The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-05-10
The Order in Other States.

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found one of the most carefully edited
Grange departments IN the country.
Among the notices of expulsion re-
corded in the World to-day is that of
member of an Arkansas Grange for
"entering into litigation with broth
err without submitting the case to The
Grange for adjustment" This action
is deserving of general imitation.
Members of the agricultural class are
perhaps more subject to expensive
causes for litigation than those of any
other class in the community, and at
the same time are the persons most in
need Of, most sure to profit by the
spirit of comfy which cannot exist
where quarrels are rife and resort to
law the rule. On almost every point
whereon two Patrons are likely to fall
out their brother-members of the
Grange are likely to have more init
mate special knowledge than the ma
jority of judges and juries would pos
sess, and between neighborly feelings
and fraternal obligations they may be
trusted implicitivto administer justice
speedily and inexpensiyely. What
more is wanted? The Grange every
where should be for its members
court of equity of summary jurisdic-
ton and final resort. Where a men,
Der of the Order develops symptoms
Of litiphobia he should be got rid of
at once and at any cost. n farmer
who is enamored of lawsuits is a
greater curse to country side than a
whole wilderness of Canada thistles.
An Indiana Grange had a we'll
stocked store and hall, and, to fave ten
or fifteen cents TO each of its members
neglected to insure the same. The
| .'ire-fiend" had the bad taste to select
that particular banquet at his next
visit to the village, and the Grange IS
So, 900 out. The comment of all sensi-
bic and sympathizing brethren viii be
"Sorry, but it served them right"
The World does not take much stock
in one particular kind of State Grange
oficial-the man who draws his salary
for doing nothing but office work, and
very little of that. There are Masters
Of State Oranges who are surprised
10 learn that the Order in their juris-
diction is not prospecting, and forth
with by way of cure, prescribe the inn
portation of Grange celebrity from
some other State TO deliver a course
of lectures and addresses at the ex-
pense of the Oranges visited. Ii
might seem a little odd to some people
to expect Grange whose members
are too lazy or too much discoura ged
to pay their dues to to foot the
bin for an orator, but Masters of this
kind see nothing anomalous in it. The
right course is that which the Masters
of the State Oranges in the Southwest
are 50 generally Adopting personal
canvass of the whole jurisdiction. Let
this be tried, with due exposition of
doctrine, reproof, correction and in
struction; then if the Order is not
found to flourish, the Master can safe
IL come to the conclusion that he
ought to resign and make way for some
one else. The Grange is & very hardy
plant. and with any kind of care what
ever viii thrive on any soil.
The failure of the Louisiana State
Agent is attributable to the fact that
his customers owe him money that
cannot be collected. On the face of
his books lie is solvent. This usually
proves to be the case where a Grange
enterprise is compelled to suspend,
and it affords remarkably strong proof
Of the ignorance aud forgetfu lness,
alike of the teachings of the Grange
and the laws and first principles Of
business. which cha racterized its man
ayers. When-as the Batlej,a very
plainly shows, and the success of the
Grange business concerns at Cincin-
natl is proof practical Of the sound
ness of the teaching Grange Agent
undertakes 80 sell on narrower mar
gin than does the ordinary merchant,
he cannot afford to take any risks be-
yond those insep.rabe from the bust
ness as deterioration Of stock. The
merchant makes bad debts and loses
the use of his money for a certain time
by transacting credit business, but
he makes allowances therefor and
charges therefor. If he loses by a, he
makes by 3, c, d, etc. enough to re-
coup himself for the loss. But the
narrow-margin system does not con-
template, cannot afford any bad debts,
any withdrawal of capital from active
production. Patrons interested in
these enterprises should pay the closer
heed to this, because every failure of
grange business scheme prevents many
others from being begun, and makes
the Order q word of reproach.