The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-12-08
Meeting of the Waldo County Grange.

Waldo County Pomona Grange met with
Mystic Grange, Belmont, Nov. 29th. The
meeting was opened at the usual hour by
Worthy Master Mudgett. The weather look
ed threatening and not many were present
from distance, yet there was good attend
ance. Nine Waldo county and two Knox coun-
ty Oranges were represented. The address of
welcome by Sister Ellen Hunt, daughter of
NJ. B. Hunt, Esq, State Master, was consid-
cred very fine, and it was voted to have it
published in the local papers with the pro-
ceedings. 1t was as follows:
WORTHY MASTER, BROTHER AND SISTER
| PATRONS: We are glad to once more bid
you welcome to Mystic Grange We are
happy to see your pleasant faces glad we
meet on a common level and with common
interest; & lad of the continued prosperity Of
the Grange in community. town, county,
| State and Nation; glad we can all have the
privilege of becoming acquainted with peo-
pie throughout our towns, whom we might
never have met had it not been for the nsti
tuition to which we are all much more in
debted than we realize, and towards which
we do not half do duty. We are not
loyal enough many of us, fear, through our
| own slothfu Incidence and wiful ignorance.
How many of ''the faces we never forget"
which used to be present with us at county
meetings, are with us no more. Two of our
Sister Oranges have been bereft so many
times of their dearest and best, that they
are quite disheartened; they have hardly
| enough left to go on. We, too, have lost
many by the same reaper. who does not
spare the young, but chooses the fairest
| flowers as often as the rpened grain. 10
| all who are in sorrow we would wish to eX-
tend our heartfelt sympathy and hope that
sometime, when are called hence, we
may meet all the beloved Brothers and Sis
ters who have gone before us IN the great
| and happy Grange above, where there will
he no more parting and where all is JOY and
| peace.
There is Very much to think of in this So
ciety and to work for if only we will put
our hands to the plow and not turn back.
| There is deep undercurrent to the Grange
| besfes entertainment. 1t teaches boys and
| girls, too, how to preside over meetings, and
that lawfully. 1t makes us understand the
| condition OF the people at large gives us
broader views of life, nature and liberty
makes active, thinking, reading, studious
men and women of it's members. The only
| fault is with ourselves; do not read
| think, and then discuss sufficiently the sub
jects in which we should have such deep in
| terest; and more than this, we do not all
unite action with discussion We slight our
Grange duties in every possible way and
| then expect the order to yield us rich re-
turns. We expect great harvest of knowl
edge, and fertile soil with out making an
effort. We 60 to meetings empty handed
and empty headed and expect them to be
Interesting and instructive.
The Grange is capable of lnStituting and
supporting schools and colleges lndepend-
ent of other people or societies, land our farm
CT boys may be well educated if they will.
| Our present State Lecturer is graduate
from the Agricultural College at Orono and
| is a farmer. He has found time To compile
the little volume called THE Science of Ag-
riculture' for common schools. You say, 1T
| doesn't teach anything about farming. No,
but 1T teaches the science OF Things which I'M
! derie ali agriculture. 1t interests the boy
III other natural sciences. 1t will make him
understand the causes of phenomena and
| lead him to investigate aud learn that
! earth, air and water are composed of differ
/ ent elements which combined produce GER
tain results, and that fertilizers are not ap-
| piled for certain crops without certain rea-
/ sons, and what those reasons are, and What
| is lacking iii certain soil and how to improve
| it,
One thing We especially need is to take
/ and read more Grange papers. The most
! prosperous time in the life of amy Grange
! YOU will hnd is when the n4ost Grange papers
are read. Every family should have one if
| possible so they can keep posted On what Is
! going ON. Unless we know What others are
doing how can we keep up with them?
Our duties lie all around us. Our paths in
| life are full of them. We owe them to our-
| selves and those around us. We are not ottr
! own free agents, but we belong to ourneigl-
| bUrhUod, our town, our State and the world
at large. 1t is our duty to do the work
! nearest our hand first bu while doing that
We should not become so self-absorbed as to
neglect our duty, our fellow iaborers. In
| short, We must not be SO engaged with our
! own tancied duty as to obllge those around
us to neglect their real interests AS boy
| once said to lady who told hlm it was his
| duty to attend evening school as he could
not go to day school: "Aunt has 50 much
| duty of her own it don't leave anybody else
/ much time To attend to thern'
Now brothers and sisters, our
selves the duty to stay at home when we
| ill when the weather is unsuitable
travelling very bad. We need to gain of the
worlds goods, but soul growth is also need
! ful for much more 50 than earthly wealth.
We need the friendship and sympathy of
each other. We may be as independent as
We please with others, but we cannot live
without them. We need the Grange. \ man
| has chance to inform himself on all the
! important subjects of our l Unued States and
| how very important they are 1t seems
| as if very few realize. How can young man
| be Indifferent when he has a chance to ask
| questions, or give information to other IN
| quiring minds There are so many impor-
tant issues at present: much at stake. 1t
means freedom for the working classes or
| bondage worse than slavery. Ii we are fast
working into the hands of monopolistS, who
| is to blame If you forge the CHAINS, Vote by
Nolt. w ork lbG yourselves, WUrk lOI llDtfbE
and eternal right, by using the minds God
! has given you and searching into every
question that is brought before you; learn
ali you can about it and give the Grange the
benefit of the Knowledge you gain or make
| it your school.
The Grange has been the means OF making
| a imrnber of the Presidents cabinet from the
ranks Of agriculture. You have sent legls-
ators from the farms to represent you and
may send many more If you work for your
own common interests instead Uf for the
hand shake OF Mr. Rich man. Intellect should
rule and not money or glib tongu $. None
have more intellect than the farmers, III they
| Will only cultivate themselves as we'll as
their lands-and they can If they viii.
The pure 1ood bin "a question of the very
greatest Importance to all humanity has
been agitated by the National Grange for
SIN OF seven years and has at last passed the
Senate and now awaits the action OF the
| House to become a law. Then if we choose
to buy and use glucose instead of sugar, or
alum fUr cream -tartat, etc, it VIII be our
own fault.
1t is stlid tiHt the trueSt most virtuOuS and
patriotic people III tins country, as a rule,
are the owners of small farms, who earn
their living by the sweat of their faces. They
are isolated, and their lives and business are
of a character not to entice or allure them i'll
to many ini4ultles. INTO which they might
fall if subjected to them but it is a fact
that they are not sub jected to them. Their
devotion to duty is as sublime and beautiful