Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-09-10

The Knoxville Journal (Marion Coz
speaking of Grand Master Adams in.
junction to oranges to keep clear of
partisan politics, says:
Oranges in this county did last fall
so far forget their constitutional ob-
legations as to take part in partisan
politics." and readily became political
clubs. Some of their high officials
devoted nearly their whole time to
political wire pulling and log-rolling.
The order nominated ticket, and as
an order stood by that ticket, called it
a grange ticket, and succeeded in
elccting it. Grand Master Adams and
State Master Smedley knew these
things and winked at them. Did they
or either of them promptly apply
the correction 2" What arrant hum
bug is this pretense that the grange is
not political machine! 1t may do to
stuff the wolverines with such bosh,
but don't tell it here. Every granger
elected to office in this county last fall
knows he owes his election to the vi
olation by the oranges Of their "con-
stitutional obligations by taking part
in partisan politics." The candidates
this year cxpec election, if at all, at
The cost of similar violations. And
this party expects people to take its
professions for truth when it promises
to reduce salaries, and tells us that it
rcpudhtes the doctrine that "to the
victors belong The spoils."
We have no doubt, from what we
have heard of the oranges action In
Marion county last fall, that the Jour
nal is right in making its charge of
political action by the grange. Itwas
totally and radically wrong. If per-
sisted in by the oranges of any coun-
ty it will, in time, utterly destroy the
good growing out of the order. No
party in the world can have more than
a brief cphemeral life which is sus.
tanned by secret organization. 1t is
most cmincntly for the good of the
country that such party should not
live. Such political organization be.
comes doubly hurtful when it is, in the
main, composed of one class of peo-
pie. We know, however, that within
our own acquaintance with the grange,
that in this county. with but few ex-
ceptions, the republican grangers dep
rccate as much as we do, political &C.
ton by the oranges, and as we have
before done, we again thank them for
the fair and manly stand they took
upon this subject. We were always
aware, however, that there were many
old democrats in the grange, and here
and there dissatisfied republican,
who sought with all their power to
make political machine out of the
grange to break down and overthrow
the republican party. 1t is not strange
that late rebels or late rebel sympa-
thizcrs should do this. We confess,
however, that it is strange how late
republicans seek such association, in the
proportion say Of twenty of the form
or to one of the latter, for the purpose
of so-called reform. Not to be mis-.
understood, however, we will add that
there are those ex-republicans, who,
Immediately following their apostacy,
are found seeking Office among their
new made friends, and generally they
get awful mad and feel awfully disap-
pointed if they don't get it. The rea-
son that these chaps suddenly think
their old associates so very corrupt is
very plain. The fact is, last year the
democracy and their office.seeking
allies, made quite bold dash for VIC
tory in this State, but this year thous-
ands see the folly of their course, and
will gladly make amends at the com.
| ing election.