The Grange advance., 1874-06-17

argument against the excellence of the or
ganization. Even if it could be proved
that bad men invented the scheme of grange
life for sinister purposes, the host of good
people who quickly embraced it thwarted
their intentions for evil, and forced them
to assume virtue" as necessity.
The public charge by Mr.. Green is the
first hint we have seen imputing wrong mo-
tives to the founders of the order, and this
we regard as carrying no weight whatever.
The grange is not governed by individuals,
but by national and state constitutions.
There is no arbitrary power controlling the
order, and if Mr.. Green had carefully read
the preamble to the National Constitution
of the order of P. of H. he would have
found synopsis of the philosophical
principles, or elements Of political science,
which uhderlies the tkeory of this new
feature in agricultural life. 1t lays down
as an axiom "that human happiness is the
acme Of earthly ambition" That'' knowl-
edge is the foundation of happiness" A
system OF social organization that cultivates
and strengthens the mind; that puts it
in pursuit Of knowledge, and aids it
in that pursuit is certainly not striving to
enslave the mind or envelopit in mys-
terry. Oranges, according to the preamble,
band together for mutual instruction -;
for "protection ~; for "diffusing knowl-
edge"; to " "expand the mind," and trace
the laws Of Nature from Nature up to
Natures God.''
If bad men invented this system, for an
evil purpose, they made huge blunder
by introducing all the cardinal virtues and
omitting the vices. Beside, the officers are
all elective and may be held accountable
for misconduct. The elementary truths
enumerated by the National Grange, when
applied as rule Of lite, are as eternal as
the stars. The grange may perish, but the
principles can never die.
AS these beautiful principles cannot be
too well understood or appreciated We give
a further illustration
"The ultimate object of this organiza-
tion is for mutual instruction aud protec-
ton to Tighten labor by acquiring a knowl-
edge of its aims and purposes; expand the
mind by tracing the beautiful laws the
Great Creator has established in the uni
verse. and to enlarge our views Of Creative
wisdom and power"
The man whose blinded scepticism can
find evil in such pursuits should be pitied
or despised for his wilful infatuation to
error. Political demagogues are also busy
working up hostility to the order 10y mag
nifying imaginary evils of their own crea-
ton that may grow out of the "secret"
feature OF grangerism. Mr.. Wright of
Iowa has introduced into the United States
Senate a petition to disqualify grangers
from holding Office under the government,
and in places societies are Icing formed for
much the same purpose. Now the secret
feature is one of the most beautiful charms
of this new mode Of country life. 1t is a
powerfully cohesive element, for through
this means patrons can utilizeto their own
advantage the benefits for which the order
was created. The brotherhood supports
the weak and assists the needy. The af-
ficted find relief, comfort and hope. The
grange devises means to increase the ma
terial property Of the healthy, and relieve
the wants of the sick and unfortunate. If
deeds of charity, benevolence, and the
preservation of good neighborhood; in
creasing the domestic happiness of fami-
lies by elevating their condition; is the
machination of the evil one, then the
grangers are dangerous body of men, for
this is the true theory of grange life. No
scheme of social existence has ever been
devised SO free from the elements of mis-
chief, or so regnant with the elements of
good as the order Of the P. OF H.
Tie soil is the source from whence we
derive all that constitutes wealth !; without
it we would have no agriculture, no man-
ufactures, no commerce. = g The art Of
agriculture is the finest and foremost Of all
arts, and its products the foundation Of all
wealth
q These are the men /; the men who pro-
duce 81 the wealth of.the nation, and With
ont whore labor the country would be;
ban krupt in il : single day, tho are g sbe.
fanchised g dsnati tional lized, by cont smpt-