Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-02-12

stitution prohibits them, and the
Master who respects the solemn OBJ
legation Of his installation must stu
diously exclude them. III it We're
any part Of the design of the Order
to control political questions, or to
influence in any manner either local,
state or national elections, the consti-
tutional prohibitions would have
been stricken out and Masters Of
Oranges would have been very diff
ferently obligated. AS you trulyre-
mark in your pointed comments on
Sl,erman's" letter, "politics is
weakness Whenever any secret
order, church, or an institution of
learning has permitted politics to
come into thAr doors, or has in any
manner attempted ditrect the po-
litical tendencies of its membership,
discord, confusion, and finally dis
ruption, has been the universal re-
suit. This is inevitable, and if we
value our Order and desire to reap
it's benefits through an indefinite flu
ture, we must avail ourselves
of the experiences of other
bodies and avoid their mistakes. The
fact is, the average American citizen
is poor material for slave; he will
not allow his judgment to be fixed
up for him, nor his actions and tho't
to be dictated to him. His actions
must be the result Of his mature and
untrammeled deliberation, and must
have the approval of his judgment
and conscience. He cannot be driven
into associations politically with
those against whom his finer and
better feelings have turned with
loathing, much less will he submit
to the dictation of such or assist in
their elevation to political distinct
ion. And the Order that tries to
force its membership to do this, will
sooner or later meet the fate it de-
serves.
Fellow Patrons of Jasper county:
already the work of disintegration
has commenced in our ranks. In an
adjoining township, one of the most
intelligent of our members has felt
the yoke of political oppression gall
ing upon his neck and has withdrawn
from the Order which he was told
that he could not serve and at the
same time be Republican. In our
Grange, where the large preponder-
ance Of political sentiment is Repub-
lican, the question of political prin-
ciples of applicants for membership
are never questioned. But in Grang-
es where the opposite political party
has majority, just the reverse of
this happy state of affairs exists, and
Masters are elected who deliberately
violate their obligations, and the
Grange becomes caucus Of "black
spirits and brown" to devise means
to snatch the offices from Republi-
cans and place them in the hands of
those who have not been trusted or
trustworthy, since the flag on Fort
Sumpter was fired upon. And to
such unity of purpose do this class
Of Oranges work-as though opera
ted by some master dictation-that
they have obtained all the places of
honor in the County Council, and
both of the Grand Master Deputy
ships in the county. / do not say
that these selected favorites are not
capable of filling their positions; l
only ask, is all the wisdom and in
tegrity Of the Order in this county
bound up in the minority who vote
the Autobiography ticket, or Is 1t
not barely possible that in the ranks
of the Republican majority might be
found few men who with a little
practice might learn to fill some Of
these stations with a fair degree Of
satisfaction Political tests as quail
fication for place in the Order should
in no case be permitted, and the
strange coincidence which has result
ed in the choice of all Democrats for
desirable places in the Order, Is to be
regretted. 1t looks to be part of a
grand political programme which
Democratic leaders have made up for
the year, the success Of which VIII
not only be disaster to the Order,
but also to the country at large. These
are my sentiments, and speak them
plainly, because where the GOOD of
the Order" is at stake, there should
be no sentimental mincing. l hope
members will be free in the express
ion of their opinions on this ques-
ton, as ii ia one that affects us all,