Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-12-19
The Grange.

before that body at its annual meet
ing in Des Moines last week. 1
will repay perusal.
The general progress made by
the Order in those directions which
our purposes lead, has been emf
nently encouraging. The work o
the order has three, distinct tea
lures.
First the family relation or socia
phase-as represented in the subor
dinatc Grange. The needs of farm
ers in this direction are plainly ap
parent to all. The Grange give.
them social culture SO much needed
in our isolated condition. In til.
Grange room we meet to strengthen
those social ties without which life
is shorn of those enjoyments which
vitalize existence and make labor
become ennobling and honorable
The American people, and more es
pecially those of us who follow agri
culture as profession or calling
pay too little regard to the socia
enjoyments. Coming into a new
country, strangers to each other
urged on by the absolute necessity
of making from the soil homes, and
a standing in the community, we pu,
all our lives into the material work
before us, forgetting that any life
purely material in its character
must be practically failure. The
order of Patrons of Husbandry aims
to meet this want, and our past,
though short, experience, has shown
us that in this direction alone it is
worth infinitely more than it has
| cost. ellr
The second phase of our work is
the intellectual and educational one.
No organization in the world has
has ever before opened such a field
Of opportunity for the men and wo-
men who avail themselves of its
benefits. In the Grange room we
learn how to compare methods; we
teach each other the best way Of ar
irving at results. Measures of both
public and private interest receive
that full and careful attention which
is so much needed. Under the old
system, each individual drew his
knowledge and conclusions from
his limited sphere of thought and
observation. Here fund of
thought and study is brought into
the common store, and all, accor-
ding to their capacity, receive the
full measure Of benefit. AS one in
stance Of the good coming to us in
this connection, it is estimated that
among the members Of the order in
this State, nine out OF every ten
cases Of dispute which, under the
old system would be litigated in the
courts, are settled in subordinate
Oranges by friendly and fraternal
arbitration. l do not suppose that
our friends Of the legal profession
will consider this u creditablc fca-
ture, but, on the whole, | think we
shall be able to stand it.
There is no computing the amount
of knowledge which this education
al feature Of our work has brought
to our members. The remark is
made by business men outside the
gate, elbow much more the farmers
know of business than they did two
years ago"
Questions of Il public nature re-
ceive the full share of public atten-
ton, and our relations to each other
aud to the government, are day by
day becoming better and more
clearly understood. TO women,
these two first two phases Of our
work already has, and is destined
to bring rich blessings. No where
else does woman meet her brothers
on an absolute equality. Here her
field of thought and action is only
limited by the measure of her Ca
pacity. She may enter into the con-
sideration of every question, and by
her quick and fine intuitive reason
ing, stimulate and help forward her
slower and more plodding brother.
l have at times been deeply touched
at the expression OF thankfulness
coming from the full heart of wo-
men who fully appreciate the good
which is coming to them through
their connection with the order; and
I feel thankful to our founders, who
were wise enough to incorporate
this feature in our fundamental
law.
Finally, we come to the material,
or business phase Of our work. One
mistake sometimes made. is in sup
posing that the saying Of money in
buying and selling is the chief aim
of the order. Persons who take
this view of the objects and pur-
poses of the Patrons, utterly fail to
comprehend the scope and genius
of the institution. Such persons will
do better to turn their energies and
thoughts outside the gates of the
order.
The saving of money, the learn
ing how to buy and sell, to use the
results of accumulated industry to
the best advantage, is part, but
only part, of the work of the or
der. Co operating In buying and
selling has long been conceded by
thinking men as the true secret Of
business success.
Some counties, which have by ad-
vice of their County Council taken
portion of the money in the sever
al Grange treasures, placed in the
hands of good county agent, who
through the State agent, Il small but
good stock of plows ana all the
smaller implements, for supplying
the members at Wholesale prices,
have practically demonstrated the
advantages growing out Of our sys-
tenn. TO work up our present bust
ness system has taken vast amount
of thought and labor. Too much
credit cannot be given to our State
agent, Brother ]. D. Whitman, for
his faithfulness and untiring indus
try in the field Of labor. He has
put into his work rare ability, and
has made us respected among all
classes of business men.