The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-04-03
roommupicatea by Daniel Dennett,l

OhuRCENALLE, Lao March 90, 1874.
OPELoUsAs JOURNAL: 4sf9.. :
Mr.. Editor have this morning fo-
the first time, seen your issue of the 23i
inst.
As you devoted between four and fyt
columns of that issue to e~nlightning ths
public in relation to the principles and
objects of the Patrons of Husbandry;
trust you will permit me to use about
one column for the same purpose.
On the evening of the 5th Of March, 9
gentleman presented to me about eight.
cen names, written in pencil on the
margin OF 9 pictorial newspaper iust
taken from the postoffce, aHin one hand.
writing, and written, as | am informed
by. the Clerk of the Court. vi.
| remember but few of the names, ]
think the names of DIR. Robertson. Mr.
Mayo, Mr.. Veazie, Mr.. Guidry and Judge
Martel were on the list.
l was asked If l would organize these
gentlemen, and form another grange OF
the Patrons of Husbandry in Opelonsas,
Ireplied thatthe rules of the order would
not permit the existence of two such or
CARNATIONS so near together; that they
should be about five miles apart that
these gentlemen would do better to Join
the OpelOusas grange, and that this
movement looked ike organizing an
tagOnlsm among oranges.
do not know whether the gentlemen
whose names We're written in pencil had
authorized their names to be used as ap-
plicants to form another grange or not.
There We're no names OF. women on the
hist, no money paid in, and the object OF
the list was only explained verbally by
the gentleman who held the newspaper
in his hand.
The Opelousas Grange could not re-
ceive applications for admission until
they received their dispensatiOn from
ceived q dispensation up to the 22d of
March.
Formerly the National Grange allowed
editors, who had no special interest in
farming to join oranges without paying
any fee whatever. They were the only
persons who were allowed to enter the
grange without paying the initiation fee.
Editors, by construction given to article
9Th of the constitution by the! National
Grange that lately met at st. Louis, are
not allowed to enter the grange at all
unless they cultivate lands as well as
edit newspapers.
Formerly many persons in the South
ern States were admitted who were
merely considered good friends of the
order, even when they had no direct in
terest in farming. -
The mar who organiZedin Mississippi
a large number of oranges, and was of
great service to the order in that State,
had no farm and was not engaged in
farming. He was deputized by the Ma
tional Grange to organize oranges in
Mississippi.
In most instances, so far asmy inform
alton extends, it was left, in q great
measure, discretionary with each grange
as to whom they should admit, and whom
reject. Article 9TH in the constitution,
which says that ANY one interested in
agricultural pursuits, ETC., etc., is enti-
tied to membership and the benefits of
tho degrees taken,n was often loosely
construed by different oranges; very
lately the lines have been more closely
drawn, and the qualifications for mem
bership more clearly defined. 1879
This new rule, ven up to the present
time, 10 far as am Informed, has not
been officially promulgated in all of the
States by the National Grange.
This new rule is embodied in the fol-
lowing resolution: "That in the sense
of the National Grange the expression
: interested ig agricultural pag8uits2 ia
Article 9th of the constitution, means
engaged in agricultural pursuits, and
having no interest in conflict NTH our
purposes InfHtRre, oranges will adj
NIT none except such as have a live in-
terest in the income of q farm, either
through their own labor, r the share
system, or hired labor, or such as have
stocks Of cattle, marketgardens; or nurs
series, or orchards. They must have a
direct interest in an income from the
soil, and be engaged in no other pursuit
In nntag0Rism to the farmers Interest.
Persons outside of the order, not meme
bers of any Grange, have claTnored loud
ly against the "Opelousas Grange'' on
the assumed ground, that several gem
tlemen who constitute the charter mem
beers, were ineligible On account of their
occupation.
In answer to this, / willsay, that when
the written application signed, as re-
quired by the rules of the order, by each
of the applicants, to be organized into a
Grange was presented to me, / wasfully
satisfied by the evidence that was furtl-
ished me-the testimony Of gentlemen
entitled to eredit-uana SO was the Master
and every ether member of the grange,
that there was not one of them who was
ineligible to membership in the order.
ALI Va GuOAh A1&N% &gsE1%AADAR4kMl5 AAAA1SN
interest in agriculture to render them
eligible unsier the constitution of the
order, and none of them haze Interests
that conflict Nth the purposes of the order.
Every one OF them either owns o. farm,
resides ON and ~eultivates it himself, or
leases it out to be cultivated by others,
eiashaFesin the cr0psor f0rsastipalated
price in money; one. or two cultivate
small farms, Or places that they have
rented. 1t thus appears that the .obiec-
tons to the organization OF "OpeIousas
Grange are groundless--they have NO
weight with those who are directly in
terested in the matter, viz: the members
themselves, and those by whose author
ity the grange was organized-simply
because noarticle of demonstration, on
bylaw of either the National or State
Grange has been, in the least, violated
or disregarded.
Why should those not connected with
the order, and not farmers complain?
MI
The Superintendent OF Edueation calls
the attention of Presidents of School
Boards to the fact that as there will be
NO settlements with tax collectors by
which the funds of 1874 will be paid into
the treasury before May, an appoEtiOrs
ulEuIJ fUT Mn5rUa tt111n011 he TTzfisa aGae. =
does not hope to have sufficient funds
In the treasury to make appointments
of any considerable amount before Sep
tenaber or December, and hence he urges
upOfl the boards tine exercise of great
caution in the administration OF their
affairs. While it is desirable to haye as
many schools in operation as it is posi-