Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-05-18
PATRONS OF MUsBANDRY,
MORTIMER WHITEHEAD.


OF late years it has been plainly APP
parent to observing persons that the
great corporations were more and
more getting control of the highest
legislative body in our country, viz:
the U. s. Senate. Irrespective OF party
State Legislatures were so controlled
and influenced as to secure the cleo
ton of Senators of large means, and
whose fortunes had been made, or de-
pended upon the corporations in
which they either held high official
positions or upon whom they were de-
pendent for favors. When once secure
in their places, being so far above
and beyond the people, their voices
and votes have too often represented
their corporation hackers rather than
the people This, among other impor-
tant questions, has been talked over
in the Oranges of the United States
for several years, and resulted in the
growth Of u sentiment that the United
States Senators should be elected by
a direct vote of the people, to whom
they should be responsible for their
actions. Surely, it is much easier to
influence and control the votes of
Legislature than to influence and con-
troll the votes of all the voters of
State. The National Grange and
many of the State Oranges have for
several years placed themselves on
record in favor of constitutional
amendment that United States Sena-
tors should be elected by the people.
Through the Grange it has been kept
before the people, and before Con-
gress, and now we can report that in
Congress the House Committee on
Revision of the Laws has decided
almost unanimously to report the
joint resolution proposing an amend
ment to the Constitution for the cleo
ton of United States Senators by the
direct votes of the people.
If reports were to be depended upon
the Patrons of Husbandry would be
found to have as many lives as the
proverbial cat. "Oh, the Grange is
dead, we hear-not seven times alone.
but seventy times seven" yet when
the attempt is made to bury the Order
a very lively corpse is found. If the
Grange is dying out it has q peculiar
way of doing so. For instance during
the past year it died to the extent
of 100 new members in Maine; gave
up the ghost in Massachusetts by
doubling its membership in that State;
passed away TO the tune of the addi-
ton of fifteen new Oranges month.
The last Grange organized in Pennsyl-
vania commenced with but fifty-one
charter members, and another in the
same State reorganized with only
ninety-three members. These may
all be signs of decay, but we advise
those who consider the Grange only a
poor old hollow tree, green" at the
top, not to bump up against it very
hard, or it may fall on them. The
Order has an informal manner of dis
appointing people sometimes. The
Changers have few things to settle
up, too, before "giving up their char
ter" for instance, they doubled up
railroad over in the Green Mountain
State, not long ago, which still needs
looking after from time to time. Then
there are their Hatch Experimental
Stations, recent acquisition which
they want to try awhile before depart
ing this ife;" and the oleomargarine
law-they must keep an eye on that
awhile yet. The fact is, the Grange
is here to stay until there is no longer
any necessity for its existence. And
from the existing state of affairs in
our country to-day, it is evident that
the Grange will last until after the
next presidential election, anyway.