Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-08-31
The Grange Meeting ut Hamilton.


The Grange Meeting at Hamilton.
HAMILTON, Va, August IS Maj. J. Mort
kigour once remarked that Hamilton never
failed il picnic, but the Mayor made the as.
sertion after a series of successful ones, and no
doubt felt that failure was impossible, but
alas Gu the third Of August we were to have
had a grand grange picnic, which was post
pOned until to-day on account OF rain, aud just
10 think it had to rain again to-day and we
have TO record another failure. The extra train
from Alexandria, which arrived about half past
ten a. H., brought up about dozen of the 10
Initiated, the most Of them, we believe, living in
this section aud on their return from the meet
Ing OF the district grange 10 your city. Bad as
the weather was, however, there were several
families who braVed the mud and the rain 10
their devotion to the cause, and the Masonic
Hall, to which they adjourned, was we'll filled
Speeches were made by COL Fcathcrstonc, Mr.
Amber and Col. Rulho. The speeches might
have been considered good had the gentlemen
been allowed TO tell what they knew, but when
a speaker every time he gets into an argument
suddenly in the middle or anywhere before he
| could tell you SO and SO, or it won't 10 to say
L
Convince you, it is too much like proving q
pudding by-ehcwiug the bag" The gentleman
from Louisa told some good anecdotes, drink
ing the meanwhile queer colored water from
tumblcr on the table before him, which your
correspondent was at some trouble to account
for until he saw brother take pint bottle
with screw top) from his satchel and rcrlcn-
lsh the glass. The next speaker, we thought
spoke complainingly Of his treatment when he
discovered that his < ass contained the unadul
tcratcd Adams ale,' but the old gentleman
who preceded him informed him that each
man was expected to color his own water"
which does not look much like cooperation.
We do not think the result Of to day proceed
ings will be Of much benefit in advancing the
lntcrcS. OF the grange movement 10 the county.
Nor, indeed, eau We after listening carefully to
the different speeches express ourselves az sat
shcd that any great good to the farming COM
munity is 10 grow out of it. All the good that
Was promised was on conditions that each man
acted fairly and honestly, kept his pledge to
the letter, and obcycd the instructions of the
Master. Now We think when that state Of
things arrives the millennium will bavc come
and VIC will have no need of oranges One
piece Of advice to the lodges was for them to
combine upon certain kinds Of farming nipple
ments aud fertilizers, although by SO doing
they might have to abandon good article
Now we can't see how man is to be benefited
ty saving fifty per cent in the cost of an article
that may prove Of no value whatever to him.
Another idea that struck me was that if the
grange movement is generally adopted By the
farmers our communities will be divided into
two parties, the granger and the anti-granger,
and each in interests will be arraycd against
the other. So far as doing away with middle
mcn | see nothing in any Of their talk that is
likely to lead to such result. They only pro-
pose to make member o" their order The mid.
die man and obligatc themselves to patrouzc
him, while if established in a community OF
commission mcn be will, Of course, be bound
D. such regulations as regards the conduct of
his business as others of the same class, and
will be able by reason of their cooperation to
do large business. Que ct the speakers pro-
posed to control legislation through the order
and thereby advance the prosperity of Virginia,
and limited that the position of our Senatorial
candidates OF questions of interest to the order
should be the test 10 the convention. So it
may be we'll for the various aspirants to be
careful how they express themselves, for an
organization that has grown to the proportions
that this has assumed 10 an existence OF eigh
teen mouths might be dangerous thing to run
against. The above was the last argument used
10 favor of the grange and the good it is &C
complishing, and after hearing it We could not
keep the story of "Jonah's gourd" out of our
mind. The meeting 10 the language of the
Master, who presided, got thrc Ugh about
four p. M, when there was a rush for home
As the crowd was dispensing it was announced
that either the district w nj or denutv we'll