Evening journal., 1909-12-18
FARMERs AND THE GRE.

a RE signs and grips and mysterious pass
4 n words, signals of distress and wigwags of
joy losing favor in Kent county! We notice
that they are not In favor with our friends of
the Dover Index who are Illuminating in their
discussion of social questions, if not so in polti-
cal questions The State Grange has been meet
ing in Dover And a great body 1t has grown
to be in Delaware More farmers than ever be-
lore belong TO it.
The Index which has high opinion of the
Grangers notes change. Formerly, according
to the Index, the Grangers wasted much time
and force in 'resouting' upon every topic un-
der the sun, "and then going quietly home and
doing nothing to help secure the reforms or inn
provements they advocated" in other words,
perhaps, the Index thinks the Grangers have
had wide open eyes when it was a question Of
"resoluting,' but sleepy eyes when it came to
nominating or electing candidates for the State
Senate-iust remember that--the State Senate
Half the State Senate sometimes one-third OF
the State Senate are our legislative bosses,
The Index says a number OF things about what
The farmers as a united body could DO, and we
agree with il. Then cur Dover exchange has
these queer remarks "Mc have one criticism
to make, AMI Chat the secret sessions aod ile
atteUp, t9 keep u0 tle arce o q secret oreanl ~
aan with passwords grs aod such s'n 1is
seems .o have gao ltnig place tu al ofS. li@ l.oN
% this <rd and ia lsct IS crerl.ue y many
other or-anizatops ike to-c having 'or The
main purpose insurance and sick benefits ln
many instances Il means nothing and Is distaste-
lul to the mattcr-ofiact hard-sensed man.
Go long with you, MIR. Index. Dil you forget
the grip and password, or did you get the pass
word of one order mixed with that Of another
when YOU last attended lodge meeting and there
ny found yourself In state OF such mental con-
fusion and pcrplexitv That you wished TO abolish
The whole thingi Were Won brother without
the password lost sheep standing before the
scorniul gaze of his fellows If so, Mr. In
dex, we synpathze with you. We've been there,
or almost there.
But even a fellow who is not enmeshed with
passwords has his troubles. How about that
chap who went to pay his telephone bill and
couldn't remember the number of his phone.
and was greeted with the ill-conceaed smile Of
the beauty with the pen
We fear the crusade of the Index against the
grip will fail. The grip is very prevalent now.
II is affecting women for they not or
ganizing their fraternal societies with grips and
passwords and symbols which have a fascination
for many folk? More men and women belong
to these organizations than ever before. Knights
are about by day and by night. Some of us have
so many degrees that we would make Their
mometer burst with envy.
Why then object to the Grangers if they want
to be mysterious and grippy? Let them be joy
GUS and happy.
We don't know the grips and passwords of the
Grange, but the password of the Hon Ridgely
Harrington, who comes from the land of the
Grange, about this office has been ''Winesap "
The password to the Democratic Levy Court is
Sapp without the wine, more suitable in dry
Kent where wine is in disfavor except when al
lied to apples OF boated size.