The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-02

whose official utterances on important
topics have secured the respect of the COM
munity by their uniform calmness and
good sense. l believe every farmer in the
State should become a member of the Pa
irons of Husbandry and make use OF its
machinery and its assem- blies for the &C
qulrement and digestion of definite, aceu
rate, practical knowledge. Whether this
Will be done by farmers generally do not
know, but [ am convinced that unless it is
done there will be no general movement
among farmers Tor their own improvement
that VIII amount to much. | think it is
either the grange or nothing.
Whether or not the grange will make
any effective move will of course depend
entirely on its present membership. No
outsiders are likely to push it or stir it in
any way. And by its present membership
mean the membership and not the Off
GERS. The grange has been much stirred
up during the past year, and gives signs
OF real awakening, but no movement
can have any vitality which has not its
| origin IN the rank and file of the order.
ANY officers who are likely to be chosen
Will be more than glad to carry out the
wishes of the mem bership; but no officers,
| however able, will long spend their
| strength IN dragging an unwilling rank
and tle. 10 do anything of value will cost
! some money, which the mem bership must
supply, but IN no way can campaign Of
education be carried on so cheaply as by
the machinery of the grange. The State
| Grange IS IN session this week and the re-
suit OF its deliberations will determine
whether the farmers of California are in G
| mood to help themselves If the grange
| proves Itself equal to the occasion its ranks
and Its treasury will fill up.
In any attempt which the grange may
make in this direction the difficulty will be
in execution. Wise resolutions have little
value except as carried out. The promotion
OF any enterprise involves much time spent
by men who have the capacity to make
things come to pass. There are many such
men. Those who can afford it are often
glad to devote their time and talents to
such work for the pleasure of doing it. So
TAR as the grange has such men and women
1t should use them. II none such are
available proper provision must be made
Tor the support of some capable young per-
sons while engaged in the necessary work.
The young farmers must be enlisted, be-
| cause it is only they who have the neces-
sary y1gor. Old men for council, young
men for action. Wise measures outlined
by the State Grange, subsequently per-
fected by capable committee, and placed
for execution in the hands of energetic
young men whose bread and butter is pro-
vided for will do wonders.
l have little doubt that some prs ctical
measures of Importance will be set on foot
at the present meeting of the State Grange.
The danger to be specially avoided is the
scattering of energy. Any scheme of edu-
cation which is to be really helpful must
go to the bottom of things, and be under
the direction of the ablest men, of whom
there can be but few in any State. If the
grange, at its present session, shall. be able
to formulate some practical working plan
by which the educational impulse now felt
shall be put under the direction of our
great universities, and the farmers thereby
be brought into contact with the best
thought of the day and kept clear from
agitators, charlatans, politicians and even
half-educated men of good intentions, the
movement will at once command the at
tention and respect of the entire commun-
ity, and will have from the beginning the
best possible assurance of permanence and
success. EDWARD f. ADAMS.