Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-17
nA1HE STATE oaAuoR-
tcorsinaed from iss page j


believe thas il can in M other way be OF
20 much benefi: to our order.
Agriculture.
We shoaII endeavor TO strengthsn the
hands OF The hnsban3man, as hi, necaPa-
ton is the foundation upoa which all others
are based and without which no others eoaii
exist.
Agriculture as isnee. has male such
progress that one. 10 cSmpete successfully
in it. should be the equal in leArpiux atii
sill If thass in xry Of the rrofsssians.
With skill, essn the grsrIse bills OF View
England will amply repay the t'iler OF the
soil The day for purely physicai farming
has loax ,in,e passed oae 10 tie \ sue
ces.ful f.rmsr today must not oely have
mu.calsr BAT mental power. lie must be
sklsnl. able TO grssp natures po~srs an
bring illsm into hi. serse. He should het
only have good, sound eommon sense. sosd
judgment. ba. should be learned IN the
sciences end in the business Affairs OF life
sm aware that many look upon our Stste
as producing nothing but granite ard ice,
but when We see, for SIX months IN lie
year, ocean steamships leaving our sesports
loaded with the justly celebrated Mairc
Bald~ins, miles of freight cars loaded with
Maine sweet corn. and Aroostook potatoes,
have we NOT good reason to feel that Maine
ever. has u grand future before it as an
Agricultural State:
National Grange.
At the meeting of the National Grange
at Atlanta, nearly every state was repre-
sented. At the same time the attendance
outside of the legal representation was
quite small.
The National Alliance has swept over the
Southern, and many of the Western States
oyershadowing for the time being all other
kindred organi cations. Consequently, our
organization is, at present, not hourishing
in those sections. At the same time, those
most interested in its welfare have strong
hopes for the future.
Among the most important questions
that came before the meeting was the re-
port of majority of the Executive Com
mittee. recommending the unlimited coin
age OF silver, increase your circulating
medium to about three times its present
amount, and loaning it TO the people on
mortgages at low rate of interest. This
report was opposed by the New England
delegation, and others, as being unwise
and fraught with evils too great to risk.
Notwithstanding the opposition, the re-
Fort was passed and will go forth as the
voice of the grange.
| presented TO the grange petitions
from q large number of Patrons of the
county of Piscataquis, asking that each
state be allowed to regulate the fees and
dues of its members 1t was voted to take
no action in the matter.
In view of the fact that at the last session
of our State Grange it was decided by an
almost unanimous vote, that it was inexpe
dent to make any change in our laws in
this respect your representatives did not
feel that they could, in justice to their
constituency, press the matter.
This question of Fees and Dues has been
menacing our organization for years, and
my immed iate predecessor has in several of
his annual addresses called the attentos of
the State Grange to it, still no definite &C
ton has been taken. | think that we must
all feel that if any of our Subordinate
Oranges are breaking our laws, that it is
and must be great source of weakness,
not only to them, but TO the entire order in
our State.
If our laws are not right, let us make an
earnest effort to have them changed, but
while they are laws that we have taken a
solemn OBJ igaton to abide by, trust that
we may all cheerfully assist in carrying
them out. That we will, with one voice,
unite in saying that as long as they are eur
laws, we will strictly and cheerfully OBJ
serve them.
trust that this question will be fully
considered at this meeting, and Whatever
your conclusions may be, will use my
best efforts to carry out your wishes, not
only in this, but every other question that
may arise pertaining to the good of our
noble order
Ritual.
On assuming the duties of Master. e1
messed the oninion that one of the great
moods Of the vrar 90 was n better dseipline
,rd a. bpcome hotter ,cona;nted with the
or1cr am the more deeplv Immersed with
This i.lea univer,aIly find that our
.tronpcst Subordinate Oranges are those in
which the hest disciplipe ia maintained and
The ritual Il, hest undeYstood and re.pected.
and believing this. in nv visits to the Po-
mona and Subordinate Oranges during the
vear have enae.vored 10 impr.ss tbi,
;de, unon them. both by precept and ex
annie
In This work have had the hearty en-
onoration of onr Denuties an ~ whom
have ,.hored faithfully for tho good of the
order Our State Lecturer in his many
Visits made bv order Of the Executive
Commi,tee has dore . oood work in this
,,irect;op Our thanks are due to all these
officers for their excellent work for the up
o"'''"h Vi '''
during the year me organic laws OF our
order have been so changed that any atate
grange can Tx the fees OF membership at a
sum not less than one dollar for men and
fifty cents Tor women. It's for you to say
what this sum shall be IN our State.
trust that your action VIII be guided
only by what you believe TO De Tor the best
interests OF the order.
NO deserving person should be kept from
joining our ranks on account OF excessive
Tees; at the same time they should NOT be
fixed at sum so small that undeserving
persons or any out of mere idle curiosity
with no love for our principles, will seek
to Join us.
Where few in family wish to become
Patrons. think that the price is a. present
rs small as it can safely be; at the same
"'"e ie "'e 20, "'
w;.h 20 ha nnro,,aa a. .rnh al 10 or,er,e
ali. hnr5ansoa II o.sss &c ~.
-, - ''o,,. o,roe,I oon.;da,.,;nn
-ho,ho, ,ha Co., oarro, h., ,adncoa .nd no
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