Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-19
THE STATE GRANGE.
The Annual Session of That
Body at Bangor.
Mastery Address by State Master,
Hon. Edward Wiggin.
Splendid Etendance-Report CT The Business
Transactions Of First Day.

OF any meeting the Grange has ever held.
over 400 members being present, includ-
ing such well-known promoters of Maine's
agricultural interests as Worthy Master
Edward Wiggin of Presque Isle, Secretary
f. A. Allen, O. Meader Of Albion, DIR. 6.
NJ. Twitchell of Augusta, Hon Charles
Buffum of Orono, Hon. Hall c. Burleigh of
Vassalboro, and Others.
Mrs. X. H. Libby Of Newport, gave the
address of welcome, which was responded
to by President Wiggin. The calling of
the roll and appointment of committees
on credentials etc, occupied the greater
part of the forenoon.
The afternoon session opened with the
address of Worthy Master Wiggin. He
gave n very able address, which was at
tentively listened to, and said:
Worthy Patrons of the Maine State
Grange:
In accordance with the provisions of
our constitution we meet here today, in
this beautiful Queen City of the East, to
hold the twenty first annual session of the
State Grange Of Maine.
Twenty years ago, on the 2lst day of
April, 1874, the masters of the several
subordinate oranges of Maine then mum
bering but eighteen in ali, met in the city
of Lewiston and organized the Maine
State Grange, choosing for its master the
now venerable Father Eam who has lived
TO see the order which, he has served so
faithfully advance from its small and
weak beginning to a strong, healthy and
influential organization.
The first annual session of the State
Grange was held in lewiston commenc-
ing on December Sth 1874. The fol
lowing paragraph from the excellent ad-
dress of Worthy Master Ham is quoted as
a concise expression of the situation at
that time and hopeful prophecy for he
future of the order.
"We have met together today for IL J
first time in the history of our State un-
der the auspices of this order We have
assembled under circumstances of the
most favorable nature, to foster good fel
Iowship and to study how we may best
promote the welfare and advancement of
our calling. We have assembled in the
interest of no party, political or otherwise
but as a class, essential to the life OF the
nation, yet wantonly ignored, nay, re
stricted in its peculiar privileges. We
need not murmur at the indifference OF
Others to our prosperity. We ourselves
are blamable for our own lukewarmness
We have permitted ourselves to be tam
pered with without let or hindrance
We have been vast army without head
and without concert of faction. Hence
orr ranks have been broken through and
routed, and we have maintained but
guerilla and ineffective warfare hitherto,
This is no renewal of vigor, but the ener-
petic exponent of a thought long felt but
not expressed, is this grange movement.
Though late the husbandman puts forward
his claims to higher recognition. The
dark ages of agriculture, we hope, are rol-
ling into the distance and clouds of silver
brightness are turning on our gaze.
During the interval that elapsed since
the organization in the previons spring
the number of oranges had increased
from eighteen to sixty-four and the
membership in the State had reached
nearly two thousand. During the follow
ing wear the. work was prosecuted with
vipor and earnestness and at the second
annual session, which was held in Bangor,
commencing December 14tb, 1879, Secre-
tary jackson was able to report that one
hundred and thirty six oranges had been
organized during the year ana that nearly
aIi of them were in a hourishing condi-
ton.
If is but stating a fact to say that the
new order was not at first favorably re
ceiyed by the people of Maine,
While not considered of sufficient conse-
onence to excite serious opposition, it was
generally regarded as impracticable and
chimerical and the press of the State,
when deigning to notice it at all, alluded
70 n in terms of good natured ridicule
,,hicb evidenced small faith in its perma-
nence or Importance.
p,,t its underlying principals We're
those of right, of justice and OF good gov
ernment and its posslbllltles Ior 2ooo
were even greater than It's fouhders eve,
anticipated The membership continued
To increase and new oranges were ofSah-
izad in every county in the state.
At first many farmers failing TO appfe-
c;ote the true import of the movement,
,yere attracted to the order by hope OF
receiving immediate financial dement, IN
the matter of purchasing necessary arti
cles and. finding their expectations IN this
,.esncct not fully realized, Withdrew from
membership and some oranges, orsanlA-
ed especially ON this basis, soon went out
of existence .,, of
Gradually, however, the true worth Oh
our principles began to be understood and nt
the the influence of the grange as means I,S OF
improving the social moral and and inteliea "f aS
..a,cing his financial interests, began to
be appreciated and then the solid substan-
tial growth of the order in the state @ be-
gan. a,u 9 It was recognized as grand edu-
Gator cat. of the farming class and as a means mean,
of introducing a greater degree of inteiiec-
VI y. and social culture among both young
arI amd old. improving the homes, the man
,, nars and entire environment of the agricul-
turists of Maine limos
working as it did on conservative lines
.nd seeking in no way to influence the
anu s'n,it;cal or religious sentiments of any OF
po,,b i,s members, the order of Patrons of Hus-
,os '.ary a at length began to attract the no
t;oe - and command the respect OF all classes
4 n