Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-15

and local or subordinate Oranges were organ
lied in al most every central farming locality
The me >mbership ran up to large figures, and
embrf .ced large share of the practical agri-
cult drists of the State, besides many others
WI 20 had an interest in agriculture, but were
engaged in many other occupations. It was
anticipated that the Order was going through
ssome magic spell, or some political or social
influence, to confer great financial benefits on
each and every member, and hence every
eligible person was anxious to become MEM
Der, and once a member was anxious of pro-
motion to some of the more important and
controlling Offices. The State Grange at
Stockton was a large and representative body
of farmers from nearly every county in the
State. There were many very intelligent
persons in that assembly who entertained
broad views and sound opinions of the aims
and purposes of the Order, and who
looked to the organization, not for i'm
mediate personal or financial benefits.
but as means of disseminating among the
farmers of the State general information
upon practical agriculture, of introducing
greater sociability among their families, of
leading to better understanding of the bust
ness relations and obligations existing and
that ought to exist between the farmers as
class and the commission merchants and COM
rnercial interests generally, and as means of
breaking the spell which political parties
seemed to hold over the minds and actions of
men, causing them to adhere to party and
follow party leaders even when the party. and.
leaders were plainly going counter to the best
interests of the State and directly antago
nizing the known interests of the producing
classes. Such men have appeared in every
State Grange held annually since that date.
and have always been striving to so direct
and shape the action Of the Order as to attain
its highest and best purposes-the social and
moral elevation Of the farmers as a class,
and the protection and advancement of
their financial interests as a body, knowing
full well that if the industry that consti-
tuted the bedrock or foundation of all other
industries was kept in a proper channel and
was made to be generally prosperous, that all
other industries and the State at large would
be prosperous. There were other men who
went into that State meeting with equally
good intentions and motives, but VITA less
ability to generalizs and reason correctly
demanded Immediate relief from local wrongs
or special hardships which they were suffer-
ing, or fancied they were suffering, from the
commercial classes or from railroad or other
corporations. This class of persons also
looked to the ritual of the Association as an
unbending law that could in no instance be
omitted or suspended or deviated from, and
hence were prompted to raise numerous ques-'
tons of order and practice, which had to be
IL cad IofoA 41r,r e
and expense of more real important business.
Then there was another class of self-seekers
who subordinated all other questions to self
advancement, either in the Order or in poll
tics outside, and who we've bent en- all occa-
sions to make themselves conspicuous and
oticious. Then from the very fact that
farmers had not been in the habit of meeting
often, either socially or for business purposes,
there was q sort of shyness or distrust per-
vading the whole Order, and the best of mo-
tives were often misconssrued and distorted
into evil or ambitious purposes. As is gen.
orally the case with new secret organizations,
the members expected too much of the Order,
and because their anticipations, however I'M
reasonable, were not realized immediately,
there developed a very general feeling of dis
content and disposition to depreciate the
real good that was being accomplished.
All these troubles that were apparent in
the State Grange, and had their influence
against the Order as a whole were to be found
in each subordinate Grange, operating against
the harmony aud success of the Order in To-
calities throughout the State. Thus immedi-
ately following the food tide that filed
the State with Oranges and Changers there
came an ebb tide that reduced the number of
Oranges and Changers in the course of few
years very materially. But through all these
obstacles, and notwithstanding all these diff
fculties, and many others not referred to, the
principles and purposes of the Order have re-
manned unchanged and still remain to be the
elevation OF the agricultural classes, intel
lectually, socially and morally, and their adj
vancement financially. In these objects a
few good men and women in each locality,
whether the local Grange has been disorgan
lied or not, have worked with steady, I'M
wayering purpose, never responding or losing
faith in the final triumph of the Order or the
accomplishment Of its best objects. By de.
grees the really evil-disposed members, the
self-seekers and adventurers of all kinds, have
dropped out of the Order, and the charters
of many local Oranges have been surrendered,
but the general cause has been steadily ad-
vancing Farmers and their families
have become better acquainted with
each other, their social relations and
friendships have grown, and confidence
has been strengthened between individuals
and broader and more enlightened opinion
of the real benefits of the Order has attained
With these changes for the better in the Order
snd in individual members old subordinate
Oranges that had given up their charters
have been reorganized, new Oranges have
been formed, and the membership has been
materially Increased throughout the State.
As an evidence of these facts, and as conse-
quence of these changes, the late State
Grange held at Santa Rosa was naxt to the
State Grange of 1874 at Stockton, the largest
ever held in the State. From the reports of
its proceedings we have seen we judge they
were firm, conservative and digniGed through
out The platform or declaration of princi-
Piles adopted is direct, concise and eompre-
hensiye, and evidently if carried ont would
benefit all classes of the community. and
rebound to the best interest of the whole
State. They were adopted unanimously and
are substantially as follows: 1. enforcement
of the laws against pooling and combinations
to control the market, 2. Equitable taxa
ton and retrenchment in all Government
matters s. No Discrimination on the public
highways for or against any one. 4. Laws
to protect the people against corporations. 5.
The public lands for the people, and should
be held for actual settlement. 6. Laws
should restrict corporations and protect the
masses. Z Laws against bribery and cor
ruption in public offices should be enforced.
s. Transportatish companies should be forced
to charge on the basis of cost and risk in
stead of what traffic will bear. g. In favor
of national postal telegraph. 10. Land mo-
nopoly prevents settlement, and monopoly
landowners should be taxed the same as
homestead settlers. II. Favor non-partisan-
ship in Grange matters. II. Every man to
be required to use his property so as to injure
no others, whether in farming or mining IS.
The Grange makes nowar upon corporations,
but against their aggression. A. The Gov
ernment is bound to regulate railroads and
telegTaphs it charters in behalf Of the people.
15 There should be no dominant or privi-
legged classes. An additional. resolution
against the present system Of hydraulic min.
ing was adopted.
Aside from the thousands of local benefits
that are accruing to the farming communities
from the influence of the Order we may name
as general and obvious benefits the Changers
Bank of San Francisco, composed and con-
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