Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-08-31
THE GRANGE PARLIAMENTARIAN.

;, from the Cincinnati Bulletin, should hal
pen to catch the eye of any good brotht
who makes it his particular business to pres
"pints of ORDER" we trust he will read
carefully in the hope that his knowledge {
parliamentary tactics may be improved:
1t seems as if the parliamentary cod
sometimes defeats the very purposes 70
which it was formed. Deliberative assen
blies conform to it, the theory is, that the.
may perform their work cautiously and a
the same time eXpeditiously. Yet in all pub
lie bodies it is occasionally an instrumen
for hurrying improper measures through
and delaying or defeating proper ones. Il
a few it is seldom anything else. Many 0
our legislators seem to think that the chic
work which they are elected by the peopl.
to 90, is to raise a row over points of order
The people have to some extent fallen into
the same error of installing the means fol
the end The attention paid to the methods
of legislation rather than to the matter oft
reminds of those classical schools, where
the student is made to study grammar te
the neglect of literature. An assembly can.
not abolish all rules for the transaction Of its
business. Without it has some carefully Oh
served system it's proceedings would be con.
fusion itself. But.the readiness with Which
a complicated parliamentary code may be
made by a shrewd and sprightly man, who
is familiar with its provisions, to- defeat the
ends it was designed to serve, makes it de-
cirahla ff,of q cnafaty3c ,.,1oc- ~ o,oaaI-.,
be as simple and as few as possible and that
professional parliamentarians. receive little
consideration. There is a good deal said
just now about the wonderful benefit our or
der bias. been to farmers as an instructor in
parliamentary rules. Some persons have
even gone so far as to find fault with those
who ventured to intimate that the educa-
tional feature has not yet amounted to
much, and have claimed that patrons by at
tending their grange meetings have become
many ofthem very expert parliamentarians,
md are therefore very much better educated
than they were before the order was organ
lied. Granting that this wonderful spread
or parliamentary learning has occllrreu, we.
fail to see in it any occasion for wild reioic-
ing. 1t wouldtbe hard to designate any 9TH
subject in which most men may be unin-
formed with SO little Inconvenience as in
parliamentary law. five omit asfew we'll
understood rules, such, for instance, as a
to adjourn is always in order, a man
may go through the world contentedly and
successfully and may even be respected for
lis learning and accomplishments, and yet
lot know anything of the usages and regu-
ations governing deliberative bodies. A
armer will not farm more scientifically.
viii not get a better price for his products,
viii not buy his groceries and clothes any
heaper, and will not be any more highly
steemed by being a skillful parliamenta-
ian. That it is well enough for farmers as
or other men to have this sort of acknowledge.
We do not deny, But it is not Of sufficient
Importance to warrant any large expendi-
IRE OF time and trouble in its acquisition.
We should hardly advise any one to give his
avs and nights to the pages Of Cushing.
parliamentary skill is ofcomparatiyely
tile value, it is not profitable for granges
} spend much time in considering points Of
rder. They should conduct their meetings
accordance with the rules and usages of
le order, but they should not permit long
ebates on triling questions. Some, ofthem
i've been too careless in this regard Mem
srs have taken pains to. "postn themselves
I'd have displayed too much ambition to
elk one another up on parliamentary rules.
g~ood-humored dispute over a point of or
r is well enough so long as it is not per-