The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-03-09
nothing was to be done BY the Com

| 'htJOIW St9Hut - al organ, out 50
far as the State Grange is concerned
there is not the slightest foundation
for such an assertion, or so far as I
know as to any number of individual
members of the order. [ have never
received bnt one note, except those
from Feastervillo Grange, before stated,
or had but u single patron to talk to
ME in such a way as to cause me to
suppose it was claimed to represent
the State Grange or order. The State
Grange adopted q resolution iustructiug
its Executive Committee to make an
effort to have the Agricultural Bureau
aud State Agricultural Society join it
in publishing a paper that would
serve as an organ for each respectively,
aud, failing in that, to recommend to
the Order in the State the "Southern
Patron," a grange paper now pub
lished in Mississippi. A communica-
tion from the Executive Committee of
the State Grange is now in the hands
of Governor Hagood, Chairman of the
| Agricultural Bureau, awaiting a meet
ing of said Bureau, and the Executive
y Temmittee is waiting for an answer to
SExeEaosition as preliminary to
ss;S nTSSasstyse, stye Mississippi paper.
~ a,;o, ,S .e - MGS*jes In the Grange.
! Now, as to poliltI:!se En1stlsan enaT'
There can be none of pas. Saeo' a.
acter, and 80 far as au couceSsG-
though always considered raths = -
trense straight out Democrat" have
endeavored to DO no act or Say no
word that would have the slightest
seublapce of political partiality in my
intercourse with the members of the
order, officially or otherwise, and l
feel confident that such members as
belong to other political parties will
sustain me in the assertion. Some,
! even in the order, may not be aware
that even 10 South Carolina there ere
Republicans" aud "Greeubackers," "
as we'll as Democrats" in the Grange,
ard some of the most efficient Masters
| and officers of some of the strongest
and most aourishing Oranges are OF
the two FIRST named. In other States
the editors Of grange organs are d.
vided among the various parties. My
views as to politics in the Grange are
to discuss anything and everything OF
benefit or interest to the order or the
people, but to do it strictly as Patrons
| and rot as either Democrats, Repub'l
cans or Greeubackers, and when a
conclusion is reached that is deemed
wise, true and just, then let each aud
all 90 to their political party meetings
and work and insist that said party
shall act and aid 10 carrying such con.
clusious out. On, this ground stand
lin the National Grange and in the
State Grange. ;.
There can be no harm done in dis
cussins and considering any ques'
ton, if this rule is fairly adhered to,
and the Grange would be more usefu]
and better appreciated if it was more
extensively used 10 this way.
| Now, l have written you lone
letter as Master of State Grange and
before closing I want to say word as
an unofficial citizen.
There seems great want Of proper
understanding among the people, and
between the people and their public
representatives and officials. Does
not much if not all this come from
our not fairly and fully expressing our
views and wants at the right time
and in the right way? Instead ol
gruwbling, abusing and denouncing
our representatives and threatening to
quit the Democratic party after things
are done, would it not be better to de-
termine what we want and what We
| don't want done, and be sure ne select
the men that know how and will do
things to suit US? No man realizes more
fully than I that deep and thorough
reform is needed in the public affairs
of the State, aud also in the Demo
cratic party, and no one will go far
ther to effect aud to secure it than l.
,0ithin the party; but ! fail to see
that chances or prospects of reform
are any more promising on the out
| side than the inside.
There may be "ring" in the Dem.
ocratic party, and if there is | will
| aid all I can to break it up and defea!
| it ); but if it can't be done and | must
allow a ring to 'run" me, l want to
be sure it is q Democratic one, and
am not at all disposed to run out of a
Democratic ring into unknown rings
| If the Democratic party is run BY a
ring, what guarantee have [ that
other parties are not run by more OBJ
iectionable ones? AS John Randolph
said, when a man bantered him to bet
on the race e-course, and said: "My
friend here will, hold the stakes -
Eyes but who In the devil will hold
your friend p
The Democratic party IS bad
enough, but l don't intend to lily
from the ills I have to those kno"
not Of" Let US all still stick to our
State Democratic organization and
fight for reform within it, but not
leave it until the last plank sinks
Then it will be time enough to form
new ties. Now for reform within the
party while organizing to fight all op'
ponents in the coming and future
Campaigns. AS there is some misap.
| preheusion as to the Grange, and
many false ideas as to its position IN
this State, I would like you should
give as much publicity as you can to