The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-04
Seventh Annual Session of the Ma
tiOnal Grange of the Order
Of Patrons of HuSbansIry.
A MILLION MEMBERS REPRESENTED.
Review Of the Organization, the Char
acter Of Its Work and What
It Has Accomplished.
QUESTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED.

ST. LOUIS, NO., Feb, 1874.
On Wednesday next the National Grange of the
Order OF Patrons OF husbandry very generally and
enormously called 'Grangers." as II members OF
the Masonic order should be dubbed 'iodgers' will
meet here. This is the seventh annual session,
though to the public at large 1t may be considered
the first, as 1T is barely a year since the move
ment began to be at all popular Since
the meeting of the Iowa State Grange, IN
1872 the spread OF the order has been ike
that OF prairie fire, and its rapid growth of
strength aud increase Of membership cause it to
rank among the most singular of social phe-
nomena OF iater days. This Convention represents
about IL, 800 subordinate oranges, with
A TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF NEARLY A MILLION,
distributed through thirty.two States and two
Territories, the Province OF Quebec having also
formed a provincial grange. While to Iowa be-
longs the title Of the Banner State 1t would seem
as II she must shortly yield the hOnOrs to Missouri
or Indiana, in which States the daily acces-
sions TO the Order may De numbered by tens of
oranges and hundreds Of members. Missouri alone
has 800 oranges and 10000 patrons. year ago
there were less than twenty oranges within her
borders.
To review, however briefly, the results of this
movement, would require one OF the HERALD's
quadruple sheets, and even then much would have
to be left untold. In every department and detail
Of Western life 1t has eXerted an immense innu-
ence and has been political, social and econom-
cal revolution. This was not surprising to those
who had any previous acquaintance with the con-
dition Of the farmers, depicted at length
especially as caused by monopolies, In this corre-
spondence in January and February 1873. They
had for many years been growing poorer and
poorer The asurer was draining their pockets;
the railroads, the buyers and the middemen plum
dered them OF their crops and babe them grow
corn to be sold at a loss consumed as fuel;
manufacturers Of agricultural implements taxed
them fifty per cent on all articles which they
needed; the county ard State governments were
extravagant and corrupt Against all these evils
the farmers had no remedy till the grange taught
them that
UNION IS STRENGTH.
The Grange organization and ritual were such as
to insure its popularity among the farmers TWAS
a sort of innocent and comparatively inexpensive
Masonic Order. The rural inhabitant, especially In
winter, delights in gatherings OF all descriptions.
This offered regafa, q great many ofllces, mum.
Der OF degrees and consequent ceremonies, some
music, little feasting and good deal OF society,
and so commended itself specially to the agricul.
turist. 1t spread widely and became popular long
ere Its vast capabilities had begun to be adequately
understood by its members. 1t was not long ere,
as iron sharpens iron, exchange Of views and de-
bate began to teach the Patrons the reason why
they we're poor and to suggest q remedy by the
very palpable means OF cooperation. The car
penters or bricKlayers united could compel the
bosses to advance their wages; union or rail-
roads could keep IN fretghts; q few large dealers
could down the price paid for all produce: the
farmers alone, though outnumbering oil the other
classes and guilds united, could effect nothing and
were the prey of all. Hence there was a rapid
rush to unite for every purpose political or COM
mercial; and though, in some departments, the
principle may have been carried TO extremes
one will be so bold as to deny that II has achieved
wonders.
STATISTICS OF RESULTS.
In politics the grange movement succeeded IN
eicctlng two Judges TO the Supreme Bench Of Iii.
nois, defeating Chief Justice Lawrence, though he
was backed by the full power of the railroads, and
placed majority OF farmers judges on the Bench
in the circuits At the fall elections the farmers
cast clear majority over all the other parties, and
carried nifty three OF 1O2 thirteen going inde-
pendent. and the regular political organizations
only securing thIrty-six, In Iowa, without any
preparation, 1t reduced the republican majority
from 900 to 90 0OO and secured sixty votes
in Joint ballot Of $780, where In 1878 the republicans
had i20. In Minnesota the republican majority Of
1000 cut down to $500, the republican cand-
date for State Treasurer was beaten and the Score
tary Of State only got in by the vote OF one county
about which, to say the least there was room for
doubt, while, where the republicans had cast los
votes In LAT, they now only have elghty-our In Wis
consin the republicans were ousted from the State
government, which they had held Tor twenty years,
and beaten by $4,000, where year before they had
received nearly $4,000 OF majority In Kansas
from majority Of seventy one in Joint ballot the
republicans, though the Senate held over, giving
them majority OF twenty-five to start with, came
down 10 a tie. Grand as was this success, it has
BUT PRELIMINARY
and when the contest Is renewed in the Congress
slonal districts, IN November next, the results Will
be still more sensational. What they have been
in that direction where votes and dollars have no
power remotely adequate to affect them 1t Is lnpos
sible to say, but the general publication OF the
political atmosphere, the warning to political
leaders that honesty must hereafter be their only
policy, and the impression upon the minds OF off,
that they are the servants OF the people, have
been equal to new revelation.
In the matter of direct and indirect saving or
money TO It's members the grange has been as
notable success The railroads all over the West
have been shown that the farmers have the power
as well as the Will TO control them; to prevent
actions or determinations; nay, TO wipe out
| fraudulent Indebtedness and recover the roads
from the hands OF those who built them with the
money OF the people and have since admin
stered their affairs reckessly and eXTavagantly.
1t is now only question OF time, for the farmers
eau I'LL tue State Legislatures and courts and the
national Congress, and in some OF the states, as III
Minnesota and Wisconsin,, the roads have practi-
caily adopted the policy oil Colonel Crocaetts coon
OF illustrious and prudent memory, and requested
the grange not to shoot-they will come down oil
their own accord.
THE GREATEST FINANCIAL PROFIT
has accrued to the Patrons iii the comparative
abolition OF the system OF middlemen and retailers,
and the purchase OF all articles In large quantities,
| at Wholesale prices. The State purchasing agents
| buy everything needed by the oranges Tor cash,
and ship by the carload at reduced rates. on
sewing machines for instance, the oranges OF
Iowa receive discount Of forty per cent from the
Weed Company. On agricultural implements and
machinery the saving is from thirty to fifty per
cent. An equal amount is saved on the pur-
chase OF musical instruments. The amount thus
saved to each farmer in the West amounts
to from 500 to $500 annually, and the
aggregate is many millions of dollars. In
Iowa, Mr.. A. b. smedley Master OF the State
Grange, asserts that, through the influence oil
| Patrons, agricultural implements and machines
have been reduced in price over twenty-five per
! cent within the past two years; family supplies
for the same PERIOD fifteen per cent ana the total
saving Is placed at $4,000, 000 equal to an increase
! III the corn crop OF rs, COG, 600 bushels.
| The Grange has made another great saving In
! shipping grain and produce. At all large ram
centres the Patrons build elevators aud stores and
station their own agents. Each has MS own bin
where he stores his gram till he can get satis-
factory price, taking receipt on winch he can
raise money ut the bank, thus obviatlng the me-
cessity OF sacrificing his wheat or corn Tor what