River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-28
RIVER FALLS, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, JUNE %. 1877
Is THE GRANGE OF ANY BENEFITf

sons who have generally been opposed
to the order.
1t would take great deal of time
and space to enumerate all the advan-
tages that might be derived from the
order if each member would try to
help himself and neighbor as often as
the opportunity presents itself.
Among the first things to be consider
ed is the social feature of the order.
The Grange Hall is place where farm
ers with their wives can meet tog eth
er and discuss the topics that are most
interesting to them-topics that per-
haps would have little or no interest
for those not engaged in the cultiva-
tion of the soil. They likewise form
acquaintances, and friendships spring
up which would not under ordinary
circumstances. Nearly all other class
es have their societies for ;elf-protec :
ton, and claim to have received great
benefits therefrom. Now / ask why
may not the farmers organize and
work together for mutual good us well
as othersl That they need to help
themselves and help each other as
much or more than any other class
there is no doubt. That they need to
be better posted and better educated
in their calling will be admitted.
Where can it be done better than in
the grange!
We often hear it remarked by some,
that the grange would be great ben
eft if 1T was only run as it should be.
Of course it would be very nice if
those outside the gate were allowed to
dictate to us what we should say ordo.
They take it for granted that they
know what we want a great deal bet
ter than we do ourselves. Perhaps
they do, but we are trying to learn.
and lessons of experience are gener-
ally the last to be forgotten.
In the grange we are taught that we
must avoid incompetence in eating and
drinking; that we must help the
fatherless and the widows and keep
ourselves unspotted from the world.
Good grangers will respect these in
functions. They will feel that they
have duty to perform, not only to
brothers and sisters but to the whole
human family. Have the other So
cieties of which we often hear so
much boasting, any better or higher
code of morals than this Have they
any rules laid down which if lived up
to would be any more conducive to
happiness! If they have they should
certainly be published to the world
that we might have the benefit of
them. That there is benefit derived
from all of these societies no one
doubts, for it must result in some good
VIXEN number of persons band them
selves together for the purpose of do
ing good for themselves and others.
But it seems to be the opinion of
many that the grange was organized
for the sole purpose of making money,
and that feature having failed, there
fore the grange is of no benefit. 1t has
always delighted certain class when
they were able to chronicle a grange
failure. Whenever dishonest treas
uTer absconded with a few dollars of
grange money 1T was heralded the
whole length and breadth of the land
and made to appear as helnous as pos
sible, while partizan defaulter for as
many thousands would be passed over
with scarcely a word of ceIsure.
That there has been dishonest grang-
ers no one will deny; but that they
are being ''hunted down" and cast out
is fact worthy the approval of every
honest man. That the feature of saw
ing money by purchasing goods through
the grange is failure is by no means
true. That thousands of dollars have
been saved to the patrons of Wiscon-
sin in the past two years is fact cas-
lily proven; consequently the grange
is benefit pecuniarily.
Many claim that it is our duty to
patroniZe our home institutions that
if we send abroad for our goods the
business interests of our town will de-
cline. Will not our merchants 90 to
New York and buy their goods rather
than patronize st. Paul, Milwaukee OF
Chicago if they can make money by SC
doingi 1t is their duty to do so that
they may furnish their customers with
cheaper goods so it is likewise the
duty of patrons to furnish the neces
saries for their families with as little
expense as possible. Another benefit
derived from the grange is the facility
that is offered to patrons to know fol
themselves the market price of al
classes of goods.
A patron in good standing does MOI
need to be imposed upon by the mer
chant if he makes use of the means
that are within his reach to acquain
, himself with the market reports tina
E are furnished free to every granger
. Its standing is better to day and it:
e future prosperity brighter than eve
before. 1t has had great many tri
f ais to pass through, but the create
/ the obstacles it has had to conten,
f with the more pure and beneficial ar
: the results of its victories. The of
7 jects of the grange are self-protection
: self-cultnre, and independence.
!. teaches the farmer that he does no
!. necessarily depend on the merchant O
! manufacturer agent for what b
a needs in his family or on his farm
= Therefore our wishes are for the goo