The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-03-03
Waldo County Pomona
Holds a Successful Meeting In Genie,
Montville.

Holds Successful Meeting In Cen1er
Montville.
Waldo County Pomona Grange met February
22nd with Union Harvest Grange, Center Mont
vile, and had a very large and enthusiastic
meeting The officers were nearly all present.
The meeting was presided over by its new
master, Del. Paul. The following oranges
were represented: Rising Sun, Harvest Moon,
Honesty, Mystic, Union Harvest. Dirigo,
Georges River, Equity, Victor, Frederick Ritch-
lie, South Montville and Sheepscott Lake. After
the opening exercises the question of holding
the meetings in the fifth degree throughout
the entire session was discussed by large
number and then laid on the table. A class of
nine was instructed in the fifth degree. The
committee was then appointed, and noon recess
taken, when the patrons were well cared for
by the host grange. On reassemblng the fol-
lowing address of welcome was given by Mark
Howard:
"WoRTHY MASTER, BROTHERS AND SISTERS 1t
becomes my pleasant duty in behalf of the
members of U. H. Grange, to extend to Waldo
Pomona Grange cordial and hearty welcome
to our Grange home and hospitality We are
heartily glad to see you, and / know that
voice the sentiment of each and every mem
Der of this Grange when l say you are welcome
and thrice welcome. We feel that we would
like to greet each one of you with Brother or
Sister clasp of the hand and bid you welcome
to our hearts and home, and say unto you, as
Ruth said to Naomi, For whittier thou goest l
will go, thy people shall be my people and thy
God, my God
w Al
with pleasure to this meeting, we have antci-
pated the enjoyment of the program of the
Pomona Grange, and the pleasure of meeting
noted patrons and we glad to welcome you
today, and we hope and trust that it will be our
good fortune to welcome you on many future
occasions. We are always glad to see members
of our Order, and especially glad to receive a
visit from Waldo Pomona as we all have an in
terest in its prosperity and welfare, and we
trust that your visit here today will encourage
and strengthen Union Harvest and increase
our interest in Grange work.
The organization of Patrons of Husbandry
has been in existence too long to need any
special advocate in its behalf. Our order is
about 100000 at present and has more mem
bers than ever before in it's history. The
grange has been weighed in the balance and
never found wanting. 1t has been tried and
always proved true. Organization is of great
value to the members of any profession. There
the farmers interests, and the only way to
combat these is by good organization like
the grange.
The grange is its own best evidence of its
right to existence, its own best argument of
its right to be. 1t is national, a State and
local body: compacted by adherence to set of
uniform laws and rules, and having for its
objects in all States and in all communities one
and the same cause. 1t was created to organize
hold together and unity the farmers of this
country into one great body society, who
could think alike, act together, and work for
their rights and privileges as against other
and adverse classes that which farmers them
selves, however much they might want them,
couldn't accomplish isolated as they were by
circumstances and standing alone and weak in
influence.
The grange is social, educational and bust
ness order. 1t owns halls, operates stores,
maintains libraries, has regular meetings for
educational and agricultural discussions, holds
fairs and agricultural exhibitions, and con-
tributes largely to the general good and high
est welfare of the citizens of the State, who
are its members, together with their families.
In all moral, social and educational reforms
and progress, the grange is factor for good
citizenship, pure homes, economy in the public
administration, and all the good of an inteli-
gent high minded community.
VI course 1t costs something to belong to the
grange and to carry on its work, but compared
with any other society which confers privileges
that members of our order enioy the cost of
the grange is small.
The perpetuity of the grange as a system. as
a farmers organization, as an authoritative
BODY which may exercise its government over
its lesser branches, rests upon its adherence to
the fundamental law of the order. This is not
small matter. If the grange is worth any
thing 1t is worth what it costs If its men,
bers are loyal to its principles they must live
up to their obligations and to the by laws of
the order.
AS We meet at these pleasant meetings or
visit neighboring oranges or in fact when we
meet grangers anywhere we are glad that we
can meet not as strangers but as members of
one family as brothers and sisters. 1t is said
that there is nothing like a lot of friends and
If you want friends there is place to find
them like the grange. James Whitcomb Riley
must have been at a Pomona Grange or some
similar occasion when he wrote the poem, "In
a Friendly Sort of Way"
When man amt got a cent, and he's feeling
kind O. blue,
An the clouds hang dark an heavy, an won't
let the sunshine through,
It's great thing, oh, my brethren, for teller
just to lay
His hand upon your shoulder in a friendly sort
O. way!
It makes a man feel curious; it makes the tear
drops start,
An you sort O. feel f1utter in the region of
your heart.
You can't look up and meet his eyes; you don't
know what to say
When his hand is on your shoulder in a friendly
sort O. way.
Oh, the worlds curious compound, with its
honey and its gall,
With its cares and bitter crosses, but good
world after all.
An good God must have made it-leastways
that is what say
When hand is on my shoulder in a friendly
sort O way.
Brothers and Sisters: Once again permit me
to bid you welcome. We assure you that you
are welcome. We hope you will carry to your
homes pleasant memories of our grange, so
you will all be pleased to visit us again, and
we hope this meeting will be as pleasant and
profitable to you as it is to us"
A fine response was given by the Worthy
Master. The question, "Was the State Grange
justified in adopting the resolutions condemn
ing the present method of conducting the
affairs of the National Granger" was ably OPEN
ed by Edward Evans in the affirmative He
gave outline of how the National Grange
was managed and read extracts from several
papers, some in favor and some against the
resolutions, and quoted from several State
Grange officers who had attended the National
Grange. D. O. Bowen took the negative side
and discussed it very intelligently. The ques-
ton then had to be closed for want Of time. An