The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1875-02-18
THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
A Chapter Of Inside History and how the
Poor Farmer is Benefited.
How Graceful he Ought to Feel About 1t.

How Graceful he Ought to Feel About 1t.
Dubuque Herald
AS is well known the National Grange
Of the order of the Patrons of Husbandry
are now holding their eighth annual ses
sion at Charleston, S. c., commencing on
Wednesday last AT present the order
contains, in round numbers, based upon
the returns for December, 1873, 22,OOO
subordinate oranges, contributing as fol
lows: Missouri, Iowa and Indiana, each
1000; Illinois and Kentucky each 1900;
Kansas 1850; Ohio and Tennessee, each
1,lOO; Texas 500; Georgia 700; Ala.
bama and Mississippi, each $50; Nebras-
ka, 600; Minnesota, Michigan Wisconsin
and Arkansas, each $50 to SIS; North
Carolina, 400; Virginia and Pennsylvania
eech 400; South Carolina, 1926; New
York, 275; California, $50; Louisiana,
210; the remaining oranges layingin Ore.
gon, Vermont, West Virginia, Maryland
Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, Massachu
sets, Washington territory, Dakota, Maine
New Hampshire, Canada, Montana, Della.
ware, Idaho, the Indian Territory, Nevada
and Connecticut. AT reasonable esti
mate, this would give membership, male
and female, of 100000.
Railroad combinations and manufactu.
ring monopolies were theimmediate agents
that called the grange into existence, and
it was with the popular cry of putting
down these that the order swept the
northwest in 1878 like prairie fire. For
atime everything moved along, ,swimmingly
but at last something like fraud and cor.
ruption began to creep into the grange un
til the original aims of the order have
been prostituted for purposes of plunder
and now the painful spectacle is present
ed Of rings within rings; of oranges sece.
ding from the parent stem, and dues and
other obligations repudiated until the
whole structure, which promised SO much
and which was to work out the political
and financial salvation of the farmer, bids
fair to topple over with its own weight
and come down on the earth with a crash
Precisely what the National Grange ex
poets to accomplish, it is not easy to de-
termine, but in view of the fact that two
thirds of the Patrons refuse to contribute
funds for the benefit of the Sidewalk
Patrons" it is reasonable to infer that
nothing very important will be accomplish
ed. Waukon, Iowa, sends the master in
the person of Dudley w. Adams, while 4
r. Shankland, Dubuque, is member OF
the executive committee. 1t is stated
that Mr.. Adams never was master OF
a subordinate grange, and consequently
never entitled to a seat in the State
Grange, whence he stepped to the Nation
al Grange, being succeeded by Mr. Shank
land. Further, Mr.. Adams, master and
supreme controller of 1,55O,OOO farmers
never was even farmer. The Waukon
Standard, published in the town where
he lives, says plainly that he is the senior
partner of Adams & Hale, from which
the major part of the income is derived
thus rendering him ineligible even to the
membership, according to the ruling OF
Master Colder, of Illinois. Beyond this,
he was a nurseryman, and during his
residence in Waukon, had not owned a
horse or cow"
1t is also declared that the Washington
and Iowa ring control theentire machinery
of the National Grange, and their handi.
work is so manifest in procuring salaried
sinecures that Mr.. Charles w. Greene
formerly of the National Crop Reporter
comes out with bitter TRADE against the
special deputy system, and declares that
newspaper canvassers, insurance agents
small politicians, and commission dealers
were bought up with the commissions
that give them the liberty to travel on
their own business, draw custom and at
tention to themselves, and "charge the
Grange five dollars day for expenses
This is rather plain talk, and would seem
to indicate lack of harmony among the
brethren. The financial outlook is also
discouraging. The correspondent of the
Chicago Times in writing of this subject
says:
The receipts for the year ending Decem
Der 81, 1872, were $2O,9Os.s9. The ex
penditures were "for printing, binding
stationery, and books" $5,67O.IO; furni
ture, rent, etc." $2,24999;
TO MR.. KELLEY,
for salaries for himself and friends, Sl2.
98172 Mr. Kelley's share was$I1,86O33
The grange voted itself hotel bills, mileage
gave Sister Kelley $50 for cher kindnes.
in entertaining the members" and order
ed that whenever an ''unappropriated" :
the word is good-balance of $1,000
should be in the treasury, it should be Civ
en- to Brother Saunders. Brother Saun
ders got the money soon after. ] pass
over these accounts rapidly, because there
wasn't money enough in the treasury tc
make it interesting.
Last year the total receipts were
$132,15l2S.
OF this $529.74 were in dues, and 1868
n from the sale of manuels, etc. With
100000 in bonds and cash balance OF
$4,000, the receipts from interest were
only $7IO.s3. The big haul was made
by the sale of 1921 dispensations at SIS
$l2O,315.
Generally, let me say that Mr.. Kelley
official report shows that there were 1862
oranges, January lst, 1872, and 1OO29
December 3lst, same year, an increase oi
8,887 granges-not 1921. This make.
$500 short, but in National Grange tha,
makes no matter
Again, the financial" statement of tht
grange shows payments for the year Of
$123,S9S 21. The treasurer claims thai
he and the secretary paid out $lls,949 O;