Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-10-13
CRANGER'S DEPARTMENT.

-. rho Baltimore County, Md,
oronoe held Pic Mic on the 18th ult''
" whicb there were $500 persons pre-
seDt. Hon. L. L. Waters oSerseer OF
,bs Maryland State Grange, among
IL sneakers, delivered the following
admirable address,
He said when the Grange was inau-
ourated, organization was absolutely
Necessary. Monopoly and Capitalization
seemed to be the order of the day. The
capital OF the country was rapidly being
absorbed by monopolists, who were OPP
pressing every unorganized industry of
the country. The poor farmer, after
year of hard toll, found himself in debt
aud scarcely able to procure the neces
saries of life, and without the means of
advancing and educating his family.
Every other branch of industry had its
trade union, and manufactures were
protected bya prohibitory tariff from
foreign competition. The farmer felt
that he needed protection. Corpora
lions were growing rich whilst be was
growing poor, and their agents ana
middlemen were swarming all over the
land like birds OF prey. The orange
was organized for his protection aud
advancement; Scarcely ten years ago
was the movement iraugurated In the
United States, and the little acorn then
nlauted has become majestic oak,
whose branches extend over nearly
every county OF every State IN the land.
Since the organization Of the Grange
nearly all the prime necessities of life
have cheapened from ten to forty per
cent. Manufacturers are brought face
to face with the agriculturist, aud the
farmers are now able to purchase pro-
ducts directly from the purchasers, at
prices which were absolutely refused
them before the organization Of ihe
Grange. Fertilizers and farm machine
ry have all been cheapened, and to-day
the farmer is in better and more pros
porous condition than he was ten years
ago He did not pretend to say that
ihis condition of things was entirely
The work of the Grange. Other causes
had their effect upon the markets OF the
country. The Grange has been an
instrumentality in teaching the granger
where to buy and where and how to
sell his products. Not only has the
granger been advanced by it, but farm
ing communities in general have been
advanced by it, whether the people be-
longed to the order or not. 1t is there
tore the duty of all farmers to stand by
this system and sustain it, those outside
OF tie grange as well as those inside OF
it. The Grange is an educator and an
advancer of the people. 1t brings to-
gether people from various parts OF the
counties who have scarcely ever met
before; friendship are formed, aud peo-
pie begin to understand each other. On
the floor of the Grange the humblest
and poorest farmer in the land is wei
coined as brother, and stands peer
10 the most intelligent and wealthy.
The scientific men instruetS his less &C
complished aud educated brother,
whilst, on the other hand, the practical
farmer, by giving his experience in the
practice of agriculture, tell the educated
men how to apply his science. On the
floor of the Grange We find the intro
duclion of the very best part of society
woman. The asperties OF debate are
sotteued, and there is a refinement there
which you will never find in secret
societies where her presence Is not felt.
Any lady in the land, however taSlldl-
ous, pure, chaste aud upright, can walk
into The Grange without fear OF being
insulted or of hearing anything that
will offend her sense Of proPrlety- She
stands III the Grange an instructor and
educator The Grange is not apolIlIcal
organization. Men of extreme opinion,
ultra Radicals and ultra Democrats, may
aneet in the Grange without fear OF col
lision. But the Grange,by its doctrines
of honesty, by its teachings OF trugaIity
and economy, is capable of welding
powerful influence over the politics Of
the land.
The Grange should exercise its in
fuence and power over the legislation
of this country, for the protection OF
agricultural interests from monopolies
that control them, aud especially i'll the
matter of transportation. He would
not say that it was the province OF the
Grange to make war on the Operations
OF this land. Every Intelligent granger
knows too well how necessary Is the
prosperity of these institutions, to make
war upon them. No intelligent man
asks that any means of transportation
shall render service for which they are
not paid. He knows that the products
OF the farm, when in excess of the wants
of the farmer, would be useless upon
his hands without means of Transports
lion. They are willing and anxious
that they should receive compensation
Tor the labor they perform, but they are
unwilling that those monopolies should
levy an unjust taxation upon them.
Railroad companies have charged five
and one-halt times as much for trans
portation of perishable articles as for
articles not perishable. The secret of
that is, that articles 40; perishable may
be transported by water where there is
competition. 1t is reasonable and just
that they should carry perishable articles
at advanced rates, but they do not run
their trains at five times greater speed,
nor do they assume five times the risk
on one than on the other. Until far
mers 60 together as one man, and