The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-12-22
State Grange.

At the meeting of the State Grange
at Harrisburg last week V. E. Piolette
made a speech, of which the following
| Is an extract:
This is our tenth annual meeting of
the state organization. You are aware
that we could not make state organi-
zation until we had certain number
of subordinate organizations. Although
we feel that the farmers have been
derelict in not embracing this orgauiza-
ton with greater alacrity and read
iness, still we recognize that we have
made commendable progress. We
have awakened those of our own class
to IN appreciation of the importance of
encouraging such intimate social and
buslnesss relations among ourselves as
would, IN measure, compensate for
the disadvantage of our comparatively
Isolated manner of life. We could not
have farms in the towns and cities.
Indeed it has been well said that gen
orally, where there is town or city,
there is good farm spoiled (merrl.
menD; and not only have we to live in
the country, but we have to labor, on
an average, thirteen or fourteen hours
of the twenty-folr. 1t seems that it is
impossible for farm establishment to
be conducted without this extraordina-
ry amount of labor--an expenditure of
effort not common to any of the indus
tries OF the county other than our own
This Is accounted for not only upon
the tact alluded to by the gentleman
who preceded me, that ours is the
greatest fountain from which all the
channels of trade emanate and from
which all the industries annually re-
celve their recruits--not only do we
constitute the great conservative reser-
yoir which serves to keep society in or
der-but we take care of the focks and
herds. The whole animal creation de-
pends upon our toll and care-and it is
quite as much of task to rear them as
1t Is to nurture our own species Here
N we have labor and Responsibility that
do not come within the purview of any
other industry and when listening to
remarks such as were uttered by the
gentleman who preceded me, feel
that the grange, i'll its progress, is in
deed leaving the imprint of its infu-
ence upon our own times Applause
We have, this year, added to our
numbers more than one thousand mem-
berS. One thousand farmers who had
never before come within our grange
have agreed to its secret formula and
are satisfied and pleased with its pur
poses. We propose to go on increas-
ing and we propose, moreover, as we
progress, to meet boldly every cxigen-
cy that arises. This leads me to en-.
qulre, what is it, farmers, that stands
in our way--what is the evil from
which we seek relief. 1t is the same
that has made the task of the farmer
an onerous one in all ages of civiliza-
ton. 1t is the evil of unequal repre-
sentation and its immediate and con
sequentresult,unequal taxation. 1t is the
story OF every government that has had
an existence, that its burdens have
been thrown upon the agricultural
class and that this class has been un-
reasonably and unfairly dealt with.
This has been done by the
force OF law. |. has been done ar
bltrarily and by no better warrant than
that by which it was attempted to
force the American colonies into sub
lection to a distant and foreign govern
ment. When we investigate the condi-
ton of the agricultural classes of the
word aud particularly of that class in
our own country, we find that there
are laws upon our statute books which
are not sanctioned by any principle
known to republican government or
enunciated in the creation of free gov
ernment We therefore mean to agi-
tate tins question, and, by our voice
and by what is more potential, by our
votes, TO teach all other classes that
we must be allowed to stand upon a
broad plane of equality with every
industry and with every other class of
our fellow citizens. Enthusiasm.
We mean to vote Tor and we mean to
make use of our organization for lust
laws. We make no war upon any
rights that are secured under the
shield OF statutory provisions, but we
demand justice and equality before the
law, We know that when we do or
ganize, that when our columns do 90
forth to the peaceful arbitration of the