The New York herald., 1877-08-27
THE GRANGE.

From tho Philadelphia Press, August ISL
Colonel Victor e. Pioct, Of Bradford county, Maste
OF the Patrons OF Husbandry In this State, member o
the National Grange. and recently democratic candi
date :or State Treasurer OF Pennsylvania, stopped
the Girard House yesterday afternoon ON his way Z,
his home, and being thoroughly posted upon the sub
ject OF the agricultural interests OF the State reporte
OF The Press called upon him and said:-"The Pres
would like have sketch OF the organ ization OF th
Grange Order the condition Of the crops the stato
then your ideas upon the financial and political
questions OF the hour"
Colonel Pole, replied "a am only private citizen
and my views may not DO thought by others OF suf
ncient consequence political subjects to be enter
tanning; but am very willing 70 speak OF the grange
and gvo the result OF my observations as
passed the State the crops Of the pres
ent season The history of the organization has never
been published in any journal to my knowledge"
Thus introducing
THE GENERAL SUBJECT,
Colonel Pioet said:--
Primarily the purpose OF the grange organization
IL 10 break ur tho isolation OF tue farmer aDd organize
him With Wow to have the benefit OF associated mind
and cooperative action The agricultural class at
period In The history OF the world ever had an organ
za,ion until the grange was Instituted some nine
years ago. The form Of organization is-A subordi-
nate grange Tor each township, pomona or
county grange FOR each county, State grange
STATE which Is composed oil masters of subordinate
oranges and their wives, who also matrons, and
national grange composed OF masters OF State granges
aud their wives, who are also matrons This
organization exists In all oi States aud Territories
ana ihero largo organizaton too the dominion
Of Canada, nearly thousand IN number. We hope
whom our farmers unite with II generally, to be
able to exercise the influence In all tho affairs
OF the country to which our numbers entitlo
Thus lar the one hundred yoars OF this govern
ment that we have passed through the farmers have
failed to put their Impress upon the government We
believe this mainly results from isoloton, In part
attributable to our scattered locations and the nature
other av0cations. Our products sold the mar
kets Of This country at loss TO the producer II we
take into account the capital employed and the labor
bestowed For instance where land is rated at 800
an acre wheat cannot be produced at less than
81 % per busheL Corn costs the producer moro
than 90 cents a busnel Oats will cost one year
with another, 37ts cents This is true of our
animal production, which costs US than
the market price. These facts have Influenced
The thoughtful agrcuturst 10 examine into the
We nnd the market for all our products here at homo
regulated by tho price our surplus brings In other
countries The hides Of our animals sold In
petition with hides brought from tho South American
States upon which there Is no duty at the same tmo
lures OF hides We think the production Of hide is
as much branch OF American industry as the manu-
iactures OF hldes II Is certainly one Of the causes
tnat makes the rearing o cattle Improbable. This
true OF the production Of wool, which has duty Of
only SIX cents per pound, while the manufactures Of
wool have duty OF from forty TO eighty per cent.
Now, without discussing the question Of tarin, we
think VIC were properly represented and fairly dealt
with by those WHO franc our revenue laws that VIZ
would have the same measure OF protection the
material as is given TO the manufactured article.
Farmers scarcely ever occupy representative p0-
sition Our law making bodies are mainly composed
o the legal profession ana this, believe, comos from
our isolation and want OF organization.
How far we shall succeed IN organizing our class
cannot now say with any degree of certainty From
the limited time In which have been engaged IN
ciTecting an organization there Is reasonable
hope tuac we Will combine mainly the agricultural
class. We have now IN Pennsylvania some eight hun
drcd subordinate oranges, with membership OF some
forty thousand men and women. We admit our wives
and daughters, because they largely benefited by
tho social features Oi our organization, which claim
Is educational also, and depends upon success
operation whether material interests Will be ad
vanced and tho grange will finally be whatever It's
membership makes it, There none eligible TO the
grange except those engaged IN agriculture and who
have no interest IN conflict with our purpose. We
have IN this city contract with Wholesale grocery
house. wholesale dry goods house, Wholesale hard
ware house and boot and snoc store crred by the
cooperative shoemaKers These houses furnish sup
pos at the lowest Wholesale prices upon tho order Of
subordinate oranges signed by the master and
tary accompanied with the seal oi the grange. We
stpuate for full weights aud measures and first quaty
of articles II other such sent on the order
they returnable expense the houses send
Ing them. We pay cash for all these supplies upon
their receipt: rms traae VIII aggregate this year
manufacturers oil farm implements have finally
come TO find out that they can well afford to sell the
products directly 20 the farmer distribute them
10 agencies and have them supply the farmers ut the
additional cost Besides the saving the our
have knowledge OF tue of the articles they
sumo, and are better prepared than ever they
fore TO Judge whether unfair profits demanded
not TINS Is the working OF tho grange We have
also this city agent tor the sale OF farm pro.
Ducts at rates OF commission agreed upon and WIN
safely say somewhat below The rates hereto
fore chdrged by general commission merchants This
cement benefits your consumers whilo 1t advan-
tages US as producers, for very many of your me-
chancs patronZe our selling agency, which IS the
most direct cooperation that be secured between
producer and consumer We hope to finally make the
dstributive agencies as few as possible. You ask me
to give you
THE NUMBER suBoKpINArE ORANGES
in the several States? As near as can answer your
question we have about 25 900 subordinate oranges
with membership OF about ,000 600 male aud female.
believe wo are tho only secret organization
mat mat aS%,s rnxss Tomen ,n aud py dong this we
equally we'll with our own sex. Besides that, in our
subordinate oranges discuss all relates to i'm
value TO the matron as TO the husbandman We also
admit our boys and girls at the age of SIXTEEN Our
nifty Tor recreation where our children present with
u.s. and OF The obstacles In the way of ul
influence by our class has ever been the INABILITY Of
the iarner 10 discuss questions before the public Our
boys are learning readily TO speak with confidence
the Grange, and many Of older members have
broken that proverbal rule OF silence that has pro-
vented them from defending their interests whenever
they assailed We hope that agricultural soci-
cites, aud all public demonstrations that relate to
avocation, IN the future Will be presented not by pro-
fessonai men OF other classes but by the farmer him.
SELL This is general outline OF the organization of
through Jefferson, Indiana, Erio and Cumber-
land counties OF this State, where | have ad-
dressed large meetings oil farmers at harvest
homes or picnics tnat common to this
and are part Of the means employed by the
Grange TO interest farmers IN the organization. At
Williams Grove Cumberland county, yesterday, we
had picnic, at which there was an attendance OF
from II 700 to 5000 people, and, while tho other
meetings have attended were not so large, many of
them number ed moro than 900 people,
You ask me now to give you an idea OF
THE CROPS IN PENNSYLVANIA THIS YEAR.
This Intercourse with farmers, consequent upon my
position as Master oil the State Grange, gives iar
opportunity TO ascertain the result OF their abors
Inc wheat crop in Pennsylvania this year Is
certainly far below the average. All our early
sowed wheat has suffered from the ravages
Of the "Hessiau n.y." SO named in this country
IRON popular belioi that those people, who were
brought here IN our Revolutionary struggle lett of
most destructive OF insects when they retreated
with their British compeers The counties OF Union,
Snyder, Northumberland and Columbia four Of our
central wheat-growing counties, have not produced
enough tins year for tneir bread and their seed Mr.
William Colder, OF Dauphn county, VINO Is largely
engaged IN farming, as y0u know, states that
Dauphin county has not half a crop. In travelling
ov or The State am thoroughly satisfied that while
We generally produce n SURPLUS. have ouQn