Evening star., 1886-11-09
THE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
Something About . Great Order Which
Was Organized I'm Washington.

p. -
Something About a Great Order which
Was Organized I'm Washington.
The twentieth annual session of the National
Grange. Patrons OF Husbaudry, will begin in
Philadelphia on Wednesday morning, con-
tinuing for eight days. Delegates will be in at
tendance from every state and territory,
among them many distinguished men. The
sessions will be private, none but members Of
the order being admitted. On Thursday after
noon public reception will be rendered the
members OF the National Grange, when ad
dresses OF welcome will be made by Gov. Pat
tison and Mayor Smith, Of Philadelphia.
Speeches will also be made by Hon. Leonard
H1one, worthy state master OF Pennsylvania;
ter OF the Maine state grange; Hon. A. X. Mo
Clure and others.
From very small beginning the order of the
years OF It's existence TO vast proportions and
10 De q power for good among the farmers OF
the country. Its aims may be gathered from
the following extracts from the
"DECLARATIoN OF PURPOSES"
OF the order: ITO develop better and q higher
manhood and wOmanhood among ourselves.
To enhance the comforts and attractions Of our
homes and strengthen our attachments to our
pursuits. To foster mutual understanding and
co-operation. To maintain inviolate our laws,
and to emulate each other in labor to hasten
the good time coming. To reduce our expenses,
and produce more, In order to make our farms
self-sustaining To diversity our crops, and
crop no more than We can cultivate. To con-
dense the weight OF our exports, selling less In
the bushel ana more on hOOf aud in fleece. To
systematic our work and Calculate intelli-
gently on probabilities. To discoun tenance the
credit system, the mortgage sys stem, the fashion
system. and every other system tending to
prodigality and bankruptcy. We propose meet
gether, selling together, and in general acting
together Tor our mutual protection and ad-
vancement, eIt,,e as occasion may require"
was, in large measure, intended to be educa-
tional In its scope and TO bring members of
farming communities into closer relations
socially and develop among them a love for
study, for refinement, and for the decoration
and beautitying of the home-in a word. to
than under the old conditions it was wont
to be.
THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER.
The order OF the Patrons Of Husbandry was q
result of tour through the south in search of
information regarding the farming industry
clerk in the Department of Agriculture under
MT. Newton, at that time commissioner OF agri-
culture. Mr.. Kelley was struck with the
tiOn which characterized the farming COM
munities of the south, and in casting about for
some means to give an impulse in the direction
Patrons OF Husbandry.
ORGANIZATION IN WASHINGTON
Returning TO Washington, MIR. Kelley inter-
ested six other gentlemen in his project, and
thus the order was started. Mr.. Kelley's coad-
tutors were: w. NJ. Ireland. at that time chief
clerk OF the finance division of the Post Office
department.; VIM. Saunders, superintendent OF
the grounds of the Agricultural department.;
Rev. A. b. Grosh, T. clerk in the Agricultural
Department.; Rev. John Trimbie, tuen in the
Treasurs; j. r. Thompson, who held an impur-
tant place in that department, and +. NJ. Nc
DoWeli, then, as now, weii-known vineyardst
vaAr
labored in perfecting the details OF their organ
ization, which they based on a ritual of TOUR
degrees for men and four for women. Having
formed a constitution, these seven men met on
the 4th of December, 1867, in MIR. Saunders
office In Washington, and constituted them
selves the National Grange OF the Patrons of
Husbandry, with Mr.. Saunders as master, MIR.
Thompson as lecturer, Mr.. Ireland as secretary,
and Mr.. Kelley as treasurer.
RAPID GROWTH OF THE ORDER
From this small beginning, less than twenty
years ago, has sprung up an order which is
firmly established in every state and territory
in the Union, with q total mem mbership swelling
into the millions. Growth was slow during
the first two years of the orders existence.
Later its prosperity and usefulness were greatly
endangered by the efforts OF ambitious men to
use the order TO forward their own political
ends. Those attempts were happily defeated
and membership thereafter conferred with
more discrimination, SO that only those en-
gagged directly in agricultural pursuits could
become affiliated with the order. From this
healthy. The founders now joined by hum
dreds VI disciples as enthusiastic themselves
were unttriug in their efforts to push the order.
Mr.. Kelley was SO enthusiastic in the cause
that lie resigned his clerkship and took the
field, holding meetings wherever and when
ever II WAS possible to get group OF farmers
together 10 listen to q presen taliOn Of the many
advantages that would surely come to them ii
they would espouse the principles Of the order
In a short time other general deputies were APP
pointed by the national body aud sent into
other sections of the country.
WOMEN ADMITTED.
The grange receives women into full member
ship on equal terms with men and accords to
them all the immunities and prerogatives
enjoyed by the sterner sex. In the grange
national, state and subordinate, women exer-
else the right OF voting, participate in discus
SiOns whenever SO inclined and are eligible to
any office, from the lowest to the highest. Nor
is 1t q thing uncommon to fnd a woman dis
charging the duty OF secretary, with a pains
taking carelulness and thoroughness that does
much tor the prosperity OF the grange. The
working OF those grangeS which have had
women tor master, secretary and lecturer, and
many minor official positions, reveals the some
what anomalous tact that they take a deeper
concern in the success OF the order than 10 the
men: are more punctual in their discharge Of
organization under their care in u most pros
porous condition.