The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-12-18

W uescTlDe Ine present states OF TIT
Order. In some cases the sacred
funds of the Grange have been used
for political expenses, and for estab
fishing political papers, to the disgust
OF the minority of the members. The
mere rule prohibiting political dis
cussion is not enough. Those who
honestly go into the Order, must be
protected by well defined rules, from
the schemes of demagogues and pol.
itical aspirauts.
CEREMONIES AND DEGREES.
Out on the bleak prairiss, Oranges
meet at the school houses. The
members and candidates for initia
ton go for miles in the same wagon
The Grange meets and gives the first
degree to the candidate, then he
must be turned out of doors to trem.
bic on the lee side of the school
house till the Grange for two or three
hours transact its business. And
this has to be done for four months
ia succession to each candidate. The
rules of the National Grangs not al.
lowing but one degree to be confer
red at meeting, nor allowing the
Grange to transact any business ex-
cept in the fourth degree. This
should be tolerated no longer, and
the best way would be to abolished
all but one degree in subordinate
Grange, and have that thoroughly
revised and improved. There is too
much ceremony, giving too little time
for the transaction of real business.
This Order is not intended for city
life, where candidates can return to
their homes without their company
husbands, or brothers. Oranges to
our own knowledge have spent near
ly the entire year comforting degrees,
until officers and members have be-
come thoroughly disgusted with the
whole Order. When the novelty
wears off, to practical business m an
the repetition of these degrees be-.
come a nuisance hard to be tolerated.
We hope the State Grange will de-
mand an entire revision and shorten
ing of our ceremonies and degrees,
and have but one, SO that a member
can be fully initiated at one meeting.
AS at present the rules have to be
violated, and the ceremonies butch
cred. They are never followed
bunglingly laid down in the manual.
NECESSARILY ILLEGAL.
FNhn n,1nc hoc roniI-
ly, and from the fact that those liv-
ing in cities cannot fully comprehend
the emergencies and cramped situa-
tions in the country, the rules of the
Order have to be frequently violated,
not from choice, but from necessity.
This creates disturbances frequently
in the Grange, some being strict con-
structionists, while others go for the
useful without regard to TECHNICAL
ties For instance, the present State
Grange is an illegally constructed
body, as the National Grange has
provided that all masters and their
wives shall be members, while the
State Grange has said that only one
eighth of that number shall partici-
pate. They will be fortunate if they
get through harmoniousiy on this
point, and yet all should quietly SUBJ
NIT, for it is necessity which the
National Grange did not provide for,
which they could easily have seen.
SO complicated an organization as
the Patrons of Husbandry cannot
conduct its vast interest by a care
lessly gotten up code of laws as long
as your finger. Let this State Grange
apply themselves to business, and
prepare set of bylaws that will de-
fine the rights, privileges and inter-
ests of every member.
SALARIES AND CONTRIBUTIONS.
There is another cause fruitless of
suspicion. Some of the officers and
agents are paid salaries from the
State Grange, and are also allowed
to draw and receive large fees from
public meetings, councils and Gran
ges. Either pay them in tull from
the treasury for their services or let
it be known that they depend en-.
tirely upon collections. Though
nothing may lie said publicly, bitter
grumblings are uttered, and dark
suspicious are entertained in private
and in Oranges, alternating many
from their devotion to the Order.
Remove this cause of suspicion.
TOO MUCH MONEY.
Another question Of serious i'm
port is the finance. In the incipient
stage when Oranges were few and
means needed to propagate the Or
der, it was right and proper to charge