The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-12-06
THE NATIONAL GRANGE.

Whitehead, which was presented anu
adopted at the recent session OF the Ma
tonal Grange: ~ sri 81
7f PROGRESS. 2Gif s.
|, | have met with ourloved Order under
all circumstances and conditions; ENJOY
ing the sunshine of prosperity, rejecting
| its beams of hope and happiness to Its
members and the entire community; or
under the clouds of adversely, struggling
against local hindrances and prejudices
within and without the gates. have
found members and Oranges that have
grown weary in well doing, becoming
faint hearted in the battle have fallen by
the waysde. Others have seen as indl-
| yduais once more encouraged by the les
sons of perseverance, renewing their ex-
ertions, more determined than ever to
| fight the good fight. Without doubt the
past year has seen more Subordinate
| Oranges revived, that are now IN an &C
tive working condition, than any one year
of our previous history. | feel that can
| report progress and truthfully say that
better and healthier feeling and spirit an
| imates the membership we now have than
at any time before. The mistakes and
| hindrances of the past have been correct
I'd or rs.nnuaas.uncongen material has
found its proper place outside the gates;
the real objects and purposes of the Or
der were never better understood In true
cooperation, in all the higher aims and
purposes of the Grange; in its work with
| in the gates, and in all its varied avenues
and opportunities to help its members as
| farmers, as business men, as citizens, as
men and women; never did it have so
many and so careful students, never was
it better understood, and more highly re-
spected, more sincerely loved. The gen.
uine revival of interest that | have SO gen.
orally found during the past year, is not
confined to special States or localities, but
seems to be widespread and real, found
ed on the growing conviction that the
Grange is 4 necessity and must be sus-
tanned. .r -
| EDUCATION.
/ OF all the many facts that to my mind
furnish us the proof of the true progress
of our Order, will briefly mention few
On reading the printed proceedings OF
the various State Oranges during the pas
year, including the annual messages of the
Masters as they came to me through their
fraternal kindness, l was more than pleas.
ed to note that almost without exception
more attention and prominence was given
to the question of education than ever
before; agricultural colleges, experiment
al farms and stations, together with {
higher and broader education for farmers
children, occupied more than the usua
time and space in reports and discussions
| can say that these good influences have
spread abroad and widely prevail Our
members never SO fully realized the edu
cational advantages of the Grange anc
the truism that knowledge is. power,
as much for the farmer as for the profes-
sions.
GRANGE SCHOOLS.
And they are practically carrying out
+ these lessons and convictions. Grange
schools have been successfully carried on
for several years, and l have been pleased
to find them in number of States; but
in no one year has the progress been as
great in this direction as in that Just
closing. In one county in Michigan
found seven of these schools, held in spe-
cial rooms built in connection with the
Grange hall, handsomely furnished, and
farmers children thus at home receiving
that higher education that the expense
and difficulties of sending to the distant
cities and towns prevented the majority
in the past from bestowing upon their
young people. The influence of these
schools upon our Order can be realized
when | state that not long since, twenty
one young men and women, above sixteen
years, students in the Grange school on
the first floor, at one time received the
beautiful degree of our Order in the Grange
hall above. Agricultural text books from
all the free schools in the rural districts.
to educate our children for the farm instead
of from it, are being talked of, and will
surely come in the not distant future
THE WORK OF THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
It is with pleasure that can say that
the National Grange, its work accomplish.
ed, and the importance of that yet to be
done, never was understood or apprecia-
ted by the mass of our membership, than
at present. The National Grange plans
for cooperation, are being carefully
studied and applied; new converts to the
doctrine as the only true and practical
plan Were never SO numerous as of late.
The action of the National Grange at its
last session in regard to the tobacco tax
and railroad questions met with hearty
approval, and has with the good results
thereby accomplished, done much to prove
the value and necessity of our National
body, when applied to these practical
I-questions. The reduction of the tobacco
tax has benefited this year, the farmers
of the State of Kentucky alone to the
amount of over three million of dollars
hALLRaAAs sf-fr.er.44s, ID
Thousands of members are now looking
hopefully and anxiously for the Netionai
Grange to devise the plans and lead the
way in protecting the industries of our
country from the increasing encroach-
ments of great corporations. We all take
pride in the fact that it was our Order that
first called halt! and said, sustained by the
Supreme Court of the United States, to
those who would use chartered rights to
Cypress the people, s'Thus far shalt thou
go. and no farther This year our favor
ed land has produced the most bounteous
crops in its history, which with an unus-
ually good market abroad, furnishing the
demand that ever causes a rise in prices,