Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-15
The Grange.

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The purposes and attainments of the
grange are SO well understood and SO
generally approved that comment upon
them seems almost if not quite I'M
necessary. Nevertheless in the case OF
an organization of such wide scope and
such vital and expanding influence
there is no likelihood of undue ia
miliarity with its principles and it's
work, while there is obvious need of a
comprehensive knowledge of what it is
doing. Especially is consideration Of
these pertinent and worthy of the at
tention Of our readers at this time when
the order throughout all parts of the
State is represented in convention at
the State Capital discussing matters of
specific interest to those actively en-
gagged in agriculture, comprising two
fifths of our population, and of general
interest to all who wish to keep in
touch with public sentiment, in the
formation of which the grange has been
and must be, so long as it maintains it's
present high standing, very important
factor.
Twenty-Five years ago this month
the order became a national one and
this convention, which opens at City
hall today, is the twenty-third annual
meeting of the order in Maine. 1t long
since passed the experimental stage in
this State and the growth it sustained
the past year is assurance that it is
upon lasting foundations. Indeed the
best feature of that growth is not so
much in the fact that several new sub
ordinate oranges were organized as
that there was very material growth
in the membership of oranges previous
ly established. its future in this State
ought to be assured for the conditions
are such as to encourage the highest
development of an organization, one of
the watchwords of which is knowledge
is power" and cardinal principle of
which is improvement of the homes and
social relations. In Maine there are
$1,000 families occupying farms and 80
per cent of them own their farms. We
are proud of our common schools and
an order which has knowledge and
home for corner stones ought surely to
thrive in Maine so long as il does not
depart from it's avowed purposes. That
the grange has not done this is certain
ly as good demonstration as could be
wished of the probability that it will
not.
1t is very evident that this order must
have had a mission and there is every
reason to think that it still has, for
surely the farmers and their families
want broader knowledge of. deeper in
terest in, clearer comprehension of
what the world is doing and the best
possible ideas as to what it will do.
They cannot part with anything which
promises the most efficient of co-opera-
ton. They do not want to miss the ad-
vantages of the organization which is
and enhances social intercourse at
time when neighborhoods are being
disintegrated and the social side of the
farmers lives needs a decided stimulus
and when there must be encourage
ment for the sons and daughters to re-
main on the farm. Those who think
will
ganization little understand it, The
very magnitude of the order precludes
it's becoming partisan without being
shattered into fragments and if ii be-
comes too narrow in its views Of polti-
cal questions itself is the loser
During the last political campaign
the order numbered in it's ranks the
Eastern lender and the Western Dor
rover, the man who had borrowed the
savings of the Eastern brother with
which to buy machinery to apply to his
broad acres thereby to more success
fully compete in the. Eastern market
The latter may have felt the pinch Of
had made the most of his grange edu-
cation he knew part of those savings was
wrung from a stern and exacting soil
by his Eastern brother after long and
weary years of toll, and the idea of
paying him in that which would be of
less intrinsic value would be repugnant
to those who took that view of it. and
we have no doubt but that many did
OF course we are aware that some of
the most loyal grangers then and now
did not believe a wrong would be COM
United by such an arrangement of the
money metals and we have cited this
simply as an instance illustrative of the
way in which the grange can do Won
derful work in arriving at an UNDER
standing of questions which are likely
TO be eventually settled by popular
vote, and do this without becoming in
any sense partisan body. Rather let
IT be considered a gra nd nra o+;o,, ,.,,.,