Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-21

recent meeting of the National Grang,
at Harrisburg. and of the greatness ol
the order. It was the first order whcss
aim was to elevate agriculture and ths
first great order to admit women t.
membership. The strength of tbs
State and nation" said Mr.. Wiggin
rs in the rural home, where the
Grange does it's work Thence the cit
les draw their strength, and thence
come our mayors and governors"
| Governor Powers was next intro
duced, and the Changers gave the pop
ular Chief Executive a rousing recep-
ton. The Governor was at his best.
and his address was in his happy off
hand manner. In substance he spoke
as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen and Fellow Citi-
ZenS:
| am not IA member of the Grange. yet.
while | have been sitting here and look
ing over this intelligent audience | sim
cerely wish | were. | know nothing of
the internal workings of the various
Oranges. but l know the aims and OBJ
jects which they seek to accomplish. and
l yield to no one in my devotion to some
of the principles of the order. / believe
fully that you are right when you de-
mand equal and just taxation and that
all the property of the State should bear
It's fa1r share of taxation l believe that
you are right when you demand a gen.
eral diffusion of education. ] believe that
you are right when you seek in many
instances for cheaper transportation in
order that what you raise may not all be
used up and nothing left to the farmer
| know something of farming | was
born on a farm and it has been my good
fortune to have lived in one of the best
agricultural portions of our State. to have
been intimate with farmers and tho |
have never belonged to the order | say
that with every person connected with
the Grange | have always been on the
best of terms. l believe that everything
that tends to give our people more knowl
edge OF raising crops, of keeping the farm
in better condition should receive en-
enlargement. We want Intelligent farm
ing. rather than scientific farming.
The agricultural interests of the State
of Maine are not fully developed. We do
not fully understand the possibilities of
our State; dairy products are not what
they ought to be or what they can be-
have been in many states and | say that
the State of Maine is the most attractive
of them all
Among the names of men high on the
roll of fame are names of men who came
from the farm. This has been true of the
past and will be true of the future. The
great trouble is that farmers sons too
often desire to get rich suddenly and
make failure in some crowded profess
sion when they might succeed at home on
the farm. The State of Maine has Il right
to congratulate itself that it has within
its borders this order of Patrons of Hus-
bandry. which has done and is doing, so
much to develop the agricultural interests
of the State.
have no set speech this evening: !
merely desire to express my sincere
thanks to you and my pleasure in being
able for the first time to meet the repre-
sentatives of the State Grange; to bid
you God speed in the good work you are
doing. trusting that with each succeed
ing year YOU Will be able to do more and
more for the agricultural interests of our
State. want to impress on all the
farmers the great truth that il is better
to struggle on for Il time than it is to get
in debt In the great and good work that
you are doing, accept no only my SYM
pathy but my earnest wishes for your
success.
After the Governor had resumed his
seat and the applause had died away
Mayor Choate said he would introduce a
few speakers who We're more intimately
acquainted with agriculture than those
Adams of Bowdoinham. leading Saga
dahoc farmer. who at once caught the
crowd with Il story which rather called
down some of the preceding speakers on
their pretensions tillers of the soil He
talked of the practical work of the
Grange and was closely followed by all.
After Mr.. Adams came Hon. J. b. Rob-
erts of Norway. the present senator from
oxford and the overseer of the State
Grange. Mr.. Roberts is a fluent and eIo-
quent speaker and his effort was one of
the best of the evening. The last speaker
was Prof. Elijah Cook of Vassalboro, an
other able orator who walked eloquent
over the grand work of the Grange He
warmly eulogiZed the present high place
held in the order by Maine. which stands
second only to New York. The Journal
regrets that it is unable to publish in full
the addresses of these last speakers. as
they were well worthy of it and would
make most interesting reading.
1.-The city is yours. this week" SAID
Mayor Choate in closing, and certainly
the delegates have no reason to doubt the
sincerity of the welcome given. All We're
sorry that Rev. Caroline Angel of Nor
way and State Lecturer W. w. Stetson
were unable to be present and address the
meeting as had been announced. 1t was
about 10 p. M. when the meeting was