Evening star., 1896-11-12

1eorSetoWn, u. C,i W9eTS " convened jan
In the chair. and Chaplain arosh opened
the proceedings with Hsayes.''
. Those present werss Wr.iam Saunders.
Thompson treasurer Bistriet Of coiumoia; oHnn a;
o. H. Kelley, secretary District of Colum.
bia; Rev. A. B. uroshf chaSlain. District of
Columbia; J. G. Abbott Igwa; Dudley w.
olina T. R. Allen, Missouri; John Cochran,
Wisconsin; D. 8. Curtass, Washington city;
Q. Dinwiddie. Indiana5, A. Calder, Illinois;
F. M: Mcdowell. New York; VIM. b. Por-
e. r. Shankland, Iowa; Jos, Seymour, New
York: Thos. Taylor, South Carolina; r. A.
Thompson. Minnesota; O.. w. Thompson,
N New co]es. 5erssy; Rev John Tsimbs District
w. Duane, Iowa. Eleven states and the
District Of Columbia were represented BY
tWenty-three masters and deputies. There
h were =, also present Mt, some G half-dozen ladies'.
four days session was held and the en-
tire time was devoted to revision of the
constitution and bylaws.
The National Grange was fncorporafed
under the laws of the District, and a new
set of officers were elected as follows:
Master. Dudley w. Adams, Iowa: over
seer. Thos. Taylor. South Carolina lecturer,
+. A. Thompson, Minnesota; steward. A. j.
Vaughn. Mississippi: assistant steward, g.
w. Thompson. New Jersey; chaplain, Rev
A. b. Grosh. District of Columbia; treas
srer. ,ss F. NJ IS Mcdowell; New York; seere-
gatekeeper. o. Dinwiddie. Indiana: Ceres
Mrs. D. w. Adams Iowa; Pomona, Mrs. o.
H. Kelley, District of Columbia; Flora
Mrs. J. C. Abbott. Iowa; lady assistant
steward. Miss c. A. Hall. District Of Co.
lumbia.
Executive committee - VIM. Saunders
Washington. District of Columbia; d.
Wyatt Aiken. South Carolina; E. r. Shank
land, Iowa.
Aims Of the Order.
The grange confined Its membership ex-
clusively to farmers and their families, or
persons engaged in agricultural pursuits
In his brief address to the National Grange
assembled on the occasion referred to
above. Mr.. Saunders, among other things
said:
II conceive that Its principal duties are to
collect and disseminate Information for the
benefit Of the whole order-to place state
oranges In cooperative communication,
and advise subordinate oranges with refer
ence to matters Of special interest Thus
1t simply acts as an agency But it should
be something more than this; being in COM
munication with the whole order, 1t Is emf
nently placed in a position to judge as to
the value Of measures calculated to be for
the best interests Of the whole. and thus
IT should be creative as well as administra-
tive"
Secretary Kelley's report showed that
up to that date 1.1O5 oranges had been
chartered. and that 81. 76s.51 had been re-
cefved. Over 5OOOOO documents had been
printed and circulated, large number of
which were printed through the generosity
of Mr. Thos b. Bryan, a native of Vir-
g1nia. but at that time a well-known citi-
zen of this city. Mr.. Saunders introduced
Mr. Kelley to him. and interested him In the
movement He made several very liberal
contributions to the funds Of the infant or
DER. and thousands Of leaflets sent out
were known as the Bryan fund Ieafiets.'
These documents were Of tncalcuIs hle
value to the order in its incipiency. and
Mr Bryan deserves niche in Ceres tenn
pie very near the founders themselves.
The Organization Was Completed.
AT this session the four subordinate
degrees ware adopted. as follows: First de-
gree, laborer (men). maid (women); second
degree. cultivator (men), shepherdess (wo
mem; third degree. harvester (men), CLEAN
er (women): fourth degree, husbandman
(men). matron (women).
me state grange Is composed of thn
masters and their wives of the suhordfnata
grange, or In case they do not attend two
fourth degree delegates can be selected by
vote of the grange.
The state and county,. oranges are
known as Pomona (Hope) or fifth degree
oranges, although the state grange now
Is empowered to confer the sixth degree
,riora) The seventh degree (Ceres) is the
highest Of the order and, was originate
only open to members Of the National
Grange. but any number of q suborIinate
srahse. VINO has passed through the in
termediate degrees. Is now eligible to mem
bership, upon being elected Members of
this degree are honorary members of the
National Grange. but not entitled to vote
therein This degree will be conferred on
F,riday evening by DR.. Geo. A. Bowen of
Connecticut. high priest. ard Geo. B. Hor-
ton of Michigan, annalist . ,.i,,I - = :.
L. A. Thompson of Minnesota, Robert
son. Wilson. Grosh and Jno r. Thou1p-
son were appointed a committee on rit-
ual to report at the next meeting. This
committee left the work to the two
Thompsons-Mr. T. A. Thompson was the
author of most of the secret work. while
10 Col John r.. Thompson is due the
greater part Of the credit of the beautifuI
work Of the ritual of the grange
Messrs. Kelley. Saunders and tIrosh wrote
much Of the original ritual but the re-
vised work Of the four subordinate de-
grees has always been credited tn Col
Thompson. He also wrote all of the f,fth
sixth and seventh degrees. ''
committee OF five was appointed to
draft resolution of thanks to Worthy
Master VIM. Saunders, which. when re-
ported, was adopted.
Non-Partisan.
The order is non-partisan in character
and allows no discussion in its meetings
Of any partisan subject. but it discusses all
economic questions. and while not binding
>-AS
hesitancy In boldly expressing its collect
i've ideas thereon. 1t has been asserted
that the order was agrarian and commu-
nistic, but 1t Is claimed that nothing can be
further from the truth. 1t has repeatedly
expressed itself on all economic questions
that affect the public welfare and while
demanding for the farmer an equal share
OF governmental benefits, has strongly op-
posed class legislation Of all kinds.
The grange has repeatedly affirmed its
friendship for legitimate corporate enter
prlses. recognizing their value in it's decla
ration OF purpose promulgated at st. Louis
IN 1874. 1t believes in protect ction for the
weak and restriction upon the strong. It
opposes the 1mpositions of MONOPOLY. but
recognizes the rights of capital, and TODAY.
after thirty years of existence, it Is claimed
to be stronger in its aims for the unfolding
OF humanity than at any time in its his
tory.
Establishel in This City
The first subordinate grange was es-
tablished in this city on the even
ing Of January 0. 1868. in a room on 9tn
street. This grange. which was known as
Potomac Grange. No. l, was organized by
VIM. NJ. Ireland. under the direction of
the National Grange, as q school of instruc-
t1on. The second meeting was held in
Union League Hall. On February 10 a
meeting was held In the National Intelli-
gencer building. where, for the first time,
the first degree of the order was conferred