Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-07-03
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
History of the Organization.

of the order of Patrons of Husbandry
have excited no little interest in the his
tory of the origin and progress of that
influential organization. The idea was
originally borrowed from an association
which has existed for many years in a
community of Scotch farmers in North
Carolina. This Scotch society seems to
have had for its objects the purchase of
all needed supplies from first hands,
and at wholesale rates, and the cultlva-
ton of more intimate social relations |
among its members. 1t was really |
nothing more than secret cooperative, |
industrial and literary association. The
numbers composing it were few and its |
influence small Indeed, the fact that |
such society had an existence was not |
known beyond the limits of the commu- |
nifty affected by It's institutions. It was
not until the spring of 1868 that the |
Order of Patrons of Husbandry became
known to the people of the West. Du-
ring the preceding winter, Mr.. FL. P.
Kelley, of Itasca, Minnesota, and several
other leading agriculturists of the West,
happening to be in Washington, had
frequent interviews in relation to the
interests of the farming population of
the great West. It was about that period
that the character and workings of the
Scotch society of North Carolina be-
came known to them. The idea was
seized upon, elaborated and matured to
adapt it to the more general purposes of
national order.
In the beginning of 1868, the order
was introduced into the West by the or
ganization of & grange at Itasca, Min
nesota. In a short time another grange
, was organized in Jasper county, Iowa;
third grange soon came into existence
at Waukon, Almakee county, in the
same State. From the year 1868 the
order made little progress until the past
/ twelve months. A few oranges were or
! ganized in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin
= and Illinois, but up to the beginning of
:, the year 1872 it is estimated that the
!, whole number of members in the four
, States named did not exceed seventy-fve
:. thousand. It is claimed that in the
: same States now, there are at least four
! hundred and fifty thousand patrons.
It may be interesting to the readers to
:, know something about the internal or
4 ganization of this now influential order.
: As before stated, the Order of Patrons
n of Husbandry is secret society, no one
+ except members being allowed to cross
: the threshold of their grange halls.
. Women as well as men are admitted to
i the highest degrees in the subordinate
= oranges. Beyond the fourth degree il
= does not appear that females are adj
! mitted. Members admitted to the first
# degree are known respectively as La
II borer and Maid in the second degree
- as Cultivator and Shepherdess in the
- third degree as Harvester and Cleaner
is and in the fourth degree as Husband
man and Matron.
The fifth degree seems to be conferred
L. only in the State Oranges, and upol
men only Those who have been adj
t. mitted to this degree are called member
It. of the Pomona or Hope Grange, com
as posed only of Masters and Past Masters
u of subordinate oranges. The sixth de
n gree is conferred only on members o
It, the council of the National Grange
u This council is composed of Master
IA and Past Masters of the State oranges
lg The council meets once in every year
p The seventh is the highest degree t.
st. which any patron can attain. 1t is con
to ferred only on members of the Nations
he Senate, which is composed of member
K. of the council who have served one yer
gh in that body. The emblem of this de
ed gree is Ceres. The functions of til
re council and senate are similar to thos
nd of representatives and senators in legis
he lative bodies. The supreme executiv
Is authority in the order is lodged in th
I'd. Master of the National Grange but eac
ng subordinate grange has its own master
OK overseer, lecturer, steward, assistan
lal steward, chaplain, treasurer, secretary
tie gate-keeper, Ceres, Pomona, Flora an
no lady assistant steward. Officers in sui
III, ordinate oranges are elected to serve ft
ed, one year, in State oranges two, and
ST the National Grange five years. Subo
The dinate oranges, by the rules, must me-
'es at least once in every month. Sta
to oranges once year, and the Nation
5lll Grange once in every two years.
ext The order seems to be intended to e
ehI ercise moral supervision over its mer
oe- bers, and provides for the care of sue
'ar- as may be unfortunate. The soci
OH character of the order is made prom
IL nent, but the material interests of Il
ay, class exclusively represented in its S
ana cret conclaves are, it is said, most a
oW siduously guarded. 1t will be seen fro
the particulars given above that this G
a au- der is very compactly organized, an
MS when taken in connection with its va
increase in numbers, its general diff
sion over the whole country, and
ON manifestations of power and purpos
81 its existence constitutes most intere!
mes ing study for the sociologist as well
= = the publicist. The moral and intelle
+be tual welfare of its members, thou
Ill oil strictly attended to, does not reveal t
on broader and deeper significance of
tbo existence of this organization. Alrea
,;cb in many localities has the occupation
va the agents, or middle-men," who d,
+bo in manufactured wares consumed
,,,,ar farmers, become obsolete. The grane
,osa have appointed middle-men of th
70 own, through whom an interchange
az, products is effected at the miniml
90. cost. In some places they have p
81 chased or leased grain elevators.
& #; ;ts other places they have employed