The Grange advance., 1874-05-13
PATRONS OF HUsBiNDRY.
Speech Delivered before the LeRay
Grange April 4th, 1874, by J. S. Eng
lefth, Lecturer.

This is the name given to an organiza-
tion which has rapidly extended over the
Northwest, and to various portions OF the
South
Our National Grange was first organized
December 4th, 1867. When it convened in
the city of Washington January 7th, 1873,
for it's sixth annual session, there were. as
officially announced, but 1879 subordinate
| Oranges in the United States and three in
| Canada.
By our latest official reports there are
now l2,347 in the United States and thir-
teen in Canada. In the month of Decem.
Der last 829 Oranges were organized in the
| various States and Territories, and fifty
one in one day. In January 1873, but
| ten State Oranges had been organized. To-
! day there are twenty-four State Oranges,
and the Order is found in thirty-four States
| and three Territories. There are 2,ol7
Oranges in the Southern States. Iowa
has the largest total, having altogether
], 1888, then Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, etc.
This growth is matter Of surprise to some,
but to those who realize the want Of some
such organization, and the room there was
| for its development, the rapid establish
| ment Of so many Oranges is not a matter OF
wonder.
The primary object Of the Order is not
an aggressive or a political one, save SO far
as the careful direction Of votes may give
| to the honest men and an honest manage
ment Of public affairs
10 speak comprehensively. the Grange is
| organized for the moral, social and intel
lectual advancement as we'll as the profit
| and elevation Of its members.
Agricultural communities, especially in
| the West, have long lived isolated from one
another The hands have done hard ser
| vice, while the mind has been debarred in
a large degree from communicating or re-
ceiving enjoyment.
To speak further and more explicitly Of
the Order, it is professedly an organization
against monopolies." 1t is eminently
| right and proper that farmers should or
ganize for the protection Of their own in
terests. They compose the most impor-
tant class in our country. Their success
means national success. If the farmers
are prosperous the country is prosperous.
If they grow wealthy the nation S growing
rich. 1t is gratifying feature Of the age,
that farmers are in more prosperous con-
dition now than 1T any period of time in
the history Of the United States. Larger
crops are raised. The system of farming
improves under the teaching Of science.
The farmer who is industrious with any
kind of economy is almost entirely indie
pendent Of all classes. They are decided
ly the happiest people that inhabit the
globe And they have right to be, and
am glad they are. Their calling is an
honorable one. The time has come when
u man will look with pride upon his voca-
| ton. Let farmers organize themselves in
G,on T1,>ho
they will, and let them pursue their object
with that honesty and earnestness of pur-
pose for which they are proverbial Let
| they do this they must be on the alert
funct politicians, who will attempt to con-
troll their organizations. Wen who know
as little Of farming, as they do Of honesty,
will attempt with plausible schemes to run
these orders in their own interest, and in
the end bring down storm of indignation
on the whole thing. Farmers will do we'll
to scan the best Of names to prevent them
as their leaders, and see that they do not.
Having detailed the origin Of the order, l
cannot close without elucidating still fur
ther the workings and the suggestions Of
the craft in other portions Of the globe. 1t
is not confined to America alone; the farm
ers of Great Britain have written to our
oranges to know the principles of our or
ganization. Our ritual is translated into
German, that the farmers Of Germany may
enjoy the benefits which our order propos.
es to secure for all its members.
So broad then are our principles Of uni
ty, harmony and brotherhood, so we'll DO
they meet q common want O.! the human
race, for social, mental and moral ad-
vancement. Had we not found in it all the
elements OF success, we should long since
have abandoned it, but the better it is un-
derstood the more popular it becomes.
We lind one Of the most attractive features
of our order in this fact, its growth is not
confined to any one section Of the country
Yes our brotherhood is equally valued in
al parts Of the land.
1t extends from the granite hills Of New
England to the mountain girt valley Of the
Pacific.
| Our brothers and sisters are rallying
from the rice and cotton and sugar lands,
which are famed by the balmy breezes OF
the Atlantic and the Gulf Of Mexico, as
we'll as from the grain and stock farms that
are swept by the bracing winds OF our
northern lakes.
In my speech upon monopolies, on the
2Sth of February last, gave an elucida-
tion of ancient and modern monopolies,
railroads, etc. To-day wish to deliver for
the good Of the order, the views entertained
by the Patrons through the United States.
We do not make war against railroads and
other internal Improvements, but against
the spirit Of their management Capital
and labor must 60 hand in hand for the
successful development Of any country.
But we oppose the tyranny of all such mo.
nopolies as become oppressive. We say