The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1878-01-17
Work Of the National Grange.


The World has particular reason TO
rejoice over the greater portion of the
National Grange at the eleventh annu-
al session, which closed at Cincinnati
on Saturday last, since the action OF
that body singularly approved i'll all
important details the policy OF Grange
reform contended for by The World
ever since, more than four years ago
it began chronicling the progress and
drift of opinion in the Order. Those
OF its readers who will remember how
bitterly the World and such of the
Grange papers as stood by it were as
sailed for venturing to criticise and
suggest, and who reflect that now the
'.Grange organ" is rather rarer than
The black swan, and that the. views
that the World was so bitterly reviled
for urging have been adopted by the
great majority ofGrange papers, will
have afforded striking evidence that
the Order has caught the impulse OF
progress and at last responded in
some measure to the demands of The
membership.
The Grange took sound action in
reducing the allowance TO its mem
bers. though it would be better in fu.
ture to make the mileage allowance
precisely what the member paid for
travelling, the per diem, even at the
reduced figures, being amply sufli-
cient to cover other actual expenses.
It will be even better in future to LET
the State Oranges defray the expenses
of their own delegates. The session
only las ted ten working days, as
against fourteen days last year a
further saving that is pleasant to re-
cord. There is no reason, however,
why session should last more than
six days, if members viii forego the
temptation to speak TO every motion
offered, and the food-gates of the
great deep of petitions and memoir
ais are not opened too wide. For in
stance, there was an adjournment on
the first day out of respect for the
memory of the late Brother Haynes.
of Tennessee, and another session was
occupied in listening to lecture by
Brother Lang, of Texas. AS each ses-
sion costs some hundreds of dollars,
time being literally money, it certain
ly seems as if for the future the pleas
ure of listening TO lectures might be
foregone and an earnest resolution be
regarded as quite as honoring testi-
mopial to the memory of a dead
brother as an afternoons idleness.
The new admin istration elected is
one that viii command very general
approval Brother Adams, of Mime
sofa, is an accomplished, practical and
devoted man, one of the oldest men,
bers of the Order, and firm friend
Of Grange reform. His election TO
the Mastership in Minnesota was the
first triumph of Grange reform, and
gave an impulse TO the good work
that has since been so successful. Ii
is not likely that so much time and
money will be devoted TO pushing
that impracticable English co-opera-
tive scheme under his sway as were
given to il during Brother Jones' in
cumbency, and it is more than likely
that the Order in the East, from
Maine TO Florida, will receive that
personal attention from the Master
not hitherto accorded to it, but so de-
sirable for the stirring up and
strengthening of its members. Broth
ers Kelley and Mcdowell are contin-
ued in their posts-actions which will
be commend ed everywhere.
The reduction of the fees Of men,
bership was a step advocated mainly
in The Southwest and Kentucky, where
it was claimed that such action would
largely increase the membership, the
old rates being too high in the present
hard times. The recognition of the
democratic principle involved in max
ing the National Grange a reasonably
body, giving 10 the
larger State Oranges that influence
W hich they were entitled to in view
of their strength and of their large
contributions to the treasury, may be
said TO be the most important step
ever taken in the history of the Order
and one likely to be productive
in the future of much good. AS for
the action of the National Grange on
the financial question, there ,may be
doubts alike as to its wisdom and pro-
priety. The Grange refused year
ago TO take any such action, and the
prohibition by the organic law will be
by many Patrons as reach
ing such case. Still the National
Grange is the Interpreter of its own
laws, and the majority has right to
express its opinion as the official SEN
Iiments of the body. The practical
of the resolution is mil,
and as it was adopted by a strictly
sectional vote, it only served to show
10 outsiders that the agaiculturists, no |
more than any other people in the
were as a class united on the
financial question. If the resolution
the order in the South
west, well and good, if that strength |
Is gained without any expense in other
parts of the country, but the World |
has always been and still is of the |
opinion that these discussions and ac-
lions are worse than useless. Time |
will tell whether or not these opinions
ire sound.
On the whole, therefore, the Nation |
al Grange is to be congratulated on |
having shown itself able and willing |
TO recognize the changing condition of |
.hings and the necessity which exist
ID for meeting more cordially and re-
spectfully than it has hitherto done, |
The masses of the membership who |
TO the order its wealth and |
and are entitled TO die |
late lis policy and control its move |
y. World.
Who Are the Farmers Friends?
Who but geology, chemistry, the
quarry of the air, the water of the |