The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-11-22
Grange Column,
Under the Supervision of the Executive
Committee of Pomona Grange.
TO DELINQUENT ORANGES.

Again, brother Patrons, it becomes the
duty of the Secretary of your Pomona
Grange to give you punch by way of
reminder. The third quarter is "gone
glimmering among the things that were,"
and some of you have not recognized
your Secretary by the kindly presenta-
ton of your periodical communication.
About one-fourth of the Oranges of An
derson County have made returns for, the
third quarter of the present year. AS
many more will, perhaps, get their re-
ports into the hands OF the Secretary
before his report is closed. That report
is legally due within ten days after the
expiration of the quarter, but it is some
times delayed to allow full time for tardy
Oranges to come in and place themselves
Square on the books" and consequently
"square" in the estimation of all true
Patrons.
Masters and Secretaries of Subordinate
Oranges, have you not solemnly pledged
yourselves to your brethren, by your in
stallation VOWS, that you would faithfully
perform the duties imposed on you by
the rules and regulations of the National
and State Granges2 and do you not re-
cognize q violation of those VOWS in neg
lecting to make the regular quarterly re-
turns for your Grange? Are you pre-
serving inviolate those obligations volun-
tarily taken upon yourselves in behalf of
your Grange, when, by your negligence
or omission, your Grange has been pub
lished as defaulter, and her fair stand
ing among Patrons has been lowered
instead of elevated, and her number is
read out on the list of delinquents for
two or more quarters? Are you surprised
to see your Grange feeble, inefficient and
dwindling away? Are you astonished
that your members are careless, luke
warm and drowsy, under the spasmodic
efforts of their officers, when they would
rouse them up to duty and to honor? If
your Grange does not occupy such a po-
sition among the brotherhood as would
excite your pride to be recognized as her
officer, it would be we'll to look around
and endeavor to find whele the fault lies.
We have read an appeal by the Secre-
tary of the Georgia State Grange to
Patrons in his jurisdiction, and we conf
mend it to the careful perusal Of the
Patrons of Anderson County as an am
plifcation of our remarks OIL this sub
ject:
"Fellow-P Patrons, you cannot afford to
let your Order become a thing of the
past. We admit her decline. As watch
men upon your walls we feel it due to
honesty-due to yourselves-due to the
good of the cause to sound the alarm.
The heritage of usefulness already be-
queathed to you is too precious to reject.
The influence for good exerted by the
Grange has been felt from the humblest
cottage to the halls of Congress. Born
and cradled in the very lap ofinexorable
necessity, justice to yourselves, to your
wives and little ones, and oyour country
demands its existence and perpetuity
and her mission must be fulfilled. Our
lukewarmness and criminal neglect may
blight this benefcent tree, but we tell
you that thousand forms will spring up
from her withered stem to shelter and
bless the future sons of the soil. Priva-
tion and want with their myriad tongues
sound warning notes to our farmers to be
up and doing. In the Grange, they have
an organization pre-eminently adapted
to their condition. Not one syllable of
her teaching bears the impress of traitor
ism to the best interests Of agriculture or
the good of our common country. The
bitter experiences of the past, the COM
mon sense of mankind attest the plausi
bility, the feasibility and the stern JUS
tice and wisdom of her every injunction;
and if she must be consigned to the tomb
of the Capulets, her only fitting epitaph
will be ye knew your duty, but did it
not
"Let us with fraternal remonstrance
thunder in your ears and inspire your
minds and hearts with the one thing
needed. To do this seems to be the work
of repetition, for it is blazoned all over
the very corner stones Of your temple.
1t is traced in characters of burning light
upon the folds of your banner. Solemn
VOWS recorded within the inner gate
demand your fidelity to it. 1t pleads to
you through the tears and entreaties from
ont of ten thousand impoverished homes