The Republican journal., 1892-12-29
Maine State Grange.

Grange in Lewiston last week Worthy
Master Hunt delivered his address. He
said, in part:
Worthy Patrons of the Maine State
Grange:
Z Pursuant to the constitutional laws of
our Order, we are at this time assembled
IN the nineteenth annual session for the
purpose OF reviewing the work of the year
lust closing; to hold fraternal conference.
and plan, if possible, measures that shall
bring material aid and comfort to our Or
der and to that class. and that industry
winch is OF the most vital Importance to
the nation and the world.
FINANCES
The finances OF the State Grange were
never i'll better condition. The report of
onr Treasurer viii bear out this state
ment, and give You a detailed account
thereof. AS heretofore remarked a sound
condition OF the treasury is one of the
most important departments of any asso-
cation, 1t has been the purpose of the
present administration to eNpend money
ton the good of the Order whenever or
wherever good results were likly to follow.
WORK DONE.
some portion OF the work of the Order,
during tine year, ltl> hcen OF a serious irk :
some nature, demanding firm. positive.
aud at the same time calm, cool. kindly
action.
The lansgrcssiun nf the constitution in
regard TO the fees and dues known and
permitted for the last twelve wears. more
"i less. had become 50 widespread as to
threaten the very existence of the order in
TINS state. At the beginning of the an
II MAS resolved that an attempt to save
P H. 4,l..,, H., Ia l.
law which heretofore had been so sadly
neglected. More work has been done in
this direction than was ever attempted by
i the officers Of this body since It's organiz-
Z anon. In fact | may say the only real at
I tempt that ever succeeded i'll supprcssing
+ the Widespread transglessions of our con
stitution.
In this we claim shat no better work
mas ever been done tur the permanent
good of the order in Maine. An oranges
thus iar reported as refusing TO conform
IL the Jaw have been visited by me in per
som and in every case Il satisfactory sou-
tion has been reached. Had an example
been made of the first transgrcssor no
further trouble would have been expert
cnccd. and all would have remained loyal
But like contagious disease. no effort
beng made to stop ii. the transgression
spread from grange to grange until some
counties IN our State became nearly de-
moralized, and dissolution threatened.
We have sought to carry out the instruc-
tons ot the State Grange to the fullest
extent. and have spread broadcast over
the State. copies OF the bill known as the
''isting system, and other important in
formation connected thcreWith that the
people might be reached and informed
- he. nod
four new oranges, and reorganized three
dormant ones, tie same number of each
AS IN the two previous Years. Notwith-
standing the great desirabiity of a gain
IN numbers. although we would be clad
TO know that every worthy farmer and his
tamllN were members OF the Order. vet
our work the past year has not been so
much To gain numbers, as to correct the
errors OF past years. and place the Order
on Il trmcr, surer foundation of future
permanence and usefulness. The past
Year has been an exceptionally hard one
for Grange work in this State. With two
general elections and general depression
resting on all Industries. the conditions
have been unfavorahle. Other organiza-
tions have suffered equally with the
Grange.
THE ORDER.
our order is devoted to the moral, in
tcllectual and material Improvement OF
the farmers, ana It's principles must ever
endure. Organization in some form for
mutual protection on assistance is as old
as society itself; but to the Order of the
Patrons ot IIu>bondry belongs the high
honor of giving to the farmers an organi-
] zation whose influence fol good shall be
known and telt tol ages, even though the
0rdcr should cease to be- Let farmers
dominate the Grange. 1t is a farmers OF
ganlzati0n, and should ever be kept so.
pure and simple. Agliculturists should
10y every consideration, maintain it's high
/ honor and dignity and be ever watchful
that 1t may always continue to be eXclll-
| SlVelY farmers organization. one that
! shall be truly OF the farmers and for the
farmers.
Much Of the honor ana prestige of the
Order lies i'll the fact that it has ever pur-
sued an Independent, conservative,
strai ght -tOrWard course. has avoided all
, entan@ling alliances, has never swerved
from the paths of duty and right but has
/ based all its demands on the broad princi
pies OF equity and Justice, Its strength
and influence for good lies largely in the
t fact that it is composed OF that conselva-
/ tive element, the farmers and is controlled
IN the interests of the tillerS of the soil.
and 1t is safe TO predict, that should the
Order once cease to be controlled by plac-
tioal farmers, its days of usefulness viii
have forever passed
EDUCATION.
Upon this question the future of our Or
der and the future development among
farmers must depend Every method
should be adopted by which the farmer
may be educated up to the Importance and
Responsibilities OF his calling and espec
tally i'll business principles This question
is, and should be. the centre, circumter-
ence. and bedrock OF all our hopes for
good government, good society, and all
that goes to make a happy, contented
people. notwithstanding the great i'm
portance Of other declarations Of our prin-
ciples education is the real pillar that
must and viii uphold the mighty fabric of
all that is good and pure and true. In all
our efforts to build the higher levels this
must not only be the foundation. but the
ground and Shield. In all our endeavors
let this one object, '.education, be kept
steadily in view, for when this is secured
all else viii be added thereto.
STATE COLLEGE.
| ndcr the present efficient management
OF our State College, its influence and i'm