The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-06-25
THE GRANGE A FACToR IN PROGRESS
What the Grange is in Western States and
the Alliance in the Carolinas.
NRS MARY r. LEE,

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gether a struggle for supremacy be-
gins. 1t does not manifest itself in
angry look or war like gestures. II
is seer in the effort to acquire a lit
tie more gain than the other fellow,
and never an IvanhOe contested more
fercely for the hand of the fair
Rowena, than do these modern
knights for the favor Of the tickle
goddess, Fortune. This getting to-
gether and the resultant contest has
SPAWNED our continent with railways
and vast canals, built palaces and
furnished them with goods that
would rival a kings ransom dotted
our land with churches, schools, col
leges, libraries and that
make the old world civilizations
stand agape with wonder, it has
built beautiful rural homes, fitted
with modern conveniences ; laid out
farms and put therein cattle, sheep
and horses whose worth would rival
the wealth of the Caesars. 1t has
pitted American bred cattle and
American bred sheep against the
choicest product that England and
Scotland can boast, with the chances
of finally winning in the hands of
the resourceful and energetic Ameri.
can.
Had Solomon seen the wonderful
effect of a few modern men getting
together, he would not have stopped
to observe that Iron sharpeneth
iron so u man sharpeneth the coun-
tenance of his friend" He would
have proved it by getting them to-
gether just to see how much they
could accomplish. The getting to.
gether was the rub with the farm
ers.f Generations of isolation where
in each farmer seemed responsible
only for his own small farm, when
he apparently had 40 public duties
aside from filling small local offices
and occasionally saIlying out to sub
due u predatory band of Indians, did
not inspire in him confidence in the
power of numbers combined to-
gether, not for occasional battle for
self-proteCtion, but for a continual
wall of self defense. Recent events
have proven that his fight for self
preservation to be effectual must he
continuous that he must labor not
only to produce fine crops, but he
must see that he has a good market
for those products. He is studying
political economy. He may never
have heard of John Stuart Mill,
Adam Smith or the Malthusian
theory, but he does know the effect
of shutting down of mills, of per
niciOus legislation, of war and taxes.
And he is thinking over these things
and discussing them in his Grange
hall, and putting the result of
thought and talk into action. The
Grange is helping him to a broader
conception of his duty as a citizen
; He looks at public que 'tions not
so much from ii partisan standpoint
a from the ground of the greatest
good to the greatest number. He
becomes not the denizen only of u
ward or precinct whose vote indu
ences only that small territory, but
a citizen of the world, casting his
vote and his influence for the best
interests of civilization as he sees it.
The Grange enlarges his sympathies
as we'll as his outlook into the world.
1t gives him courage of his convic-
tiOns because he knows he has a
great power behind him to help his
battle for right. He knows that by
going into the Grange he nor no
other man has sacrificed his freedom
in thought or right action, conse-
quently the Order is not a tool of
some mans whim or wild fancy.
What concerns him the most is, that
when any vital question which affects
the farmers interests arises, there
is a band of the most intelligent
farmers ready to take it up, to study
it in all it" various shades of mean
ing, and after thus studying and dis
cussing it, and getting the views of
men of all sections of the country
upon it, modifying or %enlarging it as
seems best, to push it to it's legiti-
mate conclusion. It is this knowl-
edge of the power that numbers give,
that makes the farmer confident and
courageous in spite of all opposition.
What the Grange has done in