Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-04-06
Object of the Grange.
ny LEWIS n. n1BnARD.


are doubtless oranges in certain localities
which do not shed much glory on the order
just as there are some churches which do not
reflect great credit on our common Christian
ity. Then there are some in many Of the
oranges who are no honor TO themselves or
any one else, but oil this does not prove that
the order is failure, or q swindle, as is
sometimes charged. There is another thing
to DO considered, the organization is in its
early stages Of growth, and there are things
which are not just as they should be,
just as growing boy will be
green but years aud experience will
tOuO him down, and tone him up, too. No
vigorous orchard was ever yet grown with.
out careful pruning, aud no organization was
ever perfected without years Of experience,
Topping of useless thing here; amending
defective point in another place; aud max.
ing new additions in still others. The per.
fectness Of organization Of Free Masonry
was not wrought out by its living leaders;
nay, it is the riponed fruit Of generations Of
growth. The "secret" society Of my school
days spent one entire term in perfecting its
constitution, aud il was done under the lead
Of men who were just ready to graduate
and knew by years Of experience what do
Gects needed remedy and their work no.
mains until this day. Consequently, when
hear people talking about the greenness or
crudeness of the grange, my reply is, II am
surprised there is so little of it, the order
is young, but doing nobly in this respect"
The real question is whether the order
has drawn or will draw to itself the ele-
ments necdiul for vigorous healthful growth
so as to secure not only its perpetuity but n
vigorous, useful and honorable career.
Originating in the West, it came back to
the childhood home Of the men who founded
it, and it originated as so many other noble
organizations have before it, as protest
against gigantic wrong inflicted by organ.
lied force in some form. The war in Servia
was brought on by Turkish expressions, just
as our Revolution, century ago was, and
perhaps as in so many other cases so it was
with the early stages Of the grange move
ment that oppression makes wise men mad.
As watched some Of those efforts Of the
oranges in the West l felt they were wild as
very likely they we're in some respects, but
the impelling principles, the purpose which
gave both to the order, and the spirit which
inspired them were among the most noble by
which men can be governed. The recent
decision Of the United States supreme court,
upholding them in their inherent right to
legitimate control of chartered corporations
is approval enough of their cause. Thai
some excuses were committed was natural
it would be more than human to have it 9th.
erwise. Then their assault on corporate op
preston in other directions has been attend
ed with rare success. They have broker
down the monopoly Of trade in many things
the monopoly of patent rights the mon
opoly Of high prices in many Of the staple
commodities, and though in some localities
this thing in the hands of enthusiasts, anC
inexperienced, misguided men, has beer
ovcrdone and brought the name and work o
= the grange into disrepute, their real servic
c in this respect to the farmers has been YER.
great
But the point wish to reach is that al
this work, as necessary, and great, an
! grand as it is, is but the preliminary Skin
mishing before a great and victorious battle
the clearing away of the Debris preparation!
to the erection Of the superstructure; tn
first surveys of great work in social an
political engineering. If there arc any il
the grange or out Of it, who suppose that til
great work Of the order is to break dow
monopoly of rates on western railroads, O
run a grange store in our rural villages
they have not tho faintest conception Of tn
o providential purpose Of the order. TIL
d word Of the Lord of old was, "For this pur
6 pose have raised thee up" and thegrauge
o have been raised up at this time, in this ma
e ton, and in particular manner for som
is special purpose, and / contend that the pur
u pose is incOmparably grauder than to run
IS store or determine the price of shorts O
II grass seed, though these are important thing
6 What is that purpose, does any one ask
r There is missionary organization in thi
!, country which has for its motto 10 tax
ID North America for Christ" Now lik
y that; it shows that the men at the head
is thas organization have some idea of Il
10 grandeur Of their opportunity, and they hay
le formed the purpose of successfully seiz1
v upon it. The purpose Of the grange is
t take North America-shall not say Il
10 word-for the owners aud tilers Of the sol
Is New York city is an epitome Of the countI
m at large the non-prOperty owners dete
le mine the taxes, the style aud administratiC
Is of the city government.
le SO in the nation, the non-workers dete
'r nine the character aud weight Of the burden
u which the workers shall bear. Now, it
|" the purpose of the grange as it is, and as
ne shall come to be, to take the country into Il
o' hands and control of those who do the VOL
u and bear the burdens of the country. !
ne take it with an intelligence so rare and a
VI Curate; purpose so clear aud noble;
co integrity so manifest and unquestiOuablo TIL
le the antagonism which now exists and oft,
'' develops into conflict between capital Al
ed labor shall cease that no who tills the 81
IL and he who mows the crops, or runs the ia