Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-02-13
The National Grange.

Inc Natlonai orange OF the rat
rons Of Husbandry has been in ses-
sion this week in St. Louis. Rep
resentatiye, as it is, Of over mill
ion farmers, and celebrating upon
subjects of great Importance to the
entire agriculture interests of the
country, it has attracted a large share
ofpublic interest and attention. Be-
low We give the Geographic sum-
mary Of the resolutions adopted on
Wednesday. 1t IS with some salts
faction that we find in the reference
to political action by the order, the
precise definition Of the political
duty of a member of the Grange,
given by the BULLETIN in its very
first editorial -allusion to the order,
and reiterated again and again;
namely, that lie should "do all in
his power, legitimately, to influence
for good the action of any political
party to schich he beiongs;: to do
all that he can IN his oscn 31arty to
put down bribery, corruption and
trickery, and to see that none but
competent, faithful and honest men,
who will untlinchingly stand by
our industrial interests, are NOM
mated for all positions Of trust"
We have always contended that if
every Granger would do this there
would be no necessity for new
party, and the National Grange
seems to be Of the same opinion:
The resolutions are long and set
forth in detail the objects and aims
of the Patrons ofHusbandry, as they
have been heretofore proclaimed in
grange conventions and through the
press, and the essential points which
are embodied in the following ex-
tract from one of the resolutions:
'To developc better and higher
manhood and womanhood among
ourselves; to enhance the comforts
and attractions Of our homes; to
strengthen our attachments to onr
own pursuits; to foster our mutual
understanding and cooperation; to
reduce our expenses both indivIdu-
al and cooperative; to buy less and
produce more in order to make our
farms selt-supportisg; to diversity
our crops, and to plant no more
than we can cultivate; to condense
the weight of our exports, in selling
less in the bushcl and more IN the
hoof and IN the fleece; to systemic
our work, and calculate intelligent
ly on probabilities; to discontinue
the credit system, mortgage system
fashion system and every system
tending to prodigality and bankrupt
cy.''
The resolutions further desire to
bring farmers and manufacturers
into more direct relations by dis.
pensing with middle-men; THAI they
urge no warfare on other interests
but on the contrary their efforts
tend to the benefit Of all classes;
that they recognize the necessity
and benefits OF transportation facil
tiles and favor their increase, and
especially favor the improvement OF
national channels of commerce; de-
nounco communism and agrarian-
ism as foreign TO the objects of their
Order; rei,eratc opposition to exact
ing monopolies and the expressions
of capital, and desire that the an
tagonism between capital and labor
should be removed; oppose high sal
aries and high rates of interest, and
exhorbitant tariffs. a
The fifth resolution is as follows:
We emphatically and sincerely as
sert the truth taught in organic law
that the grange, national, State or
subordinate, is not political or
party organic alton. No grange, if
true to it's obligation, can discuss
political or religious questions, nor
call political conventions, nor nom-