Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-01-30
Trouble In the Grange.

The Order OF Patrons Of Husband
ry is not destined, any more thar
other institutions composed Of mer
with human passions, to an uninter
rupted career of harmony and union
A speck ofdisorganization has man
ifested itself in the recent action Of
Marion Grange, No. SOL, Of Hamil'
ton county, Iowa, which recently
passed the following resolutions:
Resolued, That the so-called "Nation
al Grange of Patrons of Husbandry" is a
self constituted body of men, claiming
and exercising autocratic powers of gov
eminent over the members Of the Order
contrary to the true interests and repub'
lican spirit ola free and independent class
of people.
Resolred, That the Iowa State Grange,
though pretending to be more popular
body, is characterized by the same auto
cratic organization and assumption OF
power whose features are always obnOx.
ious and intolerably offensive to freedom
of the people.
Grange No. 391, IN the Order Of Patrons
of Husbandry, is history Of repeated
wrongs, frauds and insults inflicted upon
it by those claiming and exercising the
highest authority, and ofinsolent assump-
tions, as we'll as high-handed usurpations
dating from its first organization, when it
was swindled by a State deputy, up to the
late attempted imposture by the State
Master himself.
Resolped, That the members Of Marion
Grange conclude from experience and re-
Election, that farmers can combine and
perfect an organization for their benefit
like the Farmers Association of Illinois,
for instance, more effective than that Of
the Patrons of Husbandry, which shall
possess fundamental laws moro in harmo-
ny with the genius Of our republican in
situations, and which can be maintained
at a greatly reduced cost; in short, that
farmers can get along much better with
out than with the present extravagant,
nretentious and vicious government Of
the Order.
The above resolutions being unac-
companied by specific statement
of grievances, it is, Of course, i'm
possible to determine the justice of
the complaint. The general charges
of fraud, i'm posture, and swindling
would be startling, even were they
not expressed with such vigor OF
denunciation. But this very vehe-
mence warrants US in the suppose
ton that they may be the result Of
a momentary ebullition OF feeling,
rather than the cool, deliberate
judgment of the Grange responsible
for them. If this should be so, it
will not be the FIRST time that the
organization, under the impulses OF
iniudicious and hot-headed mem
bers, has been led to the passage OF
very injudicious and foolish resolu'
tons, and the denunciation and as
persion of the motives of men whose
honesty and integrity no man would
question in his right mind. What
ever is the trouble in the Hamilton
county Grange, it is not improba
BILE that the introduction Of politics
has something to do with it; and,
although this particular inciden,
may make scarcely a ripple upon
the placid course of the order, j,
may be well to note and profit by
it, as a warning of the possibili'
ties of anarchy and disorder result.
ing from the schemes of dema.
gogues and placemcn who have es-
tablished themselves within the
portals of the Grange, to use it for
their selfish ends.