The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-12-08

The total number of oranges in cXiS
tence in 1874 was 81 1888.
The receipts Of the National Grange
for 1878 were 1929 ,G53, and the cXpendi
lures SlS0,995. 1t is estimated that the
Patrons have SIS, S,0O0, 900 cash capital ia,
vested in their various enterprises
which include railroad and steamboat
lines, banks, fire and life insuranc,
companies, cotton gins and mills, pack
ing houses, Touring mills, elevators
grain warehouses, machinery mauutac-
tories, shipping associations, foundries,
tanneries, cheese factories, etc.
The correspondent says:
Among the rank and file q powerful
reform movement has been initiated,
whose objects are as follows:
Limitation of the power of the high
er oranges, reduction Of dues and fees,
and the return to members Of all dan
gerous surpluses; abolition of the high
er degrees, or their throwing open to all
members; simplification of the ritual
There are some men in the order, like
the Grand Master, Adams, and Master
Allen of Missouri, who desire to make
the most Of their class privileges, and TO
coerce into silence and submission all
people and papers that do not think and
say precisely what they wish. They
have set themselves against the people,
and will be smashed. The order is al
tl-Amerlcan in its constitution. Thus
the National Grange was first made up
of some government clerks at Washing
ton, and, as the order widened, the
same little ring kept itself in the place
to which it had elected itself. The last
dodge was, when too many elective
and representative members began to
get into the National Grange, to create
Senate Seventh Degree Of Ceres. }
1hus when i member Of the ring was
repudiated and retired from the Nation
al Grange, instead Of stepping down
and ont, he stepped up and in, becom-
ing member of the Senate, without
whose approval the action of the Ma
tlonal Grange was void. This was COM
ing 1t a little too strong even for the
simple and long suffering American
farmer, and now the reformers insist
that all degrees above the fourth lthe
equivalent of Master Mason) be abol-
ished, or thrown open, SO that any
member OF the order will be eligible to
any office and can attend any of its de-
!lberatlons. This they will surely carry.
Last year the State oranges almost
h"''ithouoiS iSJeCtcu q very CHEEKY
amendment proposing to make certain
founders members Of the National
Grange for life; and so strong is the
feeling that Master Allen, of Missouri,
the hottest advocate of Granger aristoc-
racy, has been instructed by his grange
to vote for grange reform. The dues
and fees will also be reduced and the
surplus returned, so that the Grange
will have no dangerous funds on hand.
No simplification Of the ritual is expect
ed at present, but ultimately there will
he but one degree in the order, the fea-
turc of secrecy-which shuts out the
Catholics, Baptists, Quakcrs, and all
who are conscientiously opposed to
membership in secret socictlcs-re-
moved, and the grange practically re-
solved into series Of indipehJcnt
country cooperative organizations, hav-
ing State Grange merely for consulta-
ton and uniformity, and a National
Grange, wholly inexpensive, and limi-
ted in its functions to being a mere bu.
ceau of record. Indeed, plans for indc-
pendent and simplitied oranges have
already beef made public in Michigan.