The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-12-16
THE GRANGE
Conducted by
j. W. BARROW. Chatham. N. Y.
Press Correspondent NeU Yorl; State
Grange
A PERMANENT INSTITUTION.

Past, Present and Future of the
Grange-It Has Come to Stay.
The Iowa Farmer, in an editorial en-
titled 1.-THE Living Grange" gives an
interesting review of the past, present
and future Of the Order in that state.
1t says:
Our older readers are all familiar with
the history of the grange-its origin in the
seventies and mighty protest against some
evils under which farmers were suffering,
its permanent influence on legislation, as
shown by the phrases in common use
granger legislation, granger railroads,
etc.-and of the wrecllng of the grange
in so many western states because It's
leaders and the people generally paid more
attention TO the immediate work OF cor
recting present evils than to the perma-
nont work of developing the social and IN
tellectual side of the farmers life.
1t may be noted in passing that not only
did the grange establish in the highest
court Of the land the right of the people
to regulate railroads but out OF the
grange grew most OF the cooperative
movements that have been so effective in
recent years. In Iowa, for example. the
mutual insurance companies grew for the
most part out of the grange; to less eN-
tent cooperative creameries. cooperative
stores and factories This we believe to be
true in all other states. 1t naturally
would be. When people learn to know
each other by meeting monthly or semi
monthly for social enjoyment. for COM
parison of views on public matters or the
study of agricultural questions. partisan
animosites are broken down, and they
begin to understand each other and are
thus able to cooperate for every good
work.
In the west comparatively few of the
original oranges remain, but these are
centers of agricultural life wherever we
find them. a second generation is now
coming up under grange influences, and
we do not believe there is one of these
living oranges anywhere existing which
has not had a marked effect for the better
in every department of agricultural life.
Happy is the community that has a
grange hall and regular meetings, where
young and Old, rich and poor, men and
women. boys and girls, meet all together
and thus come to know each other and
become unified in sentiment and in aim.
In this respect the grange meets long
felt want, and 1t would be blessed this
for the entire western country If the
grange or some other organization cover
ing the same field and conducted on the
same plan or similar lines were organized.
OF all the farm organizations that have
been organized in the last thirty years the
grange Is the only one that remains. The
like Jonahs gourd in n night, spread over
the country like wildfre. lived a life Of
intense activity for a few years and then
passed away. 1t had a great deal to do
with political parties, and its spirit 10
some extent remains but 1t did not touch
the real intellectual and social life of the
farmer. SO with the Farmers Mutual
Benefit association, and so it will be with
all similar associations which are organ
lied in time of some specific object and
then pass away as soon as that object has
been accomplished or has clearly failed
of accomplishment. The grange goes
down deeper; it takes hold Of the social
intellectual and business life of the COM
munity, and when once established and
held true to its original purpose it Is there
like a church, to stay, while organizations
that are intended for political effect pass
away i'm a very few years. All honor to
the men who organized the grange and
have held it true to it's original purpose