Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-06-21
GET rNTo POLITICS.
r. w. Burrill, OF East Dedham, so
\ a a 4 Il. -.

, 1919 VI WV NNhtdt1 NAAukts NJ tht IT,
cent meeting of Hancock Pomona grange
in East Dedhsm, was little out OF the
line of the ordinary welcome. He did not
devote all bis time to patting the grangers
on the back, but he pointed out some of
their short eomings, and among other
things advised them TO get into politics.
In the course of his address he said
"at all eetings Of THIS Kind we hear Il re
marked that the grange is s wonderful order;
what great things IL is doing for the farmers
and what great influence IL Is having upon the
principal Issues Of the cay While we know II
has Zone much. Is doing much and Is destined
to do more; while we are growing rapidly In
members and we hope in influence for good, we
must not lose sight of the fact that IL this
WORK is 20 continue We must put our shoulders
TO the wheel and Keep lifting. II we stop going
forward we will surely go backward
Are the moral and uplifting influences Of
the grange setping pace with It's numerical
growth, or are We exchanging quality for guam.
tity? The grange was organized and intended
TO be purely farmers order, and Is claimed Sc
10 be. even now. But how can We truthfuly
claim il as an organization of farmers when we
represent every trade, profession aud oceupa-
tion of labor, even to the polilIcian2 Do these
people join us because they have such an inter-
est In the farmer and the cause of agriculture
and wish TO assist him along his ragged path
way. or are they seeking his aid to further their
professional or political endss
'sAs an order we claim 10 be non partisan, and
we are as far as It's members are, ana no further.
am proud to say that Hancock county had
nou-partisan votes enough last fall to let IA Ger
tain class know that lou can't fool all the peo-
pie all the time and that the common people
can't be ruled by rirg but require that their
officials be four square. What we need to-day
is more men, and women. too, who are above
party or prejudice. who win not put money
value DC their honor.
zone OF the great foundation principles on
which the grange was organized is cooperation
along material and financial lines as well as so
cial and educational. Grange stores were at
one time very popular, but as the grange has
grown In numbers grange stores have grown
beautifully less We tried the purchasing of
fertilizers. but little was done. BY becoming
better educated through the medium of the
grange the farmers found that they were pay
ing AN unjust proportion of the public expense
In the form of taxes. The grange went into the
law.making business and was very successful
four years ago, when eight out of nine resolu-
tions presented to the le- islature were enacted
Into laws Two years ago we were not so sue
cessful. for among other resolutions with which
our legislative committee was armed was one
to obtain the right of suffrage for tax. paying
women, If not for all women; a resolution
which no Patron worthy of the name can refuse
TO support wel what became of It? II / am
correctly informed. one of the committee op-
| posed 1t by voice and being representative by
vote the politicians saw their chance The
| grange was divided and SO the resolution was
/ side-tracked. much to the disappointment of
| tsa pay Ing women who believe, did out revo-
| lutionary fathers, that taxation without repre-
sentation is 3 ranny.
| When our legislative committee was sent to
Augusta last winter armed with re solutions
passed by Maine state grange. backed by 4t,e0t
I Patrons OF Maine. had The polite forgot en-
/ whit they Glu two J, ars berorC?
/ "Ub, mol They were alert, and understand
| found the same man on the committee who had
| opposed the woman's suffrage act. They saw
that tne grange still divided against Itself,
I and followed up their advantage. Not one OF
the resolutions got lar enough into our legisla-
ture TO be voted upon by our repsescntatiY es.
Now there is one of Two things the trouble here;
either iht sc resolutions were not feasible or the
men composing our legislative committee are
not worthy of The confidence of the Patrons Of
Maine.
Now. these things which l have referred to
are forms of co operation. / ark you why they
have not grow with the growth of the range,
and pTospered? IL seems 70 me that IL is be-
cause We have lost one OF the things that the
grange was organic d for-to increase confidence
in our fellow men, confidence in our business,
confidence In ourselves. We are not proving
ourselves equal to our opportunities. The time
is ripe for great reforms. The common people
are demanding them and the grange Is the
representative of the common people,
81 hear somebody say We mustn't get mixed
up In politics. Brothers and SISTERS we are
already mixed up in politics and politics is
mixed up with US. There is one of two things
to 90; get into the thick of the hght and reform
the ring rule of the politicians, or make our
bow and gracefully retire from the field. 1 say
let us have hand in this reform and prove that
we are a power for good In the world.
THE time Is al haEd for the common people,
who feed our public treasury cash, to know
where the funds go to and who is reaping the
benefit of their toll. They are demanding eco
nomic expenditures of these funds in accord
ance with he laws OF the State and the vote of
the people. The grange stands for fewer high
salaried officers. but our legislature keeps on
creating new ones We are to pay a highway
commissioner $4,000 year to go about the
state and tell the people many things any fifteen
year-old boy ought to know. and the sturgis
commission twice as much to see that the officers
whom we elected. do their duty. WAC, ask
you is going to see that they do theirs?"
SahnAIa fn,. Too