Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-03-06
THE GRANGERS,
Secretary Currey on the Growth Of the
Ord0r In Tennessee-An Encoura.
ging Outlook for 1875.

Secretary Currey on the Growth Of til
0rdor In Tennessee-An Eneoura-
; ging Outlook for 1875.
b The following extract is from tn
y annual report of Secretary John b
, Currey to the Stete Grange of Tennes
see Patrons of Husbandry:
GROWTH OF THE ORDER.
! Since the establishment of the Orde
of Patrons of Husbandry, six year
ago the 4th of last December, ther,
have been organized in .he United
} States fully $1,000 Subordinate and q
State Oranges, with membership o
over million persons.
During the years 1873 and 1874
over 1000 Oranges have been estab-
lished in Tennessee, and 1,050 are now
actively at work.
According to sec. 4, Art. VII of the
Constitution of the National Grange,
| have made four reports during the
past year to the Secretary of the
National Grange, showing the whole
number in the State to be as follows
For the quarter ending March 81, '74lO,lg7
June 30, 74--.25, $50
"a Sept. 81, '74-.-S2. .57S
/ Dec. 81, 7i-.-.d, $50
To the number contained in the re-
port for December Ito arrive at the
full membership in the State at pres
ent) we must add the strength of those
Oranges that have been organized
since September, from which no re-
port has been received and from which
none is due, and we have a solid men,
bership in Tennessee of at least sc, ,0s0
/ persons.
My observation in other Orders
leads me to anticipate, during the
coming year, decrease in the number
of Oranges greater, possibly, than the
number that will be established. This
will not necessarily cause loss in
membership, for the decrease in the
number of Oranges will, to a great
extent, be Oceasioned by consolida-
tions and surrenders of characters
when the members desire to unite with
other Oranges more conveniently To-
Gated for their attendance. Again,
so rapid has been the growth of the
Order, and so exclusively has its
branches been established, that it may
be reasonably expected that large
numbers of them have been planted
where the two objects of the Order
were unknown or being known are not
appreciated. And also in neighbor-
hoods where from local causes it has
ever been found impossible to MAIN
tain a healthy organization of any
kind. Other Oranges may suspend
work because of the ineficiency Of
their officers, the apathy of citizens
and the non-attendance and want OF
interest among the members them
selves. | mention these that you may
be prepared for the reaction, should it
come, and knowing the probable or
true cause thereof, that you may not
be discouraged and abandon the field,
unjustly attributing the experience
that has marked the career of all or
carnations, to a want of merit in the
Order itself. While | would refrain
in the report from making any recon-
mendatiOns, | hope | may be pardoned
for urging upon this body the adOp-
ton of some plan whereby the meet
ings of the subordinate Grange can be
made at all times attractive and profit
able-attractiye by encouraging the
interchange of social and traternal
courtesies neighbor with neighbor
profitable by establishing a proper
order of exercises in the meeting,
whereby all may be taught and en-
couraged to so cultivate and improve
their lands that prosperity will again
crown the tolls of the year.
All that can be accomplished for q
proper and thorough agricultural edu-
cation, and for the success and happi-
ness of the farming population, should
be taught and enforced in the Grange
room. An active interest must be
awakened in those who constitute
the mass of the Order; it must be
kept alive and perpetuated as the
surest means of sustaining and uniting
the Order. All other questions that
occupy so largely the attention of the |
prominent men of the Order should |
be subordinated to the prosperity and |
perpetuity of the subordinate Grange. |
For this secured, all the rest must nat |
urally follow, and from legitimate
causes. How this can be done, your
experience as Masters of subordinate
Oranges will readily suggest, and upon
such we can safely rely for that judic-
iOus legislation so essential to the well
fare and permanency of the Order
| trust, therefore, your deliberations
will partake largely of the considera-
ton of questions that affect the do
mestic concerns of the Husbandman
and Matron.
Sustain and cheer them implant in
their hearts an affection, deep and
abiding, for the Grange; teach them
to bless it and uphold it, or else it will |
languish and die, and with it will fall
to the ground all your vast enterprises,
you cherished schemes of revolution
in the producing and industrial world,
and your fond hopes of agricultural
progress aud power and independence.