Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-04-03
THE GRANGE MOVEMENT.

moans1 Transcript OF the annual IePotto hnion
we're submitted to the National Grange Pc.
irons Of Husbandry recently in secret session
ia that city, showing the present status OF the
oreanizationsin the several States, theamount
Of revenue received from them, statistics of
membership, etc. Their receipts from all
sources during 1875 amounted to 500, 735 05,
against sl02, 143 OF for the preceding year.
Maryland is credited with 14s oranges in
1876, against 1853 in 1875. whilst the men,
bership is 5, $50, against S. 655 in 1875 Vir-
sinia shows q falling off within o year of
nearly 200 oranges, though the membership
shows slight increase. Compared with 1875
che falling off in oranges in the United States
and Canada is about 9, 900, whilst the loss in
membership aggregates about ITS. 900. In
che strongholds Of the organisation, Illinois,
Indiana, Kansas and Missouri, it seems to be
rapidly melting away. In Ohio it still main.
sains its ground, with small increase in
membership and oranges. Throughout New
England the decrease is less marked. Cons
necticut aud Massachusetts, show a falling of,
but in Maine, Vermong aud New Hampshire
some little ground has been gained. In Ken
lucky, Tennessee and West Virginia there is
likewise q decline, but Delaware is on the
ether track. New York and Pennsylvania
show an increase of membership, but fall>
ing off in the number of oranges. In New
Jersey there is an increase Of both. In the
cotton States there is marked falling away
In the number of oranges, but membership,
particularly in Texas, keeps we'll up. The
Pacific States may be said to divide, California
showing heavy decrease and Oregon abou.
holding its own.
The Wheeling Register says that "the ac-
~tual paying and working strength of the order
In the United States is 1910 oranges. and
5SS,9S7 members. These figures are for the
gear 1876, and they shuw an immense, falling
of from the figures of 1875, there were in
che United States 24,s2s oranges, with
membership of 7el. 1858 But this apparent
shrinkage is not regarded as q weakness to
the order. but rather strength, as it consists
in wedding out the unworthy and the un-
profitable. In 1875 we had in West Yir~
sinia 80 oranges and 8, 26S members; aud
in 1876 there we're 37S oranges, while the
membership ran up to 1872. This shows
. healthy increase Of strength at home. The
State grange paid to the national grange, last
year, s436 IL, and had remaining in the
treasury. after providing for all necessary ex>
penses, on the LIST. day Of November, 1876,
el,305.04. There was then due the Sta te
grange from subordinates about $500, which
vas to be added to the above when collected
Then, after paying the expenses of that ses.
sion of the State Grange, the treasury would
still contain about $500. The average
membership to each grange in this State is
about %; but allowing for females, we may
probably estimate each grange at 20 families,
representing say 100 souls, SO that the active
grangers of West Virginia represent 1850
families, or $1,000 persons"
Gov. Hampton arrived in Washington early
Thursdsy morning, and had an interview
with President Hayes in the afternoon by sp-
pointment. The situation in South Carolina
was fully presented, and the conversation was
almost altogether based upon the assumption
of Withdrawal of troops and the relinquish-
ment of the legal questions to the State
Courts. Gov. Hampton and his friends say
they were greatly pleased and encouraged
Gov. Hampton drove out during the day with
the President and Secretary Evarts, dined
sith Secretary Evarts in the evening, and
subseeuen .ly was visited at his hotel by Sec,
rotary Schurz, with whom he had long con-
kha ,1ait ~
eouth Carolina.
The Moffett Whisky Bill, to collect a tax
on whisky drinks by means of an instrument
something like a car bell.puneh passed the
General Assembly of Virginia on Thursday.
It will be pu. up in every bar-room. The
tax on lager beer per drink is half cent, aud
alcohol liquors two and half cents. The
Baltimore Sun says that, il strictly enforced,
it is estimated that in a few years the State
Of Virginia will be able to extinguish its own
and the national debt, and il is stated in some
of the papers that if continued indefinitely
and drinking keeps on and the drinkers pay
for their tipple like honest men, the State of
Virginia will eventually take in all the money
IN creation.
The Charleston Neps and Courier calls the
plan of calling Hampton to Washington
1.-THE spider and the fly" aud says, "South
Carolina will have the government her sons
chose for her, or government of arms and
fosce. There is no resting place between the
two extremes. 1t is the State of South Caro-
lima, with Hampton, or the province of South
Carolina, with q Sheridan or Sherman. No