Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-05-14

The state Grange Trouble.
For months trouble has been brew
ing in the Iowa State Grange. The
money, Ii seems, is being handled
by ring" and thousands of dollars
"wrung from theoppressed farmers"
disappear mysteriously, while the
Anti Monopoly press-the special
friends organs of the farmers and
the Grange, are mute as stones--dare
not probe the sore and let their
readers know the true state of the
case. The Changers are in restless
suspense, muttering and indignant,
and yet they wait in vain for the
publication of such an exhibit Of the
financial condition of the State
Grange Treasury, rs they have a right
to demand. They want to know
what is being done with their money,
but the members of the ring keep
their own councils, and offer no ex-
planation. The party Journals keep
up their accustomed bowling about
"Radical corruption," aud wax loud
in exclamations Of virtuous horror
over every rumor of wrong. In order
tp divert attention from the difficulty
In their own household, and drown
the cry for investigation.
The agricultural editor Of the State
Register, farmer and prominent
Granger, has the nerve and honest
purpose to expose the wrongs in the
household SO far as he can find the
facts, but he cannot smoke out the
men who have their fingers upon
the funds. And now we find In the
Chicago Journal letter from Des
Muines showing briefly the causes of
complaint. 1t will he interesting to
those OF our readers who are not nj.
ready acquainted with the facts re-
cited:
1t is not improbable that the per-
sistent grumbiing and questioning
which is going on among the tax
payers to the State Grange will pro-
woke an investigation into the affairs
of that body. That il has got into
the hands of ring, there can be- but
little question, and that they are
making money out of it, there Is also
no doubt. 1t Is little significant
that on all important committees,
where money Is to be appropriated,
or To be used or expended, Is 10 be
found one or more Of certain class
Of individuals. HID 1t rnHy bG that they
are the best fitted VI any Of the order
to perform these duties, but il smacks
little Of pipe-laysng when we see
these names 50 regularly In these
places. That little thinIble-rigging
trick of taking $1,000 set apart for
the homesteaders, To pay the State
Grange debt, will have to be ex-
planned.
Again in February, 1878, the State
Grange meeting consisted OF 800
members, and IL cost $4,000 to pay
them. In December Of the same
year the convention consisted OF 500
members, and the reports show that
III Cost tie sdlfic h- III TtuIudly II
will have To be explained.
Your correspondent recOllects that
he received severe rebuke from the
indignant ring, because during the
convention he telegraphed to the
JotH7tat that certain financial report
had been submitted and adopted with
out, and that In some way IL got into
the extra" which was printed daily
for the convention, and OH being dis.
covered by one Of the ring, the whole
edition was burned. This report
was that Of committee appointed to
visit Washington to investigate cer-
tain financial transactions. 1t made
it's report but the ring would not al.
low 1t to be read.
The Grange then adopted n resoln-
tion that nothing should be omitted
OF the transactions of the Grange
from its pamphlet Of proceedings.
Well, the pamphlet is issued, but this
report does not appear ~ all. The
farmers Of Iowa may be fools enough
to be thus hoodwinked and bled for
the benefit of - few avaricious men,
for time, but / do not believe they
will long.
The fact is. there Is corruption at
work in this organization in this
State, and somebody is prostituting
il to the greed Of money and polit-
ical office. Time will certainly prove
my statements true.