 

 may feel disposed to impose such coercion, or 

 self-compulsion, upon himself. Hut an actiui- 

 esence in them may be cultivated or become a 

 habit. It is nothing to tlie credit or the hap- 

 piness of any individual that he scorns organic 

 rule— that lie repudiates social government, 

 or that he assumes an attitude of selfish inde- 

 pendence. As well might any of the mem- 

 bei-s of his body repudiate the vital energies 

 of his heart— the ccntresttmce of his very 

 being — and proclaim its independent isolation. 

 This thing of regarding ourself iis a mere 

 looker on, and taking no interest at all in the 

 various enterprises that are entered into 

 among men for the advancement of their 

 social and moral condition, or of withholding 

 all sympathy from their efforts, is likely to 

 narrow down the minds of men into selfi.sh 

 exclusiveness. This state of mind is the fruit- 

 ful source of prejudices and aversions towards 

 others, without an adequate cause. It does 

 not realize our connection with the source 

 from whence the wliole family of man origi- 

 nated, nor the harmony of action and reac- 



tion. It does not seem to comprehend that 

 there can be no true happiness where there is 

 isolation and loneliness. When anything is 

 separated I rom the part to which it belongs 

 there is alua>s nmre or less imperfect action 

 and a (endeiH^v to unite tigain ; and while 

 that tendeiiryeontinues there is more or less 

 unrest and in. ilieieiicy. In social union there 

 is the tiue^i hai'i'iness, because there is then 

 a freer eir<-ulatiou of all the vitalizing ele- 

 ments and properties that uplift and stimulate 

 prou'iess, an<l a more liarnioiiious action of 

 huinan unity is recognized. These sentiments, 

 of course, do not contemiilate those oi)po8ite 

 extremes through which social union and sym- 

 ptithy degenerates into clanship, proliigaci-, 

 and indolence or idleness. 



J5ut, intermediate between tlie true forms of 

 order, and their absence altogether, is a con- 

 dition which has been appropriately styled 

 the ''unter of disorder," and this status is un- 

 consciously assumed by many of the organiza- 

 tions of the country. It is true, that no one 

 wills it so, and at heart all may desire the suc- 

 cess of the organization in which they liold 

 an irresponsilne membership; but, in its out- 

 ward manifestation such is the effect in all 

 cases involving a unity of energy for their 

 success. Look abroad in the world and see 

 what has been accomplished by associated 

 efforts and energies. From the smallest or- 

 ganized association- if it be only a partner- 

 ship of two or three— up to the largest— as for 

 instance an army— an efficient exercise of 

 their functions is based upon an adhesion to 

 the principles of order. In a certain sense 

 every human being thiit has attained the age 

 of civil, nttional, and moral accountability, is 

 a society in its least form, and from this indi- 

 vidual form we pass up through the various 

 degrees of associated organizations, until we 

 embrace the entire universe; all are subject to 

 the rules of order, and without such rules, 

 things would be ever sttindiiig in each other's 

 way, and nothing would be in process of suc- 

 cessful accomplishment. 



Political parties understand the potency of 

 organization, ;ind their general efficiency and 

 often theirsuecessdepeiidsentirely upon their 

 laithl'uhii --> lo tlie rules lliathave been institu- 

 ted for their ^ovennnent. Even when parties 

 lieeoinedisinFegrated, or split up into factious, 

 the first st'eps taken by the several factions 

 are toward a reorganization of the various 

 elements into separate iiarties ; for they know 

 full well that without oiganiziition they can- 

 not contend with those who are antagonistic 

 to them with any hope of success. The very 

 church, all leligfons and educational institu- 

 tions, manifest their powers through organi- 

 zation; and although all power upon earth is 

 from the Deity alone, yet that Deity does not 

 iict arbitrarily ;ind immediately, but through 

 the medium of organic instrumentalities, and 

 according to eternal principles of order. 



All philanthropic movements; all financial 

 enterprises ; all great manufacturing estab- 

 lishments ; all public improvements ; all in- 

 corporated communities, and all scientific, his- 

 torical and profession institutions may be iu- 

 cludi'd in the same category, and their prac- 

 tical efliciency will depend upon their unity, 

 their energy, their integrity, and the perfec- 

 tion of their organization. 



Amidst all this physical, political, meclian- 

 ical, intellectual and moral machinery of the 

 universe, is there no example in it fit for the 

 imitation of the laborious tillers of the soil ? 

 Must that great and paramount liuman 

 interest, which underlies, and fundamentally 

 underpins the moral, civil and social structure 

 of tlie world, continue to occupy a subordi- 

 nate jiosition, or to be kicked about like a 

 footbtill by till the others, for the want of ef- 

 fective organization, or because it cannot 



