Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-09-27
Johns Letter.

| don't know just when the phrase
"Red Letter Day" started, but it go'
round to East Hebron Grange Sept. It'll
with Androscoggin Pomona. If there
be anything obscure in the expression il
can be easily changed. The day was
bright and breezy and beautiful, and the
large company that gathered there hac
breathed it in till they, too, were the
same. No doubt they would have been
all of that had the day been dull ano
leaden.
Certainly it was company we'll or
dered, well appareled, well conditioned
aad would compare favorably with any
company of equal numbers from city
homes. The speakers gave evidence OF
intelligence and ability, and the singers
gave evidence that they were perfectly
familiar with the rules of harmony
We do not know how many subordinate
oranges were represented but quite
goodly number.
| find in the Maine State Grange Regis
ter. Patrons of Husbandry, that there
are 336 oranges in Maine. Penobscot
County has the greatest number, 43
Oxford County has 20. Turner Grange
has a membership of SOL. l find none
with greater membership. There are
% county oranges and I juvenile oranges
Every member of the Grange of ma
ture wears, knows we'll for what the
Grange stands, but not all can say it SC
we'll as State Master Gardner has said it:
"The Grange stands for the conservative
element, for the millions who must say
in stronger and stronger tones to great
ombinations of capital: We hail
every effort that you make to develop
our natural resources, to build up oul
manufactures, to extend our commerce,
but you shall not exploit the people
YOU shall not take advantage of theil
necessities to lay heavy and unjust bur
dens upon them; who will say to labor
Combine and organize to defend YOU
interests, to better your conditions, tt
raise YOUR standard of living, for in sc
doing you are effecting great public
good: but the right of no man to labor
shall be interferred with either by opel
violence or by covert conspiracy; wht
will saw to the socialist: You are fret
to sail on your frail barks through you
mental fogs and mists in search of you
Utopias, your kingdoms of nowhere
but we shall remain on the solid land o
reality, and there, as true men ant
women, enjoying the freest political in
situations that the world has ever seen
and recognizing that strength of mine
and purpose, and development o
character, come only by meeting ant
overcoming difficulties we shall continu
intelligently and courageously to dis
charge our responsibilities as citizens O
the greatest Republic on which the SUI
ever shone.' And finally, the member
of the Grange, speaking for this grea
conservative class that it so we'll repre-
sents, will say to all, official and privat
, citizen, employer and employe, hig
, and low, rich and poor: obey the Law
; for obedience to the law is the cardins
principle of these free institutions, tn
life of the Republic ITSELF
ii The voice of the Grange is increasin
! in volume, we are glad to believe, an
is penetrating to the ears of the politics
: jungles, and the creatures of the jul
giles are cooking up their ears to harl
and If the voice never strikes a low
note the results will be more satisfa
tory than simple barking. We think s.
JOHN.