The patron of husbandry., 1880-07-24

learned lessons IN adVefsity "S"
vet bring forth golden fruit. The Orange
interest is once more revived. The grown
This tire will be upon permanent OASIS.
We again invi.e the former members OF
the Order to once more take hold, and
unite themselves with the only Order
which has for its object the advancement
of the interest of the farmer.
The following letter, alluded to in the
above article, is re-published for the beneht
of Patrons in Alabama who have not read
t:
Ed;foy Patron viii you allow space
in vour columns to place before you read
ersthe cause which have brought about the
,resent condition cf the Order in the State
Of Alabama? / think this but just because
of the frequent structures In your editorials
hearing upon the officers of our State or
oanization. Although not subscriber,
Your paper has been regularly read by me,
as one of the members of the family has
been taking it for about one year. One OF
the editorials to which / refer was in the
issue of February 9TH. This is written in
different spirit from those which preceded
it: and leaves the door open for reply
without entering into controversy In
YOUR zeal for the Order you have unconsci-
ously been unjust to the officers OF the
State Grange Of Alabama, and at the same
time done harm to the Grange cause,
when, no doubt, you intended to do good.
To place affairs in the proper light, II is
necessary to go back several years IN the
history of the Grange. When the session
of I875 convened, it found nearly 100
Oranges in the State, a full treasury and
bring prospects. The representatives OF
the Subordinate Oranges, encouraged by
the fattering prospects ahead, voted away
the Grange funds like water. The finance
committee at the next session managed, by
leaving outstanding claims then due, and
including the donation from the National
Grange which had been loaned on insuffi-
cient security and was then virtually lost,
to make favorable report. The officers
of the Grange were responsible for this, as
no doubt the committee acted upon the In
formation furnished by these. But the
real facts of the case were that deficiency
existed. Before the next session (IS77) the
Subordinate Oranges had discovered the
true state of affairs. aid having lost conf
dence in the State organization, had ceased
to paw dues then to hold meetings, and
were reported dormant by the hundred. At
this session was so unfortunate as to be
chosen Secretary. Action was taken by
the Grange looking 10 the revival of the Or
der. Under this action it soon became
necessary, after due notice had been given,
that unless Oranges reaffiliated by Ger
tain time their Charters would be revoked, |
to mai,the Masters orders for four hundred |
and twenty five Charters. This left, after |
deducting the Charters surrendered pre-
viously, about one hundred and fifty |
Oranges nominally in exis+ ence. say |
nominally because not more than eighty |
ever reported to the Secretary's office. |
Brother Harrington, a man ofgreat ability, |
not surpassed by any man in this respect |
connected with our organization, and, |
besides, of lovely character in other re-
spects, was elected Master. Much was
expected of him, and he is still severely |
criticised by our members. But | know
that it was his intention to exert himself
to the utmost in the interest of the Order.
Every effort was met by the dormant
Oranges with the coldest indifference, the
natural result of the loss of confidence in
the States organization, A lethargy and |
an apathy had seized upon the Order
whichwas appalling to those who were
expected to stem the tide of disintegratlon
which had set in. Brother Harrington af-
ter surveying the fild, was completely dis
mayed, and threw up the position at the
first opportunity. Without one dollar in
the treasury, and a debt which steadily de-
voured every cent that came in, active work
in the field was utterly impracticable unless
the entir expense be borne by the officers
out of their own purses. Unfortunately
the most of these officers, if not all, had
fOp foic |
A. V. Gardner, a man of wonderful ener
gy, and grea. ability, happened to be chair
man of the Executive Committee, threw
himself into the breach, and by good man.
agement saved the wreck. Without his
strenuous efforts there would not have been
any Grange in the State to-day. Recog-
nizing that the pecuniary feature was the
one which demanded attention, as without |
any means upon which to work nothing
could be done, he set on foot the expedient
of fair to fill the depleted treasury. The |
city and citizens of Mobile held out every |
for this fair, and it was accor
dinghy held there. The prospects of sue
cess were bright, but a more complete fl
nanCial failure never followed such pros
poets. This result was produced by COM
bination of circumstances, of which the |
feeling of hostility towards the Order and |
the presence of the yellow fever during |
the autumn were the main. A finer exhi- |
bition was never made in the South, but |
the attendance was almost nothing. I'm |
der this state of affairs Capt. Gardner,
unassisted by any of the officers of our or
ganization except the Secretary, and assis
ted only by Capt. Parker of Mobile, who,
amid the indifference manifested all around |
him, nobly did his duty, managed to pay
off every obligation. Thus failure over
took the only means of meeting our obli-
cations, and of placing lecturers in the
field. As an exPedient to arouse the zeal
Of the Order, Col. Chambers was induced
to purchase the Southern Plantation
and to found upon its
ruins the Farm Journal" which was in
tended as an organ of the. Grange, as well
as general agricultural medium, but no
could be brought to bear
which could get our members to support
it. The success of the Journal depended
between the Journal on its part
giving the members of the Order a salts
factory Grange paper, and the members
on their part giving ita sufficient subScrip- |
ton list to support it. Whilst l do not |
acquit the proprietor of the Journal of all |
blame IN this matter, yet must do him |
the justice OF ofsaying, that met by the reign
ing apathy he was forced to look elsewhere |
for support, and has been compelled to
furnish a paper to suit those who support |
1t. Upon the heels of these failures the |
session of 1873 was convened. The faith
ful few who assembled, recognizing the |
Efforts of the Chairman of the Executive |
Committee, Immediately placed him in the |
Masters ch air, knowing that he would ac-
all that could be under the cir |
He immediately commission