The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-09-12
Friday. Sept. IL, 1880.
The Grange not the Grange Of 20
Years Ago.

that the Grange OF To-Day does not
differ IN purpose and spirit from the
organization of the early Oranges,
has failed to read the signs of the
times and mark the march of events.
The primitive grange was, in its
main purpose and features kind OF
pastoral arrangement, intended to
bring coantry people into closer So
cial relations, and build up pleas.
ant intercourse between people Of
the same neighborhood and calling,
by stated meetings punctuated by
imposing ceremonials. Little beyond
this was expected of the Grange,
and engrafted on this was CO
operative feature of buying at whole
sale, which feature was not new, but
the assembling of neighborhood
population, engaged in agricultural
pursuits, at stated periods, made
this cooperative feature of easy,
practical adoption. And "buying
together, selling together was in
cluded in the declaration of the pur-
noses of the order. 1t was solem1ly
stipulated and proclaimed from the
house tops, that everything of sec
tartan or political nature was forbid.
den the sacred precincts OF the
Grange, the farmer being about as
shy of those subjects as the old time
children were of the bug-a boo in the
dark. After the social tete a.tete
was enjoyed there remained nothing
tangible in the make up of the prm-
itiye grange but the commercial fea
ture. This soon oyershadowed every,
thing else and the chance of saving
a dollar in making purchases took
precedent of ali else. A purely sell
fish motive having asserted itself as
the predominating spirit in the
grange, middle men were not slow to
take advantage of this weakness, and
SOW discussions in the order. The
oranges soon began to fall to pieces
as rapidly as they were formed, till
but handful remained, which were
fortunate in haying men of more
than average ability and intelligence
at their head.
This relapse into isolation again,
on the part of the farmers, continued
for a number of years, their old
maxim being relied on of, "every
man for himself and the devil for the
hindmost." This devil of greed kept
steadily on the farmers track, and
having succeeded beyond expecta-
tion in breaking up or weakening
the organization which promised a
union of strength among farmers, the
arch enemy not only took the hind
most but was soon reaching Gut pre-
pared to take in the foremost like.
wise, and lead captives the whole
agricultural population. The buyer,
the seller, the commission man, the
railroad, the corn exchange, the flour
exchange, the banker, the broker, all
reaching out as the farmer passed
along Gu. slice of of his loaf till
the heel of the lc If was all he had
left. The daily papers which are the
right hand of the monopolies and
middle class, whose business it is
to exact toll from industry, sent out
their reporters to interview this new
order among farmers, and they came
back singing, the granger with hay
seed in his hair, and all the traders
and huxters who fattened on the
farmers products, joined in the
chorus, like the Phiistines in the
temple crying poor blind Sampson
grinding at the mill. The politicians
visited him periodcally-generalIy
village lawyer-before elections were
to be held, and they kept up his
spirits by telling in knowing tropes"
and sounding metaphors, what a
beautiful pastoral life the farmer en-
joyed and lauded his independence
and freedom to the skies. And the
farmer is free to rove about the open
couutry like the Indians did before
his coming and this Is the alpha and
omega of his freedom. He is not
free to help give moral tone or status
to society, he has not the freedom of
Legislative and congressional halls,
where the laws are formed that gov.
ern while they permit every other
class in the business world to rob
him. He is free to labor ii hours
daily producing wealth that is the
nations boast, and pay the taxes
which spendthrift legislatures squan
der by millions. But a rude awak