Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-12-26
FUTURE OF NATIONAL GRANGE
Subject Well Handled by Prof. T. c.
Atkeson, the Overseer OF
the Order.

the future of the Grange has just
been written by the overseer of the
National Grange, Prof. T. c. Atkeson
of West Virginia, and has attracted
nationwide attention. Professor At
keson is dean of the West Virginia
State Agricultural college and is also
one of the largest owners and cult
vators of farm land in the eastern
part of the country.
Among other things, Professor Alike
son makes these pertinent observa-
tons regarding the Grange and its
future:
| Joined the Grange because | be-
lieved in it and its power for good
to the struggling masses who dwell
among the fields which they cultivate.
Through all those years | have not
lost faith in il. | have gloried in its
successes and victories; but | have
not lost sight of it's failures and
weaknesses. 1t has been a great JOY
TO praise and commend ii and a real
sorrow when compelled to condemn il.
Without money and without price |
have done what little | could to up
hold il, and have proceeded upon the
theory that il was q good thing to put
money into rather than to get money
out of. A great humanitarian or
ganiZation of sincere men and women
banded together for the purpose of
furnishing loyal, capable leadership
and for giving force and effectiveness
to the best, safest and sanest think
ing of the American farmer
| have seen much to admire and
commend in its leadership, and ! may
say that | have not infrequently seen
some things which my own sense of
the fitness of things compelled me to
condemn. My own judgment is that
the most serious mistake the Grange
has made is in not keeping close
enough to the real farmer AS a
farmer l have always believed that
agriculture should develop its own
leadership from men very near the
soil The Grange is a secret frater-
nifty and whatever of wrong or in
efficiency there may be in ii must be
corrected and cured, if at all, by itself
and not by any scheme of publicity;
and it's future is dark indeed when it
or any considerable part of it is will
ing to look to men who have no earth
ly interest in agriculture beyond their
selfish desire to farm the farmer"
to save it from it's own chosen lead
ers The glory of the Grange in all
the years of the past has been its
loyalty to, and achievement for, agri-
culture, and the slogan of the future
must be back to the farm" If it is to
continue TO justify its leadership
am disposed to look for good in all
men and | believe that niue Of the
difference in the Grange has been the
result of honest misunderstanding and
the listening to evil advisers who have
no real interest in agriculture. l be-
lieve the farmers of this country
should do their own thinking and
talking, and that the Grange must de-
velop among real farmers leaders who
are able to hold their own in any
presence
If our farmers are to hold their own
among the economic forces in this
great country, they must be vigilant
and united, and above every other
consideration must demonstrate their
ability to control and direct their own
affairs. No one ever accused the
manufacturers of not knowing how
the tariff would affect their interest.
nor did anyone ever suspect the min
ions of special privilege of not know
ing which side of their bread had the
butter on 1t.
AS economic and political conditions
are now ! 'pidly developing in Amer
lea, agriculture must equip itself to
hold it's own against the deadly en-
croachments of other interests if it
would escape the social and economic
blight that has fallen upon it In all
the extinct civilizations of the past,
and the growing tendency in the same
direction in the older civilizations Of
the present. Let American agricul-
ture look well to its laurels. The
Grange must measure up to it's oppor-
tunity or give way to some form of
organization that will. Our faith is in
the American farmer. May the Grange
prove to be a pillar of cloud by day
and of fire by night to guide American
agriculture to the land of promise