Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-09-07
THE PATRONS AID SOCIETY,

~ 1O1lOWluS lCLCCI Is lOu1 d DaUTOn WIN
urges that the advantages Of the Aid Society
be extended to farmers not members of tn,
order. He says: .a
Yours Of the 9th ult., with bylaws O
the Patrons Aid Society, is at hand. Ii | TN
derstand. none but patrons can become mem
bers. of the Aid Society, which may be salts,
factory, but | fail to see any reason for being
so select. Is not another PERSONS money az
good and life as certain as a patrons? But
it seems to be the fate OF most everything
gotten up by farmers that it contains the
seeds Of its Owl destruction. / have a deer
interest in the prosperity and welfare of the
farming class and wish it might. be other.
wise. A good many here would like to be.
come members, but are not willing to be.
come patrons. | belong to the order my.
self but have not met with them in two
years, and [ am sorry to say the concern
here is turned to fun and pleasure instead
of business and improvement. III am wrong
in my understanding of the bylaws please
correct me and oblige."- ~
The Grange has made it possible for farm
ers to conduct such enterprises as the Aid
Society. The subordinate oranges take the
place OF the costly agencies maintained by
the ordinary life assurance companies. The
Society is able to exclude all improper per-
sons from membership, for it has a guaran-
tee of the grange officer that the person. APP
plying. has made a full and reliable state
ment of his condition in his application.
The Society by restricting its membership
to patrons, has also the advantage of an ae-
rlculrural.membership, and certainly no 9th
er class of citizens is more healthy or desira-
BILE to comprise the membership of such a
mutual benefit society.
Our friend has conceived the idea that the
farmers institution restricts it's membership
too closely in combining it to members of the
grange. VIII he please point us to any sim
liar society which does not contine its men,
bership to equally narrow limits. The Ma
sonic order has several very successful re-
lief associations, and certainly only Masons
are admitted to membership. The Odd Fell
lows have similar organizations. Outside OF
secret societies we have the Commercial
Travellers Association, the Ministers Relief
Society, and the railroad employees society.
.Each OF these restricts it's membership to in
dividuals belonging to the class-a as indicated
by the name of the society. These relief as
sociations should not be too comprehensive.
1t is unnecessary to attempt to. take in all
mankind. We would certainly be plant
ing the seeds of our own destruction if we
should attempt to go outside of the grange
tor members. And since the Grange has
made it possible to organize and. successful
ly conduct such an institution we fail to see
that those who are not willing to join the
have any reasonable claims on the
benefits Of its institutions. We confidently
that the grange will devise a plan to
equal savings and benefits to farmers
p the management of fire insurance, and
when it does it will be acting wisely fit re-
membership in its fire Insurance COM
oanies to the. farmers who belong to the. or
Ter.
Our friend complains that the grange in
lis neighborhood is run for .sfun and pleas
lre." If tile grange does no more in a ru-
al community than furnish pleasant %recre-
tic for the farmers and their. families, if
hey. are able to get fun and pleasure out
the meetings. we are not disposed to-
'ondemn it for hat. Indeed, farmers and
heir families have too little social enjoy
nent and the grange is doing a good work
II succeeds IN interesting the young peo-