The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-11-26
The Grange system.

The National Grange has Just closed a
session at Cincinnati, at which about two
thirds d the States were represented,
among them the State OF West Virgins.
1t seems by the statistics accompanying
the address of the Grand Master that
there are 1854 Oranges in existence in
The United States, with membership Of
53s,6S7, which would give over 40 meni-
bers 10 each Grange. OF these West Vir.
ginia has 295 Oranges and 1876 mem
.bers, little over 81 members to the
Grange. Our neighbora over in Ohio
have l,9l4 Oranges and 53,977 members,
while in Pennsylvania they only have
G26 Oranges and 2S,l74 members. The
order seems to flourish better in OHIO
than in mo.t OF the States. For instance,
the great State OF New York has only 800
Oranges and lG,lS4 members. Next to
Ohio, Indiana is the strongest State,
where there are Jas Oranges aud 4s,959
members.
The address Of the Grand Master in-
.lkates that cooperation is the great
principle upon which the Order rests for
.its pensetuity. He claims that cooper.
alton ia the talismanic secret by which
Uniety, especially agricultural society, is
tobtEsscued from the grasp of the spoil
er. Ht;avows that the principle Of cut
Ting away niddlemers profits and secnr-
ing to consuusrs all the profits between
the producer and the CONSUMER is the
grand primary object, in a commercial
point Of view, at which the Grange sys,
ten aims. By means Of the Grange the
farmers OF the land haze been Taught to
study the science Incorporation, and are
now far advanced, as compared with
former times, in knowledge ou that
point.
According to the address, plan is in
contemplation by which tie system is 10
embrace the whoIesaling OF goods as well
"a retailing. All the retail stores Of a
certain region are to be supplied from a
Wholesale distributing agency, and these
latter are 10 purchase in large quantities
from the producers direct. The grand
idea is TO get goods as near "a possible 10
cost price for consumers.
The Grand Masters address on thii
and other points is not couched in as clear
language as should characterize such a
document, but the main idea embraced
init may he gathered from the following
extract;
political and social economists in our
country are beginning to see in this sys'
TEN, rightly understood and fully carried
ont, granGer destiny than highly sue,
ce4siul commercial adventure, in healing
The widening and embittefing feuds be-
tween the class oilaborers and the class
'oi capitalists, by uniting the Two forces in
apeacetul cooperation, which shall take
The place OF the old antagonism and hos.
tlity between them, and that it Is a change
In society which will combine the freedom
aud Independence Of the individual with
the moral Intellectual, and economic ad,
vantage Of aggregate production, which
without violence or sPoliation or any
sudden disturbance Of existing habits OF
expectations, will realize, at ali events in
The. industrial department, the best a..
Pirations Of the Democratic spirit, and
that il is the most beneficial ordering oi
individual efforts for the universal good
which il is at present possible toioresee.
The Grange, upon mature considera.
ton, has adopted this system, and under
ia auspices ia spreading from ocean tC
ocean, and from the lakes on the north to
The gull on the south, upon plan which
provides for interstate and international
cooperation.
Our great want Is knowledge. To give
knowledge is the real mission Of tco-oper.
alton: iOr, after all, our ruinous COM
pstitiVe struggle Is but giant maniies.
ialion Of Ignorance. II we continue BY
competitions 10 place the increasing
wealth Of the nation in the hands Of ths
lev, leaving the multitude destitute o