The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-01-10
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
Annual Address of ]. J. Woodman.
Master of the National Grange,
Delivered mt the Seventeenth Annual
Session, in the City OF WASH
ingtOn.

| As members Of the National Grange, and rep
| resentatives of the State aud Subordiuat
| Oranges constituting our great order, we we
again met in this deli htful city where our
| order was formed. and where most OF It's hon
ored founders still reside: aud Il is Fortunate
| indeed, that we are honOred with their pre- ence
| and aided by their counsel on this occasion OF
opening our seventeenth annual session
! From information generously furnished me
| by the Secretaries OF the State Oranges, COM
pile the following items OF interest:
| LECTURERS DOCUMENTS
| The Secretaries OF twentyIour State Oranges
send these documents promptly 10 the Subor-
| dinatc Oranges, - four do not. Two OF the
latter, give as "A reason tor not sending them
| that they are published IN the State Grange
| organ" II WIS the intention OF tue National
Grange TO have these documents sent promptly
70 every Subordinate Grange 70 be used or
filed for use when needed believing that in so
doing they would be better appreciated and
| receive more attention than they would by
simply publishing th m in grange papers; but
il the latter course will answer the same purpose
| much or the expense OF printing, po stage and
mailing can be saved. The question deserves
| atten ION.
| AGRIcuITURAI EXPERIMENT STATIONS
| Eight States are reported as having agricult-
| ural experiment stations. four of which have
! been established through the influence or our
| organization. Some of these are roDably con-
! nected with the agricultural colleges, but the
| number does not include all the farms connect
I ed with colleges where experiments are made in
| connection with the school course OF study. The
| question OF estab ishiIg hese stations in sew
| eral other Sta es il now being agItatcd 10y
| Patrons. and all reliable intor nation in relation
| To their management and the results obt ined
s.oalt be Jllected and disseminated "a widely
| pcs lille.
| EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
1t appears from the reports of the Secretaries
of the State Oranges thaC there are in the whole
country thirteen agricultural COLLEGES
Fourteen States nave provided for q pro-
fessor OF agriculture in their State universities
| OF these. one chair is vacant, some reported
az failures, and few are doing something in
impartIng instruction in agricultural science
and the mechanic arts; but tn v cannot he
Ciassed "a agricultural colleges, or he sad 10
answer the demands OF agriculture for such.
Most of the independent agricultural colleges
are doing good work and are rasonably well
sustained and patrOnized. Their course OF
study is thoroughly pr ctical and educational,
in which the applica ion of $ .ience to agricult-
ure and tn mechanic arts domestic economy
and such other usefu objects and purposes as
the wants of the great masses OF our people de-
| mand, is made the leading feature.
This is indeed encouraging, but the progress
made in establishing and developing .hese
schools has been too slow. It has not kept ace
with the improvement and progress of the n &c.
There should be at least one Independent az
ricultural college amply endowed and literally
susta ned III each State, where the sons and
daughters OF farmers alike can pursue, wi the
least possible expense, tho oughly practical
and scie Itltic course of study, suited To e
wants of rural life and agricultural pursuits To
eacA college should be an experimental farm at
taChed, where the students may fnd lnvigOrat-
ing, useful and remunerativc employment for a
few hours each day, rs relaxation from study
and tle drill OF the recitation and lecture room,
and where the lie sons OF the textbooks, the
| lecture room and laboratory can b. aided ny
practical demonstrations in the field, the or
chard, the Vineyard, the garden the far yard
ana the workshop. To AID and encourage the
establi hment and support of these Institutions,
our Order should give its whole influence.
COMMON SCHOOLS.
There are nearly 100000 puJils in the pri-
mary. or common schools OF this country, of
which only about one in thirty ever rea n the
high schoo, aud but enc in 80 the co lege.
Nearly sc enty-hve pc, cent. of all the CHI ldren
in the nation finish their school edu aGod in the
common schools Nothing could show more
cl, arly the import nee OF these schools
in the educational system of this coun-
try. or he ter demonstrate tle necessity OF in
creasing their proficiency, and the cOmpre-
hensiveness of the branch = of learning taught
i'll them. Here, too, Is work for our orginiza-
ton.
Whether farmers have graduated in the col
lege. the high school. or the common school.
the Grange supplies TO them a lOng-telt want,
although their real educat onal advantages have
not vet bcrn fully appreciated or developed,
eXcei in isolated cases. They are institutions
where the valuable lessons of the DOL, the
farm. and the household can be reviewed,
fam liarlzed, and made useful and practical
where men and WON IN can accustom themseivcS
to public reading. reciting, and speaking: where
valuable knowledge can b received and inn
| ted by lectures, essays, nd discussions, and
in the exchange of views upon important ques-
!
hun an nature are developed and made III re
lovely and lOyable, and where the widow and
the fatherlcss, though poor ana burdened with
ca e and sore Anil ton, can feel that they are
not doomed. isolated and alone, to toll ON
through weary life, without friends, SYM
pathy, society, or hope OF advancement
great frateinal brotherhood. unit d
by a common interest and / lbor ny fer the good
OF all Then let Us put ORTIZ our best efforts TO
build mp our suDOrdna grange ana make
! tclnIlCS Wisdom, bTOtncrly
love.
TRANSPORTATION.
Mainly through the infucnc of our organiza-
ton, the Legislatures OF thirteen - ateS have
been induced to enact just and whocsom laws
regulating the manag ment Of railroads within
the r borders; and IL generally admitted that
such &c, ion has been beneficial not only To the
pc II le at large but To the companies, storing
confidence and better understanding between
them. The right of State to limit G amo M
of charges by tail cad companies for fares and
FIRE ghts hasagain been affr med in n cent de
osion by the SupreMe court of the United
States, thus establishing. b.yond AL question
and all fear OF an adverse ruling, the prin-
ipl OF law enuncidted by our ocder
in its early history, and for watch "
| mas 80 IN nfully contende l.: and the way has
been made lear, not only for preventing unju
determinations by railro q manag rs be-
tw, en- individuals and ali les within the
State, but to secure and maintain for the people
enelts rom the rOa =, comm nSaratc with chs
franchises granted 90 he COMPANIES
his H. one of the triumphs of our Order, and
|
| sity. bat its owe accomplish inst purposes
! The power of Congress ito reguta e commerce
| among the eral States, II wis " pr vi .eC
| fer in the Con ,itution of the United St ties
! aud not only Congress but the sovereign u oplC
have been warned, 10y committee tn,
! United States Senate. compos Il of eminent
| Senator's and leade IN the TWO great poitica
/. ! parties of 1.-The country, that fOdr men, con
| trolling the four great trunk lines between
| Chicago and New York, possess and exercise
! lowers which the Con OF the United States
would not venture to ass ut. They NAV at any
tine, and for reasonss tisiactory TO tn smseves
| by single rose OF the pen, T duce the val ne o
property in this country ~ hund g rs at mil ions
| OF dollars" This warming cannot be too often re-
Gated or too well understo 3D. Had the Sena
comm tee declared that the corporation,
owning and cont olng these lin - OF road pos
United States, TO enrich their MANAGERS by tax
ing people To poverty, tina fact would not hav,
| been more clearly expressed And vet nin
years have pass d, and Congress has uiyen N,
relief 10 the country from this crushing a spot
lsm; nj IN tho meantime these colossal or
ganZat. ons have be come stronger and IN lre i'm
pcrious, aud are rive ing fc tiers upon our agri
cultu al interests fatal as d ath Il self and "a
unyieldin AZ the grave" There should be n,
lax ton of effort on the part Z tue Natona
} Grange 20 enhghten our IN mbers and innuenc
public sentiment up this question
COOPERATION.
II does not appear that business co operation
"a one of the purposes of the order, was enter
-. L.. a. Il.