The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-08-30
REMARKS BY NOTED SPEAKERS
Grange Field Day Proved Occasion of Much Pleasure
as Well as Profit

tically every hand began to applaud. The
speaker waited for the burst OF applause
to subside and then continued.
G. w. Pierce was the first speaker. lie
thanked all for their attendance and re-
oIted a grange membership in Vermont
OF 1000 with % new oranges added since
his administration as master of the state
organization began. lie then introduced
G. ID. Richardson. master OF the Massa-
chusetts state grange, who stated that he
brought the greeting OF 22,OOO grangers
IN Massachusetts who took encouragement
from the progress that was being made
by the oranges in their sister state and
that he looked forward to the time when
there should be a grange in every rural
community. Continuing he said that the
grange was one of the strongest factors
in keeping boys and young men on the
farm as it furnished that chance for social
intercourse for which so many have fore
Saken the homes Of their childhood seek
ing to better their condition in the more
crowded centers OF population. He said
he looked for a reaction from the city to
the country instead of from the country
to the city as in the past.
Z. S. Brooks, master of the Connecti-
cut state grange, was the next speaker in
troduced. He congratulated the Vermont
in stirring up the dormant oranges. He
mentioned the equality of women as recog-
nized by the grange and stated that the
woman's suffrage movement looked upon
the grange as one of its strongest allies,
C. b. Hoyt, overseer Of the New Hamp-
shire state grange, was the next speaker
and he stated that, in his opinion, Yer
mont was the best state in the union
with the exception of New Hampshire,
and mentioned the pleasure which he had
found in organizing oranges in this state
tut condemned the travelling facilities
here, saying that in many cases it was
quicker to drive than it was to take
trains in the interior of the state. He
predicted a grange membership. in the
state of Vermont of 10000 before the
close of Master Pierce's administration.
Ex-Governor G. j. Bell stated that he
well remembered the time 45 years ago
when he stood upon the same field to be
mustered to the service of the country
during the civil war. He mentioned the
growth of the grange in Vermont and
stated that now as ever 1t was the nome
of an organization of honest, hard.work-
ing men who were the mainstays of the
country in times of peace as well as
war.
n. j. Bachelor ex-governor Of New
Hampshire and master OF the national
grange, was next introduced He said that
this was his first visit to Brattleboro, not.
ed as the home of thrift throughout all
New England and as the place where the
best men and women lived also as the
home of the Valley fair which, in his opin-
ion. was the ideal agricultural fair OF New
England He then said the particular
theme on which he wished to speak was
the necessity of organization among the
farmers, organization not to Cypress as
the monopolies do or to dictate as do the
labor unions, but organizations to secure
what is rightfully the farmers and what
is theirs on account of the fact that they
are the only real producers of the coun-
trv. He spoke of the fact that the grange
was largely instrumental in passing the
denatured alcohol bill and said that the
next point of attack would be to secure
the parcels post system. In closing he
stated that nowhere in the country was
the grange established on more firm
foundation than in Vermont.
Willett n. Hays, assistant secretary of
agriculture at Washington, was the next
speaker and he mentioned the influence
that Vermont had had upon the farming
population of the country by sending
pioneers to the west and northwest. ne
stated that the grange might accomplish
a world of good by keeping out of party
politics and. working in the parties. he
mentioned the liberality Of Secretary VII
son and Senator Proctor in securing large
appropriations for the carrying out OF
great plans and the working out of large
problems. He spoke of reorganizing the
rural school systems and mentioned the
time when there would be one agricu-
tural high school to every 10 counties in
the country. In closing, he said that
education was the great need in country
life TODAY