The Grange advance., 1874-12-29
VOICES OF THE
WORKERS.
Light will Save the People.
Politics and Religion IN
the Oranges.
A Different Sort Of Democracy.
BY A. GAYLORD SPALDING.

1t is evidently a wise regulation
to exclude from the grange all ex-
citing and bitter debates and dis
cussions of partizan politics and Sec
tartan religion, which tend to dis
tract and divide the Order, since
the success and prosperity Of any
people or enterprise require spirit
OF harmonic unity and cooperation,
firm and unwavering, that the winds
cannot shake. But the principles
of true politics and true religion are
very different things. We want a
new political dictionary for work.
ingmen. When politics means home
interests and everyday duties Of
labor, production, wealth, and COM
fort, then it propealy belongs to the
grange. We also need a new de-
fning of religion. When that IS
made to consist of the principles of
love, affection, brotherhood, sister
hood, it at once becomes most
Heavenly in character, and fit for the
Patrons and the family.
The politics Of party, as under
stood by professional politicians, is
Of course, wholly unsuited to grange
exercises, because the principles of
equity and brotherhood is not its
basis. Its motives are selfish, and
its methods, continual strife and
conflict for personal station and
agrandizement, and the spoils of
office. It is rough, heartless, wrang-
ling, and unprincipled, and consists
of cunning tricks Of leadership and
caucus management, election days,
counting votes, and rooster Growing.
1t is the politics of lottery gambling,
and not Of the common people;
Of salary grab and monopoly, and
not of plain honest production; of
the small souled trinket peddling
Jew, and not of the fair and sober
farmer, mechanic, and worker. "
The religion Of sect, like party
politics, is thing Of popular aristo-
cratic professional church leader
ship-of theological dogmas, contro-
versy, and speculation. 1t gives an
easy living to men in high seats
of sanctiro2, :,> 'e;ck their bread
from the nard t. ,.; c..ass. 1t isnot
the religion of humanity, and not
the kind for the grange. 1t dwells
too much in the clouds of mixed
and debatable theologies, and scars
too far above the heads of common
minds and common sense. We
want the practical, with less theory
and Sunday formula, and more real
solid work Of moral reform and So
cial improvement. Less of costly
and gaudy steeples, and more
of home culture. That is sensible
grange religion. 1t emancipates
from the bondage Of party and sect.
Partizan editors and leaders are
highly gratifed with the fact that
oranges are non-political, and ex-.
pect, therefore, to retain their party.
leadership, as heretofore, and secure
the offices and emoluments, right
along, under the old names. The
late election is claimed as glorious
democratic triumph. But is it not a
mistaken interpretations Aye, that
is the delusion Of it certainly, it is, a
very different sort Of Democracy,
so far as the grange vote IS concern
ed. There has been a considerable.
of landslide under our very feet,
and we stand on advanced ground.
Some don't seem to know it, yet SO
it's nevertheless. Tell the secret
to Congressmen and politicians.
With The grangers, i is now q Dem
ocracy with an equal rights plank.
The reform element IS infused which
Seleyatesi 4 wonde rfully &
IN - III & q S crans3 4 ;anA.