Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-12-25
The Grange in Maine.

Boston Herdld-)
The annual meeting OF the Maine State
grange at Portland last week is reminder
that in the remarkable strength of this
order in Maine is found one OF the chief
reasons Why the progressive party move
ment took hold from the start in that state.
True,th grange is not now 40 openly active
in politics as 1t was generation ago in
the West " hen it nearly committed sui
eide by the political route, but the
ssgrange vote" figures with special promi-
hence in Maine, and the official attitude
of the order on many public questions
direct legislation, popular election Of
senators, the recall, equal suffrage, con-
servation, etc.-has been for years frankly
that which the new Roosevelt party re-
Gently adopted with loud acclaim.
This was not without its effect, tor in
Maine the grange has standing and
prestige that is surpassed nowhere in the
country. and membership that Is
equalled in but one other state, member
ship OF almost 60.o90. or about one-tweltth
of the whole population of the state.
This membership is spIendidly or
ganized into $50 subordinate bodies, each
with its own hall which is the centre Of
the agricultural and social activity in
every country town and village, and a
factor always to be reckoned with in the
industrial aud political life of the state as
a whole.
The term granger, though improperly
used, has long since ceased to carry any
sneer or reprosch in Maine. The leading
cities eagerly compete for the honor OF
entertaining the annual state gather
ing. BY an arrangement mutually ad-
vantageous to the favored convention
city and the members of the order, the
annual meeting is always held the week
before Christmas. This week some 5000
delegates, leading men and women OF
hundreds of communities all over Maine,
are in Portland, and they manage to find
time for shopping between their business
sessions.
The grange was organized in Washing
ton forty seven years ago, and it is OF in
terest to note that its founder, Father"
Kelley, who is still alive, was a Boston
man then In the government employ.
The original idea was secret order based
upon agriculture which should help to
bring the North and South together again.
From the modest beginnings of the early
years, the order has accomplished an I'M
measured work for good in the rural
regions. and is to-day the most practical
and efficient agency in the rural uplift
movement OF which so much is heard in
city papers.
II tries hard, in Maine as elsew here,
to bring about legislation that will benefit
agriculture and country life generally,
without taking on the letters OF partizsn-
ship. Ii occasionally finds the problem
too much for it, though in its attempt TO
keep the practical politicians out of its
ranks 1t even goes so far as to bar all law
yers from membership.
Senator Gardner OF Maine owes his rise
in public life wholly to his work in grange
circles, and there are many thou
sands in the order in Maine who
feel that he worked them instead of
working for the order. The present
master OF the Maine State grange, e. s.
stetson, on the other hand, recently re-
fused with much emphasis to be pro-
gressive candidate for the Senate, declar-
ing himself straight republican and in
favor OF the election of ex-Gov. Burleigh.