Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1875-11-25
BY WORTHY MASTER BRIGHAM REEn


BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE TERRIroH1A Cs,~c
Once more, through the infinite kindness of our Great
Master ABOVE, we are permitted to greet each other ot tMo
altar OF our beloved Order, And although it Is for 10. ' 10 a .e
seeded work, and not mere pleasure. That W. l1 earpeE',
vet, it is my hope and trust. that when we ,a sha nG nave met
pils5hed me iaoors OF this session of our Territr rial { G souam
that aht f ayeatns9 of + a GHr p1a aonaes, we We VIII be Justly entitled to
con y lou IS o. q duty sosn perf,,mel. " - ''
,iy " Of # se We tmy q IL nepte"ioer, 1874, the legal representa-
Nv, n't ~ ~ e1 tem'o Subordinate Oranges of this Territory
men, = li 8 p'..suant to a call from our Worthy National
ritapr:, ~. =. Suti,erin, and organized the Montana Ter
',ra'sas in the Territory therefore, six We're not repre- eTuy
:snssd a.:+ 1t was a busy season OF the year for the farmers
81 montana; ana, feeling they could hardly afford to spare
'he necessary tihne, the work OF organization was hurriedly
Considering the United extent of the Order in our Ter
r1tory. your working officers have had obstacles to over
come ne "a ana q no very light task to o. perform in placing the
organized, and Of course, imperfect in their work: the
means ns, nst. communicating With them, slow and tedious. In
.1erstood and applied, thus causing confusion; and in other
instances, the laws had not been received. But not the
least among the obstacles met, stands the fact of our havino"
to connence with an almost destitute treasury. which has
S Wif,d neen ,o lnaaeg e !. d;yss supplied 4h by a very small revenue;
OF work OF this character, especially, in this part of the
esfs Of our Worthy Secretary, Bro. Q. r. P Purno1ar ' coep-
PEELED him to resign his office on the lst Of November last,
Master of this Grange, and chairman Of the ENecutj we
Committee, | considered ln it my duty to appoint some mem
filled by election. Accordingly. Bro. I'D. McsCamnon.
5!aster OF Fairview Grange, No. -, was selected as Secre-
tary pro. tenn, an act your Executive Committee has since
Bro. McCammoa has proven himself a capable and eff
Gent officer.
| am unable to rcport" to you any extensive or brilliant
work that mas been accomplished, and yet l have great
We are gradually overcoming the obstacles in our way.
we are gaming ~ N ~ bn4o no Of the nature and laws Of
Its principles and purposes. We are improving in order
and discipline, and | hope, yes, 6eliere, we are advancing
Fidelity. UT $500 ~ 0N' "u
One Of our Oranges surrendered its dispensation and was
afterwards re-organized with a change of name and charter
members. But TWO new Oranges have been OrOaniZnl since
oar September meeting. The work OF comforting degrees,
III most of the Oranges, | believe, has been sufficiently rapid
for healthy growth, and u fair percentage has been added to
our membership. We now number twenty-five Oranges,
with q membership Of over eight hundred.
endangered by an erroneous Interpretation Of Art. 18th of
o a@hD s cause; and I | FAMILY tra iy's say to y yoa, / believe iiap ' iapro sny
persons have, in some Instances, sought and obtained
Submission to our halls, both as charter and initiated men,
we have various trades and occupations within our gates,
the Order, and having interests in direct conflict With the
Interests OF the farmer, and the purposes Of the Order.
liable rock upon which our organization may possibly be
dashed to pieces, and [ assure you, we cannot remove it too
soon. The law requires that a person. to be eligible to
membership, 'sshall be engaged in agricultural pursuits and,
have no interests in conflict with our purposes Here are
engaged in agricultural pursuits, y but that is not enough;
they must, also, have no interest in conflict with our pun:
pursuits They, must give their personal attention to the
c4Hieation Of the land, or to the care Of their herds. Com
plant of the lax application Of this law appears in the
annual addresses OF many OF the Masters Of State Oranges.
1t is a mistaken idea that Numbers add strength to the
Grange, unless those numbers are OF the right stamp that
i, unless they are genuine farmers. a Grange composed
4. be with the membership increased to forty by the addition
of ten merchants. II, in such a Grange, a question Of bus
Of the ten merchants, should arise, their united strength
and influence would be arrayed in opposition to the farm
es' interests. More or less Wrangling and confusion would
lie the result. The same would be tie case with all other
conflicting interests; hence, the improperly Of any but the
y farmers interest being represented in the Grange. our
declaration of purposes, our laws, and the whole spirit OF
our Order, all point to the one fact, that ours is exclusively
n turner's association, and must be maintained as such, or
it must prove a failure. Every true Patron should Temem-
Der that the ballot is the means whereby we guard our gates;
Immoral persons should not be admitted to our halls. Moral