The Springfield herald., 1906-11-23
FAR N ERS MEET
NATIONAL GRANGE IN SESSION
AT DENVER.
FROM TWENTY-FIVE STATES
Ex-Governor of New Hampshire in the
Masters Chair-Formally Welcomed
by Governor and Governor-Elect Of
Colorado.

1
by Governor and Governor-Eect Of
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
I 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
+. Mcdonald, A. j. Spengel, president
of the Chamber of Commerce, Gov
| crnor-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 s50,000,000, to be paid at
the rate of $4,000. 900 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 1t as an iniquitous meas.
,lre and said that the grange had
(hclped to defeat it, and must be pre-
pared to renew the fight during the
lnext session of Congress.
He spoke in enthusiastic terms OF
the proposed parcels post, and rec
commended that the grange take action
lat this meeting to give such meas
ure strong support. He ascribed the
failure to enact the law to the oppos-
ton of the express companies, which
he said were monopolistic, and to that
of a few rural merchants. The oppos-
ticn 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 step toward
the abolishment of monopolies"
AS result of Master Bachelder's
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
or 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
shin 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 II. Burton of Ohio Both had
been denied a reelection. he asserted,
because the first had paid no attention
to communication from an organiza-
ton with nearly 100000 members,
tcmDtuouS answer.
THE farmers of New York and Ohio
who are members of the grange de-
feated these two men," he said, "and
1t 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. e
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 I; the forty
years since the organization of the
grange. this was the first meeting held
in Colorado, vet there had long been
a special reason for holding conven.
tion here. This. he said, was the fact
t'ii't' tiie SiduSt duHllS women to
membership with equal privileges. and
that the grange is favoring universal
suffrage for men and women.
we appreciate the greeting YOU
have given us" he said, "and we will
assure you that while we are here Won
VIII need no extra policemen or bar
tenders. but when we leave YOU might
do well to watch us in order that we
do not make OFF with some of youI
grand scenery and invigorating air."
Governor-Elect Buchtel made n
happy speech and recited a chanter
from Mir. Dooley relative to Roose.
vents visit to Colorado while vice
president
Former Governor Charles ]. Bell of
Vermont proved to be the wit of tbe
assembly. While defending the moun.
fains of Vermont stoutly against the
apDeliation of hills, he said that he
nlHnt Know whether he could sec
them or not when he returned.
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