The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-16
MAINE STATE GRANGE.
Annual Session at Augusta-Reports of
Officers and Grand Masters Address.

| Augusta, December 15.-The annual
meeting of the state grange opened here
| today. The forenoon was occupied with
the roll call and appointment of COM
mittees. Tie attendance was 700, the
| largest for the opening day in the history
of the grange.
Worthy Master Wiggin delivered his
annual address, which WAS listened tc
with the keeneat attention. He saif:
| AS Patrons of Husbandry we have
every reason to ba satisfied with the pro
gress made during the past year and with
| the pres ent condition of the order IN the
state.
| During the past year an increased in
| terest seems to have been manifested in
| the social and educational features Of the
| Order a general spirit of harmony ap-
pears to have prevailed among the mem
| bers.
| In an organization like ours, composed
as it is of persons of both sexes and adj
uniting not only men and women of
mature age, but boys and girls Of the age
of foul teen years, it is manifestly more
difficult than in many of the other fra
ternal orders to maintain q proper degree
of discipline.
Patrons, I call upon you, one and all,
to renew your obligations to obey every
| law of our ordor. Remember that we are
| admitting to our oranges the boys and
girls from the farm. Think what must
| be the effect upon their minds of an o b.
| Ject lesson ever before them, teaching them
| that it is light thing to disregard an
obligation solemnly ana Voluntarily as
| stunned, and that the habitual violation
of law is thing rather to be encouraged
| than Tebuked.
1t is matter of pride and confidence
| on the pa1t of every true patron in Maine
| that the stats grange is upon SOUND
and substantial financial basis.
| The general stagnation il business
which has boon so severely felt in other
Industries has produced it's effect upon
agriculture also While extremely low
prices Of manufactured articles may, Mt
first thought, seem to be q blessing to
The farmer. yet it is blessing dearly
bought at the expense of a market for his
own products at remunerative prices.
Without desiring to approach unduly
near to the danger line of partisan politics
it is safe to sag that the governmental
policy most favorabla to thu farmers of
the nation is that policy, by whatever
party inaugurated, which shall encourages
the means of giving to every man and
woman who tolls for living constant
employment with fair wages, thereby in
creaHing the purchasing power OF the
great body of laborsrs which constitutes
so large a portion Of our population.
The future of the farmers status in
our state and nation depends in large
| measure upon national and state leQisia-
| ton. Under any system of laws certain
number will nmns ,ssgrsatsr wealth than
the average of the community. Still 1T
| must be conceded that an economic policy
that should bear with undue severity up
on any class; snch an adjustment OF the
laws as should make it well nigh impos-
sible for a large class to obtain from it's
toll more than the merest pittan0e neces-
sary to sustain life is not the policy most
desirable in free republic. When the
class in question is the great producing
class Of the nation the policy referred to
will appear still more reprehensi BILE.
I do not wish to be understood us say
ing that the farmers of Maine are earn
ing but a bare substance by their toll,
neither would l make this assertion III
regard to the agricnlturists Of our nation
The last report Of the secretary OF agri-
culture contains the assuring statement
that 72 per cent of the occupied farm
homes of the United States ara free from
the weight Of mortgage Indebtedness and
we know that this is true of much
larger percentage of the farm homes of
Maine. Notwithstanding this the fact
remains that in many respects existing
laws are 20 framed rs to bear too heavily
upon the farm er and to Place upon agri-
culture moro than It's fair share OF the
burden of the government.
1t would seem to be settled that for a
number of years, at least, protection to
American products will he the policy of
this nation. This being the case it is
certainly ths part of wise craftsmanship
so to frame the laws OF the state and
nation as to accord to the farmer as
liberal an amount of protection as is pro-
vided for any other class and to foster
and encourage agriculture in every legiti-
mate way.
The duties and responsibilities of the
grange in regard to matters OF education
are most important and must be faithful
ly met.
While the members of the oranges ale
are thus receiving this great subjective
benefit from their connection with the
order, il must ever he borne in mind
that the grange has another great educa-
tional work to perform and that is along
the lire of its influence upon the rural
schools OF the state. While we aokn3wl-
edge the great worth OF the cid time
school, yet we must bear in mind that
the entire environment has changed and
we are brought face to face with different
conditions. The relations between rural
communities and their schools are ex-
trsmely faulty and must he amended be-
fore the best results can be expected.
In the present system of education in
our rural schools the principle of
aesthetics is almost entirely ignored and
very little, If any, attention is paid to
the encouragement of polite department..
The conditions of the school house, it's
outbuildings, yard and surroundings is
such re to tend to stifio all growth of the
love for the pure and the beautiful while
tho uncouth manners allowed on the part
of too many of the pupils exert an in
fuenoe contrary to the cultivation of
ladylike and gentlemanly decorum.
Among the principle things now lack
ing, and which must be supplied befors
the schools can do their best work are
better appointed and more conveniently,