The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-09

One Of the most common objections
urged against the Patrons of Husbandry
is the secrecy and exclusiveness of our
order. Our opponents find fault that We
confine the order wholly to agriculture
lists, and argue that it would be to our
advantage to admit other classes who
have greater abilities, with whom Ne
might counsel and advise. Lawyers aud
editors are especially recommended to us
as advantageous associates. Your troub-
lers say these people are political and
legal, and for correctness you will have
to consult with those who have made
politics and law their especial studies;
hence lawyers and editors are essential
elements in your Order if you propose to
accomplish anything. You would also
advance your interests, they tell us, by
admitting merchants and bankers, who
would keep you posted about commercial
and financial matters.
10 one who has given the subject only
a superficial examination, these may
seem conclusive arguments in favor Of
opening the doors of the Oranges to the
public generally but it is we'll for us
that the founders of our Order were not
misled by such talk that they had the
sagacity to foresee that the injury which
might follow the admission Of those of
other occupations into our Order would
be likely to far exceed the benefits that
would result from their association with
us. 1t is true that lawyers ought to be
compete to give beneficial. advice touch
ing legal matters to the farming commu-
nifty; but it is not true that it is neces-
sary to admit them to the Grange to
enable them to do so. Nor is it probable
that such admission would make them
any more likely to do so They have
long known what the farmers complained
Of; tSey have heard our denunciations of
the extortions of transportation compa-
MES, of the opp essions of the protec-
tive tariff; of the evils growing out of
our system of patent laws, and of the
general injurious tendencies of class leg
is]ation upon our welfare: but never yet
have they sought to point out a remedy
for these evils On the contrary, as a
class they have hindered us from finding
and applying remedy. When the far
mers began their moven ent of resist.
ancc against railroad extortions, the
entire legal fraternity, almost with
out exception, and I might say
almost the entire editorial fraternity,
told us that we had no remedy; that we
must submit to the injustice, that the
charters Of the company were perpetual
contracts and invested them with rights
and privileges superior to the legislative
power of the government. So, too, Of our
commercial, financial and patent law
grievances. Lawyers and editors are
more apt to oppose than favor the appli-
cation Of remedies and for a very good
reason the railroad companies, manu-
features and merchants, are far better
customers than the farmers can possibly
become; and therefore they receive more
attention and greater Difference to their
wishes than farmers can hope for. Had
the members of these professions been
generally admitted to our order instead
of aiding us they would most probably
have sought to use US to further their
own interests, and their selfish instincts
would naturally have led them to sscri-
fee us for the sake of those from whose
patronage they derived greater gain. By
excluding all such men our Order has
been generally kept clear of disturbing
influences, and we have been enabled to
proceed tremendously in the work of adj
vancing our own interests as class, and
thereby promoting the happiness of the
entire community. Being the producers
of the wealth Of the nation the prosper
ity Of the nation necessarily depends
mainly upon us. If we are prosperous
those of other caliings generally must be
lifted by us into prosperity. Our fullness
becomes as it we're an increasing of the
foundations upon which the entire fabric
rests and as we grow we lift the whole
structure into higher degree ofprosper-
ity. Instead Of injuring US the secrecy
and exclusiveness, u our Order have been
our greatest advantage. True they de-
prived US of the good association of many
worthy people; and the secrecy has kept
away large body If agriculturists who
would willingly join and cooperate with
our Order did their church discipline not
forbid their joining of secret societies
But the injuries resulting from these
rules becomes insignificant when compar-
ed with the advantages they have con-
ferred.
That our Order has accomplished =
great deal none will deny. We have
overthrown the perpetual contract and
and vested rights. theory Of the corpora
tons and made the principle that rail-
road companies are subject to gov
ernmental control to be generally
acknowledged we have stcuck the pro-
tectionists' high-tariff doctrine a. blow
from witch it cannot recover. We have,
in fact, about given quietus to class leg
islation. We have forced bad men from
high positions in our order and left them
to be forever disgraced by those who