American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-07-25
Cruisers SEEEDE.
Correspondence ofHc IHi7-OecGr.1
BUSHNELL, H.. Junc Il, ~.

Your respondent has secured
and resolutions, which were adop-
ted at Il meeting of Good Hope
Grange, No. 1875, held at Good
Hope, this county (Ncnonough) !, on
Saturday. June 20, 1874:
Whereas, The organization ot J..
of II. WAS inaugurated and III cdi-
Gated on Just and correct principles
the elevation of the agricultural
asses of this country-and for the
purpose Of uniting the farmers in
social and friendly bonds, and was
held ont an,' published to the world,
thereby bringing it to the favorable
notice of all good men and well
wi: hers of the race and
Whereas, The principles as pro
mIlgated 10y the L. of H., if strict
ly, or even partially, pracliced,
much good TO the community i'll
which they existed: Yet We, after
IA careful investigations, both of the
interior and exterior workings OF
said order, regard il as our duty,
both to he public ANA to those who
are still connected with the order.
10 declare it. as cur candid opinion,
predIcated upon actual experience
as members working in the order, to
publish and declare to the world
l. That the original principles for
which the organization WAS inStItu-
ted have been entirely overlooked
and ignored. in that the officers
have assumed powers that are ty-
rannical. arbitrary and entirely sub
NerSive of good order in the Tod &c
and i'll the community that the of
ficers composing cur grand or State
organization are not the true rep
reSentatives of the members of the
order selected for that purpose, be
in" eX OtiiciO members of the same:
and also, that the officers of the Ma
ton Grange have arrogatcd to them
Seiv"s-and that, too, under the
workings of the Order-unwarran-
ted and systematic aWtocratic au
thority. ruling as with IL rod of iron.
from whose edictS there is no APP
peal.
>. That large sums of money have
been care now, and in time to Gomez
collected by the several State
oranges and the National Grange,
for which no adequate return has
ever been realized by the individual
members Of the order.
5. And further, there has been,
from time to time, through the
State and other officers of the order,
ii disposition to change thc organi-
zation from its original plan of mu
iual benefits to the members there
of, to that of Il political party,
thereby injuring and destroying all
that was calculated to uni.e and
elevate the community it was de,
signed to benefit.
1T is burGensome and expensive
to the members of the order, with.
out adequate compensation for mon
ey expenses that it is now eneen-
dering a spirit of class Legislation,
mutual diStrust between the agri-
cultural and commercial intercourse
of the land, thereby demOralIzin9
and debasing the standard of rela
TONS the community bears to each
other. And further. that the order,
as ruled by designing men connect
ed Herewith, has been utterly pros
titutcd from its original purpose and
brought into suhjecion to further
their personal and political interests
10 all of which we do most Sin
cerely and cmphaticalIy protest :;
and in view thereof, be it there
fore
Ecsolred, That this grange, No.
l9S, do disband and deliver up all
secret works, tOg.t her with its
charter, to the constituted anthori
ty, and dissolve all relations what
soever, social or political, with the
State Grange of the L. Of III. of the
State of Illinois.
This grange was one of the larg
est in our county, and the above
was adopted almost unanimously
only two negative votes.
The Treasurer of the order reports
the total amount of fees and dues
collected to be 1922, of whit h
amount ai54 found its way to the
State Grange for rrgaIa and ''work-
ing tools, etc" The balance in tie
treasury, $GS, is to be divided
among the members. The working
tools. regalIa, etc, are to be sold by
the Secretary and the proceeds to
be gwen to the Sabbath schools OF
the townships.