The Colorado statesman., 1906-11-17
FAR M E RS MEET
NATIONAL GRANGE IN SESSION
AT DENVER.
FROM TWENTY-FIVE STATES

Colorado.
Denver.-Farmers from twenty-five
states. delegates to the annual con-
vention of the National Grange, Pa
irons of Husbandry, assembled at the
Chamber of Commerce Wednesday
morning and were called to order by
Worthy Master Nahum ]. Bachelor,
former governor of New Hampshire.
Standing committees were appointed
and an adjournment taken until 2:30
o'clock.
At the afternoon session the mes
sage OF the worthy master, containing
many important recommendations,
was read, and the grange went into Sc
cret session.
An open meeting was held at night,
when the farmers were welcomed to
the city and to Colorado by Gov. Jesse
F. Mcdonald, A. ]. Spengel, president
of the Chamber of Commerce, Gov
ernor-Elect Buchtel and others
In his address Master Bachelor
made special reference to legislation
in favor of good roads. He suggested
that bill be drawn for presentation
to the next Congress, asking an appro-
priation of s50000,000, to be paid at
the rate of s10,000,000 a year. and to
be expended in building roads through
out the country and improving the
condition of old highways.
In speaking of the ship subsidy bill
he referred to it as an iniquitous meas
ure and said that the grange had
helped to defeat it, and must be pre-
pared to renew the fight during the
next session of Congress.
He spoke in enthusiastic terms of
the proposed parcels post, and rec
commended that the grange take action
at this meeting to give such a meas
ure strong support. He ascribed the
failure to enact the law to the opposi-
ton of the express companies, which
he said were monopoiistic, and to that
of few rural merchants. The opposi-
tlon of the latter, he said, was due
more to ignorance than anything else.
The parcels post, he said, would be to
the smallest of rural merchants an op
portunity equal to that of his largest
catalogue competitor, as far as mail
order business is concerned. "The
rural merchant" he said. has the mo-
nopoly which has caused The decay of
our villages to be feared, and not the
parcels post, which is a step toward
the abolishment of monopolies."
AS result OF Master Bachelors
recommendation, it is stated that the
grange will at once take up the sub
ject of parcels post, and will appoint
committee to carry on a campaign in
favor of it.
Of the railroads, Master Bachelor
had the same to say as of the express
companies. That in the spirit of mo-
nopoly they prevent competition by
preventing the building of new roads,
although the increase in tonnage is
such that they can no longer handle
the business with the lines and equip
ment now in operation. AS a remedy
he suggested the construction of a
ship canal connecting the Mississippi
with the great lakes and with the At.
lantic.
Legislators who treat the farmers
of the country with contempt should
be punished accordingly, he said He
cited as examples of those whom the
grange has punished, James w. Wads-
worth of New York, chairman of the
house committee on agriculture, and
Charles Fl. Burton of Ohio. Both had
been denied reelection, he asserted,
| because the first had paid no attention
to communication from an organiza.
and the second had written a con.
| tcmptuous answer.
THE farmers of New York and Ohio
who are members of the grange de.
| feated these two men," he said, "and
| it should be lesson to Others"
In his welcoming address at the
| night meeting Governor Mcdonald
| told the delegates that he hoped they
would visit other sections of the state
which has 100000 acres of land un.
der irrigation and much other land
under cultivation without irrigation
He called their attention to the mines
of Cripple Creek and other camps
which produced gold and silver valued
at S55,000,000. and to the coal mines
which produced 100000 tons of coal
last year. Agriculture in this state. he
declared. was just as important, and
produced last year more than the
mines in money value.
The response to Governor Mcdonald
was made by former Governor Bachel.
der of New Hampshire. who is the
worthy master of the National Grange
He said that although in the forty
years since the organization of the
grange, this was the first meeting held
in Colorado yet there had long been
a special reason for holding conyen.
ton here. This, he said. was the fact
that the grange admits women to
membership with equal privileges. and
that the grange is favoring universal
suffrage for men and women.
I'VE appreciate the greeting YOU
have given u.s." he said, "and we will
assure you that while we are here YOU
| viii need no extra policemen or bar
tenders, but when we leave you Nigh,
do well to watch us in order that we
do not make off with some of yuur
grand scenery and invigorating air"
| Governor-Elect Buchtel made q
happy speech and recited a cbapt,r
from Mr.. Dooley relative to Roose
velt's visit to Colorado while vice
president.