The Washington herald., 1911-07-09
By JANEs a. MoRROw.

Whenever any one in this latitude
mentions hay, or WOOL or wheat,
or even the most humble item of
country produce, in a contemptuous or
hostile tone of voice, Nahum Josiah
Bachelor, once governor of New Hamp-
shire, and for twenty-four years secre-
tary Of the State board of agriculture,
hurries 10 the railway station IN Con-
cord and buys a through ticket for WASH
ington.
II agriculture has human bulwark,
then n. ]. Bachelor is the man. If
agriculture has a detractor, then N. ].
Bachelor figures him up and knocks
him down. The old Nahum was brief
prophet, but he breathed fire and slaugh-
ter Thou hast multiplied thy merchants
above the stars of heaven" he roared
at the commercialized and Indifferent
Nineveh. To that the new Nahum.
shifting his geography from Asia to
America and leaping the centuries, would
add: And thy manufacturers"
THE laws of this country" he said to
me, were written and enacted to build
up the factory rather the farm. Our
literature including the textbooks In
our district and village schools, glorihes
the city and its occupations. and by
silence depreciates our fields OF cotton.
wheat, and corn, wherein our wealth
begins"
While Gov. Bachelor can prophesy as
vigorously and dreadfully as anybody
else and though he thus ornaments his
, discourse now and then, fighting-and the
watching that is necessary thereto-en-
cages most of his time and all Of his
thought Just now he is in Washington,
and from his headquarters at the best
/ hotel is battling against reciprocity with
{ Canada 1T will dry up our farms" he
! predicts, between his private conferences
I with Representatives and Senators. in the
knowledge, no doubt, that some discount
will be subtIacted from the sensational
prognostication.
Leads an Army of 1,OOO,OOO Farmers.
Tactically, Gov. Bachelor occupies
an advantageous position. President Of
the National Grange, he commands an
army Of 100000 farmers. He has counted
them and swears by his rolls. I'VE are
particularly strong" he told me.
throughout New England and in New
York. where we have 10000 members, and
in Pennsylvania, Ohio. Michigan, Indiana,
Illinois Iowa. Missouri. and Kansas
'.yyhat is the National Granger
asked.
with three main objects, namely, social,
educational and legislative. In 1851, the
then Commissioner OF Agriculture sent ex-
perts over the country to ascertain the
conditions OF farming and how they
might be improved. On their return to
Washington, the experts formed the Ma
tional Grange, or. as Il is oficiaily called.
the Patrons of Husbandry.
So the English language became en-
rtched by a new. popular, and expressive
word. The phrase granger railroad
meaning those which traverse the Tich
farming regions Of the Northwest crept
Into the idions OF the speculators Of Wall
street. like 70 be described as a granger.
Most OF my brethren. however. prefer to
b known as pstrons. Our local organiza-
lions meet once in two weeks. The fam
HES and the young people are thus
thrown together. While the msn discuss
their business, the women visit with one
another and the boys and girls dance or
enjoy other forms Of social entertain
ment. Some oranges hsye libraries.