Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-05-28
THE IOWA VOTER.
National Grange.

HUNT, AgIiSuiSubai euioi va tus
6,kaloosa Herald, and a practical
f..suer, says: We do not discuss
matters pertaining to the Grange
.rotnany controversial spirit; butfoi
De purpose Of arriving at the truth,
lasre are very many things in the
Platform OF the National Grange
will, which our readers are all doubt.
less familiar that commend them
selves 70 the consideration OF every
working man, things In themselves
intrinsical!y right. Among these
things we allude to are such utter.
auces rs these: $40 develop a better
md hi. her manhood and woman.
hood among ourselves; TO enhance
the comforts and attractions Of our
tones and strengthen our attach
inents 10 our pursuits; to stimulate
each other to labor; we shall earn
c,liy endeavor to suppress personal,
Local, sectional and national preju'
,iiccs, all unhealthy rivalry, all sell
it.li ambition; We emphaticaily and
sincerely repeat the oft repeated
ruth taught In our organic law, that
Tho Grange, National, State or subor-
,linale--is not Il political or party or
slnization. No grange, il true to its
obligations, mark the word obliga'
tions) can discuss political or relig.
i,ls questions, or call political con-
sersations, tmark the express
.ion) nor nominate candidates, lob.
aerye) nor discuss their merits in
their meetings. This all looks
plausible and right, and II adhered
80 would bo right; but has it been
We will let the history of the past
year answer. But the 9th article OF
tie platform reads thus; "By the
nature Of our organization, 1t being
peculiarly a farmers institution, we
iunnot admit all TO our ranks" etc.
Why not? The. political parties OF
,llc past and present did not refuse
20 admit "all to their ranks" and
we're and are glad to do so. Why
should n "farmers' institution" be
my inore secret than any other or
funiMllon intended for the benefit OF
I'll mankind? Why more so than the
Republican, Democratic or any other
political party? THESE do not pre-
tend to say, that "by the nature Of
organization, we cannot
admit all to our ranks" while on
the contrary they are eager to admit
I'll. 1t Is true, political parties do
sometimes have secrets In the man
agcnicnt Of their interests, so do fam
ilies but there Is "A very material
difference between having some Sc
rrpts, and being n secret organization
- which all cannot be admitted. We
hpHeeef, have no special quarrel
with the secrecy Of the order, pro-
vidcd the membership would adhere
strictly to their platform, to exclude
politics. OF course an outsider can.
not say positively that this rule is
violated; but coming events cast
their shadows before" We heard "A
granger say last summer, that unless
the graugers nominated ticket he
would not vote. lie did vote. What
y the inevitable inference? That the
grangers did nominate II ticket, and
the whole history of the canvass and
lis results proves the facts. This IL
what we call a secret political organi-
cation, one Of its objects being, MS
facts have clearly shown, to control
the political interests Of the country,
at the same time excluding from III
councils Il large portion OF the voting
population of the country. We feel
confident, that so far as many of the
present membership Of the order are
concerned, they were actuated by the
tnrest motives In uniting with 1t,
believing il to be what was repre-.
scented, for the best interests of the
industrial classes; but we now think
that those who were the authors OF 1t
had an eye to political rreferment
from the very start. Such an order
os it was first represented to be,
would be OF incalculable benefit to
The farmer, and might have been
lnnde means Of much good
hut the perversion into the cess-pool
III politics has, we fear, destroyed all
III its usefulness.
EarUler,E True sHnk