The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-08-05
THE oRANOERs AND POLITICS,

THE CHANGERS AND POLITICS,
Tho great activity Of Grand Master
Lang the number and extent Of his
Iourneyinga his speeches, which from
dealing altogether with the material
Interests Of tho people necessarily touch
polilloa--unayoidably 80 indeod--has
given ill,naturod people an opportu-
nifty TO say bad things Of himi such, for
instance, as he is doing his level best
TO reach the goyernophip next time,
oomptrollcrship, lieutenant governor,
ship, indeed any and every other posi-.
ton where he has nm opportunity, or
the ghost Of a chance Now the grand
master has TO do with a good many
gentlemen who hare political aspira'
tcns, Many men who before the grange
movement commenced found them-
selves drifting rapidly TO leoword, holp'
lossly 80, have grasped vigorously at tho
straw thus flung in their way, and IT is
death grasp too, but in no notable IN
stance have they succeeded in finding
solid political ground by such means
This has always been troublesome
clement for the grand master, and no
doubt but he has charged up against
them MI tho sleepless nights they
haye caused him, II is only natural to
credit him with some part Of the public
disgust at such selIishness, which fills
the breasts of farmers and other good
citizens OF all classes The grand mas.
tor clings closely to tho non.political
policy of the great farmers combina-
ton, and IL it ever throws itself into the
whirl and turmoil Of partisan political
strife, the work will not be that of
Grand Master Lang
1t indicates the possession Of admins
tratiye abilities OF no mean ORDER to be
able TO control 80 strong and important
nm organization ms this successfully: to
provide employment for the restless
and ambitious, who have determined to
ride into Office on the shoulders of the
devoted farmers. Yet il was either
the wisdom of the farmers themselves
or the grand master, which has thus far
kept them out and preserved the order
spotless in this respect, Grange ogen.
cies are not as plentiful as blackberries,
nor as profitable as Groat Bonanza
shares. Noel found this out after but.
lcting desperately against the convic-
ton for several years and we
find him quietly transferring
himself and his restless ambition out of
the reach of temptation, even to Chi
cago. Mr. Lang would.feel greatly res
lieved, no doubt, if n dozen or two
Others Of Noers stamp could be induced
to follow his illuatrious example. Were
they to do this, the name of the great
farmers society, the grange, would never
be heard of in connection with the per-
sonNl ambition of any one of its mem.
bers, or any scheme looking to u selfish
class legislation for its own especial adj
vantage.
The Order in its brief history in this
state, has won many triumphs, but they
have not been ia political offices, legis-
lative halls or in shaping the public
policy Of the state. They have rather
been in the vast Improvement OF our
modes of farming, thoroughness of oul-
tivation and crop Investigation, no less
than the anti.debt policy OF the farm.
ers of Texas, is whore the proudest tri-
umphs of the grange is found, Mas
ter Lang doubtless glorios in these,
Us he certainly has good reason
to do Ask him to-day, and he will
tell you that grange constitution for.
all the people, or grange legislation,
would be only unmitgatet evils, But
ask him about the substantial benefits
we have named above, and his breast
will expand and his eye brighten at the
bare mention of them.
Those old barnaclos who are still
desperately at the skirts OF
the grange to drag themselves once
more into the political arena, and with
in the focus Of public attention, are
wasting effort The day has passed, If
it ever dawned when the farmers of
Texas can be hoodwinked into yoking
themselves with incompetency again,
or when they will support u man Tor
office simply because he belongs to any
al. 80 ia.