The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-10-03
The Grange Anniversary.

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Lion of Cecil Grange No. 3, was very
seriously interfered with on Satur-
day last by the severe rain storm
which prevailed on Friday and Sat.
urday. The audience was small,
compared to the attendance which
fair weather would have insured
Two of the speakers, Messrs. Nc
Sparren and Ogden, were present,
but Mr.. Carter was prevented from
coming by the heavy. rain.
BY two O'Clock IN the afternoon
the Hall was about three fourths
filled, when the Master of the Grange,
Mr.. Thos. j. Wilson, in few vel
chosen preliminary remarks intro
duced Mr.. Jas. G. McSparcn of
Fulton Grange, Lancaster Co, Pa.
Mr.. McSparren did no. beat about
! the bush by the customary compli-
mentarv boasting of the great things
the Grange was preparing to accom-
plish, but giving it credit for the
good 1t had done, declared that it
was Tut 1.-THE of what should have
been accomplished. The farmers
had been too much afraid of Offend
ing somehody. They had apparent
ly been afraid of their own shadows,
and the Grange had so confined itself
to a pastoral, innocent kind of life
that IT has made but little impression
on public opinion or had but little
influence in public affairs. The
speaker had forseen this and repeat
edIy warned the Order that it would
have TO step out of its rural, pas
toral, innocent state of existence
and take bold decided stand in
shaping public affairs, or it would he
superseded by a more aggressive and
active organization. This he said
is now being verified in the rapid
growth of the Farmers Alliance.
which is enrolling the farmers and is
making old party politicians quail
before its aggressive work and rad
cal demands. The farmers, like the
Irish who had been fighting the bat
ties of every other nation but their
own, had bait ed for every other
interest but their own. They had
been afraid to use the ballot for their
own interests but had unfalteringly
and unbrokenly, as Napoleon's old
guard, voted to sustain the money
and banking monopoly, and the man.
ufacturers and the transportation
monopolies, till at the end of quarter
of century those classes which they
had so steadily voted for and sus-
tanned on all and every occasion,
are now rolling in wealth and the
farmers were on the ragged edge of
bankruptcy. The time for fac hair
splitting theory and policies had
ended and the cold facts were taking
their places. After more than 25
years Of steady solid protection to
American Labor. and building up of
home market" all other industries
were rolling in wealth while agricul
ture had been plucked clean. 1t was
impossible to argue down naked
facts. Here they stood asserting
themselves, and could not and would
not be put down. The prices of ii
products are lower than they were
thirty years ago, but nothing that the
farmer had to buy had been lowered
in price in the ratio to that of the
farmers products. What he had to
sell had fallen faster and further in
price than anything he had to buy
While our government laid its pro
tccting shield over every other in.
tcrest, the American farmer had to
compete with the Indian Hindoo. the
Russian serf and the Egyptian feliah,
in the markets of the world. He had
been bled to substitute every other
industry, but his own had been
turned out to fight for existence
against the pauper labor of Europe,
Asia and Africa. This was the con.
dtion of affairs which now faced the
American farmer, and if the Grange
proposed 20 content itself with pass
ing resolutions and then fold its
hands and sit down, and not u0te for
the farmers interest as well as ores
olute," it might as we'll close its
doors. The speaker declared that
the farmers 'policv' in future was
wider market and freer exchange
with the whole world, that recproc
lay and free trade with all the world
should be the farmers policy; that he
was compelled to sell his produce in
the lowest markets in the world and
it was his interest and should be his
privilege to buy in the same. The
time had come when tho farmer must
set about taking care of himself, and
let other interests shift for them
selves also.
Mr.. Ogden. of Baltimore. was the
next speaker and he delivered a
carefully prepared address on the
subject of taxation of land values, or
as he termed it "the single tax"
theory of raising all government
revenues. We publish the address
on on first page. and bespeak for it
a careful examination by our readers.
This system of taxation is creating
unusual interest not on'y in this
country hut throughout European
nations and on the continent of Aus
tralia. The idea of taking part of
the values which population and
indnstry creates and which nnw on