Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-11-30


our purpose to adopt, these rules, with some
slight changes, will be most valuable, but
taken alone they ere disiOinted link in
chain, the perfection of which by our Brit
ish friends has been the work of their edu-
Gated, thinking, practical men, for the last
thirtY-fye years. The fraction which we
have given our Order has been utilized to an
extent which we can only conjecture. Hun
dreds, and it may be thousands, of cooper
atiYe stores have been established in the
various States and Territories of the Union,
with various amounts of share capital, and
perhaps as various in other features and in
their fortunes. They are without head or
connecting link, like so many islands in
the sea, without even boat plying from one
to the other'-without that principle of
unity which is the life of corporations and
the guiding star of humanity.
With the perfection of our system of or
ganiZation, is the necessity of educating our
members in the true principles of co-opera-
ton. Let US follow the example of our En-
glish friends in this also. Through their
courtesy have received large number of
tracts, with the proceedings OF their cooper
atiye Congress from 1865 to the present
time, making most valuable collection of
cooperative literature. We have to reach
the minds of many who are ignorant, and to
stimulate in them thirst for knowledge.
The latter, which is the first requisite, is
better accomplished by living missionaries.
If we could send out some of the friends of
cooperation (who could be named) to act as
pioneers in this work, we would soon see
large demand for cooperative intelligence.
1t may be thought by some who take
solely sentimental view of our organization,
that am giving an undue prominence to its
material objects. If so, cannot think they
have studied the deep philosophy, pure
morality, lofty virtue, and genuine religion,
that underlies co-opeydti1e life Rightly un-
derstood, it is the practical realization of
Christian ethics. The silent virtues of tenn
perance, forethought, just dealing, and fell
lowship in work, will do more to correct the
moral disorders which darken our land, and
have tainted our Government, as well as
trade and commerce, than all the penal
statutes that have been or can be devised.
The material, moral social and Intellectual
influences are in near connection with each
other. The most material thi gs have great
influence on mental subjects, sentiment
that ages ago the poet Homer gave vent to,
in saying that "when man becomes sldUe he
loses half his virtue"
Atthe last session of this Grange much
interest was expressed in the action which
had been taken by the cooperative societies
OF; Great Britain to inaugurate a system of
exchange between them and the agricultural
producers in this country. aud in their
friendly messages to our Order, through
their special deputation, and subsequent
correspondence with our Executive Com
of this body, to continue, as 1 did, until a
point was reached when, in my Judgment,
with the approval of the Executive Commit
tee, it became eXpedient to send special
commissioner to confer with the authorities
in those societies upon this subject, and to
represent our ideas and interest in this con-
nection. Brother j. W. A. Wright was ap-
pointed to this office, and it affords me sim
cere pleasure to bear testimony to the abili-
ty, dignity and grace with which he dis
oh cd r. mi ar1tin
tions of very serious character had arisen
through the misrepresentation of unfriend-
ly parties, the character and extent of which
were unknown to us until ascertained by
our Commissioner, after his arrival in En-
gland. These matters were fully discussed
in the Cooperative Congress which met at
Glasgow in April last, the courtesy of open
ing and closing the discussion having been
extended to our Commissioner. The result
was reinsurance of that body of the earn
estness and integrity of our Order in these
negotiations, and their reference to Mr..
Neale and our Commissioner, by whom i'm
portant notifications and changes of the
original articles were agreed upon, submit
ted to the Executive Committee of the Com
pany on the other side, and assented to by
that Committee.
The plan o f organizing the American Sec
ton of this Association, which l submit,
may be improved by your joint wisdom and
united intelligence of the extended field for
which it is designed. By some it NAV be re-
garded as yielding much of the authority
and fostering care, which our Constitution
wisely provides the National Grange shall
exercise, directly and through subordinate
Oranges, over the business interests Of our
Order, in only becoming an g ddUiSojY boda"
On the other hand it might be objected
that the National Grange is not elected by
those who may be stockholders in the enter
prise alone, but by the representatives of all
ho, l,,,-c oel,x
else supervision over their interests. OF
these opposite opinions the last would lead
to consequences, I think, fatal to our
Order, and our cherished hopes The
purposes OF our Order are SO blended, each
so in harmony with the others, and
so dependent upon one another, the separa-
ton of one, and especially that ore which is
the life-blood of the whole, would paralyze
the system. 1t is not to the share capital In
these enterprises that our members will look
for greatest benefits, but in the facilities
they will afford for the sale of our products
and the purchase of our supplies. The men,
Der that holds but single share will be en-.
titled to the same benefits, and have an
equal voice with the member holding the
maximum. Some of our members may not
be able to take single share, yet such may
contribute to the profits, by their CUSTOM
more than others holding the maximum of
shares. Shall such members have no repre-
sentation in purely Patrons enterprise, to
the support of which they contribute per-
haps the largest share?
a Cooperative Congress, elected by stock
holders, could not be more responsible, or
represent the interest of their constituents
more intelligentlY or faithfully, than body
chosen from the Order, as is this National
Grange.
That we have opposition to our plans,
powerful, and energetic, we know, but the
source from which it comes should nerve us
sary to secure to the toiIing farmer the right
full profit of his industry, as a prerequisite to
the proper development of what are called
- the higher objects of our order.' Do we
not see an educational power of the highest
kind underlying this cooperative movement
for the great masses of our people? The
further we have gone the fairer and
wider the prospect before us Do we mean
to 60 on? Hayewe faith enough in the princi-
pies of our Association to follow them
wherever they may tend? / trust we have,
and that we shall take our forward steps in
the reorganization of labor, and therefore
of society. carefully and steadily, but reso-
lutely, and with perfect indifference to the
abuse and opposition which we must of
course look for, until manhood shall cease to
pay tribute to money; conscious as our
limited education in these principles has
made US, in some dim way, of that highest
mystery of our human life, which can only
be Adequately described in words with which
Ihope all of US are familiar, "That we are
members one of another, so that if one
member suffers all suffer, and if one mem
Der rejoices all reioice.'
l cannot too strongly urge the importance
of such action at the present session as will
fix permanently the headquarters, and secure
a suitable building for the National Grange.
Your advice to the State and Subordinate
Oranges on this subject at the last session,
so well given, would receive much greater
force by yOur own example.
The money in our Treasury, which might
be used for this nHrnose is ranidlv dinin-