The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-06-20

4
vote.
Seventh Degree: { (Earth }
Members Of the National Grang
who have served one year therein ma,
become members of this degree upol
application and election. 1t shall hav,
, charge of the secret work of tn,
order, and shall be court Of impeach
ment of all officers Of the Nationa
, Grange.
, Members Of this degree are honor
, ary members of tbs Nation Grange
and are eligible to Office therein, bur
not entitled to vote.
The National Grange possesses nc
direct power over subordinate gran,
ges Each grange must be seii-sup,
porting, and either stand or fail by It.
own weight. Now that it has become
such power, some designing men
wish to make 1t political machine,
others wish TO turn il into q grand
insurance enterprise, but the National
Grange reserves advisory power, and
says: "Let every subordinate grange
become an insurance company and
take care of themselves" There IS
no reason why a house burned in Min.
nesota should he paid for in part by
South Carolina. The great man who
originated the scheme, If such it may
be called, is the farmers true friend,
and SO long as he can prevent it, no
absolute power viii be invested in the
high authorities at Washington.
During the year Of 1872 new gran
ges were formed TO the number OF one
thousand one hundred and five
Among the items Of expenditure for
printing we find the sum of So, ,344. sc,
and since the order was introduced,
there have been issued for gratuitous
distribution, one million seven hun
dred and five Thousand sheets of print
ed paper, and not 2 single sheet has
been franked since the order was start
ed, and there is not a State or Terri
tory where the order is not known.
In regard TO the standing OF the
States, Iowa stands first and South
Carolina next.
There has been printed and gratui-
tously distributed during the year, by
the National Grange 5I4, 800 Bryan
Fund publications a TO s PIP. pamph.
lets), $4,000 manuals, bound in cloth /;
800 circulars, $4,000 blanks; G,SOO
keys to manuals, and $1,000 constitu-
tions.
The following in regard to the Ma
tional Grange are the words of its
'highest officer" Nj. Saunders, its
originator and founder, and who thus
far has not been removed by any de-
signing men from the place he so
deservedly occupies, and may his
shadow as "Worthy Master" never
grow less:
Permit me to allude briefly TO some
OF the more conspicuous duties of the
National Grange. 1 conceive that its
principal duties are to collect and dis
semlnate information for the benefit of
the whole Order-to place State Gran
gesn cooperative communication, and
advise subordinate oranges with rel
erence to matters of special interest.
Thus it acts simply as an agency. But
it should be somethingmore than this;
being in communication with the
whole order, it Is eminently placed in
a position to Judge as to the value of
measures calculated to be for the best
interests of the whole; and thus it
should be creative as well as admins
tratlve. Above all things, it must
avoid responsibilities that legitimately
belong to either State or subordinate
oranges. 1t should endeavor to in
culcate principles of action that. are
of general application, rather than en-
ter into executive details, that must of
necessity vary according to local and
special circumstances.
And now, description of the grange
proper, perhaps a little idealized, for
the writer is not 2 member of the
order; for if this were the case, this
article according to the "rules,'' could
not have been published. This infor-
nation, except the figures, is . trihe
contraband.
care you candidate for member
ship ?'
"No, not exactly"
'''Then why do you seek this infor.
nation ?"
"Only to become wiser and better;
besides, could widow of sound mind
become Patron of Husbandry with
out destroying her conscience?'
After the labor of the day is done,
the members of the grange assemble
In one sense the charm which binds
the little community is stronger than
that of Church, because it is one oi
mutual sympathy and dependence. L
it is summer, the gathering after the
ceremonies, adjourns to the open air
II there is a poet in the grange lie has
an audience. II woman is a musi-
clan. she is appreciated and under
stood. No talent need be hidden
away in an obscure neighborhood
Here the farmers can exchange views
on the best way Of defeating the pota,
to rot. Matrons can boast of the
wonders ct the last new edition. Girls
can fiirt and coquette, whilst the DOOR
9 dear boys are trying to find out wba,
3 they had better do. The ceremon;a.
1 connected with session of a ORANGE
9 are extremely poetical and beautif1,
: On remote platform in the ba,
t where the meeting is held may h,
seen three women, whose charmins