The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-08-20
Futare of the Grnnge.

Grange IS established 1t is fixed
in your hearts who have served
faithfully through these years; you
have heard it proclaimed from the
rostrum time and time again; and
every time it was repeated it filled
your hearts with pride, for you per-
formed part of the work.
From the time when the Grange
was first founded, December 4,
1867, to the present day, speeches
applauding the work of the Grange
have been made. You have heard
how you accomplished the reduction
in the price of all k nds of ma
chinery, how through your cons
bined work the price of plaster was
reduced nearly one>half; how
through your honest labor middle>
men were compelled to seek in some
other field for employment; and
above all, how the great social re-
form among farmers came about
You, yourselves, have seen the
awkward, ignorant farmer pass
through the various stages of this
social development and become
sometimes a fluent speaker and an
influential man. All this you have
seen and heard in the past; but
what will the future Of the Grange
be? What should it be?
The Grange took in strong, mid
die aged men and women, the most
of whom are alive to day. These
vigorous, well-to>do brothers and
sisters were filled with enthusiasm
which with many has not died out
yet. But when these pass away,
where will the Grange be? If the
Grange is to go on, the great ques-
ton we must ask is: where are the
young men? In the Oranges you
visit you find some young men
present; but are they enthusiastic?
Do they do any of the active work?
Is the Grange doing it's best to edu~
cate them into the work? | think
[ can safely answer no. If nation
wishes to perpetuate itself it edu-
Gates its young men into its secrets,
imbues them with patriotism, and
brings them up to feel that the
country will be their own to main
tain. In orders and societies it is
the same. In the societies of col>
lege the great strife is to gee the
best young mon the entering fresh
man class affords, and the society
that accomplishes this safely pre-
diets for itself glorious future.
Throughout all nature we see the
same ingenious contrivances for the
perpetuation Of the different species;
and l firmly believe that all moral,
good, useful societies which have a
right to be founded and to exist,
will instinctively do the same. II
you would perpetuatc the Grange [
believe the only way is to secure
the brightest young men the coun
try affords.
But perhaps there is no need of a
future for the Grange; perhaps the
Grange has accomplished its work
and should die a natural death. If
this be true, then we need exert
ourselves no further. But if you
stop to think, you will see that
there will be need of a Grange in
the future. IF / understand the
principles on which the Grange was
founded, there will be grand work
for the Grange as long as man exists.
Laying aside the great questions
of railroads, telegraphing shipping,
selling produce and purchasing
goods, patents, agents, interest, tax
alton aud representation, laws and
other like questions that must arise
in the future, and with which [ am
unable at present to contend i say
laying aside all these questions, the
future of the agricultural class de-
mands a Grange. Its educational
influences will be needed. The
population of our country is every
day increasing by thousands; the
soils of the majority of farms are
decreasing in fertility; hence the
necessity of bringing more trained
aud educated labor into play. We
fnd this to be the case in the old
world. where, for want of an edu-
Gator like the Grange, the people
can not produce living and must
| GEEK a home in America. But
should they live here in ignorance,
their children must in future years
move on to where they can also find
| more room and moro fertile soil
| am certain that no earn est, work
| ing Granger will ever say that he
learns nothing in the Grange. On
the contrary he will tell you that