The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-01-26
A GRANGER ADMINISTRATION.

ne I%dN4nsf, iHe personal organ OF
Worthy Master Lang, and the official
paper of the Grange of Texas, manifests
settled purpose of forcing the candi-
dacy of Mr.. Lang upon the next demo-
cratic convention, so far as its influence
goes We are at loss to unders and
this move. No one knows the utaer
futility of it better than the editor
of the E.raminer, or even Mr.. L. him>
self.
The class feature of the enterprise is
very repugnant one, even to the farm
ers themselves--we mean the grsngers-
and perhaps at this time there is not,
taking the state over, more than one
! farmer in ten who ever has been Inem-
Der, or, having been, yet retains his con-
nectlon with the order. Thus il will be
seen that if Mr.. L. becomes candidate
he will only represent minority Of his
| order, and no one else, or, indeed, any
thing else save thepaper in question and
himself No man and no paper in the
state has ever disclaimed the pol teal
aims and purposes OF the grange order
half so loudly as Lang or his organ In
times gone by; but change, and a
great one, has come over the spirit of
their dream, and, since the scheme to
place the worthy master at the lead of
an agency monopoly at Galveston has
so signslly failed. something else must
be provided-nothing less, indeed, than
the governorship.
The EJausi,er has decided by itself
that it is perfectly proper for the worthy
master to take the step, and even nee
essary for the good of the order, We sup
pose. Now, owing to the excellent les,
sons of the order, we mean in non
political matters, the farmers are the
most prosperous and independent peo>
pie IN the state. The result of this care
and attention to business has been made
success under two democratic state
administrations Now exactly where
the present crying necessity for a grange
administration comes, in at, we, in c 1m>
mon with several hundred thousand
other plain democrats, are at loss to
see. Outside of their lodge rooms the
vast majority OF the members are den-
oerats, were democrats, indeed, long be-
fore they were grapgers, and upon a
political issue viii remain democrats
still and 20 with the majority Of the
party. The majority of the democracy
OF Texas, so far as it has yet expressed
Itself, is not in favor of the cam
didacy OF Mr.. Lang. however much, In
his private and political character it re-
respects him, Mr. Lang is good man,
no one doubts it, but his four or FIVE
years service as tie head of the farmers
order, has untitled him for such duty
IS would be required of him as the head
OF the democratic party of Texas, as
well as the government of the state.
1t the move was really one Of the
grange, that is, if majority of the
order were in favor of il. the matter
would be considered in a different
light, and some apprehension would
naturally be felt so far as the harmony
OF the coming conyen ton is concerned
But when we rehee that the purpose
! comprises only Lang himself, and the
Examiner, all apprehensions of trouble
may be dismissed 1t has been fully
demonstrated that neither of them
WELD a commanding influence IN the
| order, but rather that they represent
| only small minority of the member
ship. The history of the several ses>
sions of the state grange bears III out in
this assertion. And this weakness has
been manifested on those subjects upon
which the membership has been
least divided, and when they touch
"a subject which enlists the
political sympathies of the member
ship, it becomes painfully apparent at
once In this the grange of Texas
'''1~i' 'Ss iASiAA VIC ca pEttcllSG VI ptltE
states when taking the political shoot
We have only to point TO Missouri, Iowa
and Illinois. Three years since this or.
ganization in each Of these states vas as
powerful as it is in Texas to-day. Now
the steps of Pomona, Ceres and Flora
no longer resound in the corridors of
the grange, because political ambition
succeeded the declaration of purposes,
and the fair deities CLEAN in desolate
fields because there is no Boaz who is
either able or willing to throw a straw
TO the sinking order.
We are of those who recognize in the
grange move a great boon and blessing
to the agricultural interests of Texas,
and we protest against the leaders pre-
cipitating it into the vortex of politics,
where it viii share the fate OF every
other state grange which has preceded it
IN taking the political shoot. Let the
grange of Texas he warned in time.