Omaha daily bee., 1874-06-12
The Master Of the State Grange
is Interviewed by q Bee
Reporter.
The Position of the Changers in
regard to Politics.
What Mr. Porter thinks of DR..
Johuson's Air Castles, THE
Cooperative Union" end
his other Political
Schemes.

William Is. Porter, Oh Tlatlsiiou'',
Master of Nebraska State Grange,
while in this city Wednesday,
paid a visit to the BEE hive, where
he witnessed with pleasure the
workings of the sons of toll. ABEE
reporter took advantage of the OPP
portunity thus afforded of inter
viewing him, and flung some con-
undrums at him, which he answered
without any hesitancy whatever.
The substance of the interview was
as follows:
Reporter-How are the Changers
flourishing throughout the State?
Grand Master P0rter-MOst sats
isfactorily harmony everywhere
prevails, and the ends for which the
organization was formed are grad
ually and surely being attained.
RepOrter-What is the position of
the Changers with reference to poll
tics?
Mr.. PbrterLI do not take any in
terest in politics myself, and l can
assure you the Changers of Ne
braska do not intend to enter into
politics in any way.
Reporter-You have heard of ID.
Johnson, his ~air-castle building
schemes, and his cooperative
union lodges. What do you think
of him and his outfit?
Mr.. P0rter-Yes, / have heard of
him and his followers. care moth
ing for them whatever, and will not
pay any attention to them. l do
not wish the Changers to mix up
with any such organization. Secret
political societies have ever proved
a failure, and they will never be
successful.
Reporter-Wha t would be the
effect on the Grangersif they should
enter into politics?
Mr.. Pbrter-NOthing would break
them up quicker than political agi-
tation, or participation in political
matters.
Reporter-What is your opinion
of DIR. Johnson's a~ir-castles, that
, have since taken q tumble?
M. Porter-I heard of them last
year, but they have passed away
but the same crowd have gotten up
something new-"The Cooperative
Union of the Industrial Classes
&c. / do not think it worth while
to enter into any controversy with
them, as they are a political organi
cation, which fact will account fol
its rapidly approaching death.
/ do not believe in the promis
Gus mixing up of all kinds of ele
r ments-farmers, lawyers, salooI
keepers, mechanics, and politica
bummers and wire-pullers-as the!
cannot harmonic under anycircum
stances. The Changers are yer,
particular I'm regard to the class O
men whom they admit to their or
, ~ganization. ANY organization tina
| admits every class Of men in the be
ginning, would be the same In TIN
end.
; Reporter-Do the Changers in
tend, in any way, to form an indie
pendent political party, as it ha
often been intimated?
|. Mr.. Porter-The Changers hav,
the right as citizens to exercise tnei
t individual political privileges; bu
they do not propose to get up :
third party, or bind themselves t.
either of the present parties. Tha
is entirely out Of the question a!
the Changers did not organize foI
political purposes.
Thus ended this satisfactory in
terview with Mr.. Porter, the chic
Granger of the State. 1t will b,
seen that he has answered som,
very pointed and important inter
r%ogations, and thus set at rest tn.
many questions that have beer
agitating the public mind.