The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-03-12
THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF The GRANGE
By L. d. PANGBORN

lpendently than ever before in the his
tory OF the country. In line with the
great fundamental truth. that the intel
| ligence of people is the security of a
nation, and that education is the cheap
defense of nations; the Grange, by
educating the farming community
upon questions of vital moment to
their welfare. thereby helps TO safe
guard the nation.
We are too much inclined to do our
thinking by proxy and take our opin-
ions secondhand.
The Grange helps to discover and
develop the social and intellectual
forces, that lie dormant in every com
mHnity. The Grange is of exceptional
value to the community and nation be-
cause II is non-sectarian and non-par
tisan. The founders of the Grange
saw fit in their wisdom to eliminate
everything from the organization that
could mar its harmony or detract from
its avowed purposes. Religion and
politics, /. e., the science of govern
ment, are both admirable in their le-
climate sphere but for obvious reas-
ons are excluded from the Grange.
Consequently when an initiate passes
the portals of the Grange, he ceases
TO be either Methodist, Baptist or
Presbyterian, Democrat, Republican
or Socialist. He is simply a Granger.
OF course he reserves the right of pri-
yate judgment and exercises ii in his
individual relations to society and the
commonwealth.
Ii is true that certain ambitious and
INSCRIPTIONS politicians have attempt
ed to exploit the Grange for personal
and partisan purposes. But to to date,
thanks to the vigilance. courage and
resourcefulness of loyal Grangers.
their efforts have met with signal fail.
ure.
One feature of the Grange upon
which | desire to place especial en-
phasis and which am sure will CON-
mend it to the good will Of all right
thinking people. is that rule. which
provides expressly that no individual
who either trafhcs or INDUCES 4in in
toxicants can become or remain a
member of the Grange. If through
either inefficiency or cowardice a
Granger is allowed to transgress this
rule with impunity or without prompt
expulsion, this dereliction in duty can
not be charged to any defect in the
principles of the organization This
organized body with all the force of a
temperance organization and with its
nuclei in each community must neces-
sarily be of incaluculable benefit, not
only to the community but to the ma
ton as well. The Grange is valuable
as an institution because it recognizes
the great primal fact of the Father
hood of God and the Brotherhood of
Man.
Its ritual inculcates a spirit of reyer-
ence for and obedience to the Supreme
being. The inculcation of such lofty
sentiments of relationship and duty
cannot but make for civic righteous
ness. Further the Grange has intrin-
sic worth and merit because il helps
the farmer to discover himself and to
fix his status in the economic scheme
of which he is an integral part Here
tofore, the farmer has been in meas
use disparaged and made the recipi.
ent of such complimentary terms as
brother of the OK, hayseed. Rube,
ETC.
The great social and industrial evo-
luton of the last fifty years has dem
onstrated the essential fallacy of the
theory that brains are not required in
order to farm successfully. 1t has
been proven beyond peradventure
that to farm successfully requires a
higher order of intelligence. a keener
faculty for observation and investi-
CATION than any other occupation.
Farming has not only developed
into a science. but bids fair TO soon
arrive at the dignity of a profession.
The Grange is highly promotive of the
economic welfare of the farmer from
the fact that it gives concrete express
sion TO and makes a practical applica-
ton of the cardinal principle of coop
Grafton. principle rooted deep in the
of man and indissolubly
bound up with his economic and moral
well-being. The Grange is of special
value TO every community because it
furnishes place for amusement and
recreation where parents and children
may gather together and obtain ra.
tional pleasure, with those things
eliminated that are socially and NOR
ally injurious considered in its purely
economic aspects the Grange is of
great benefit TO the community, be.
cause il offers TO its members a cheap
and safe form of life and fire insur-
ance and the opportunity by co-opera-
ton to purchase in bulk and thus to
obtain supplies more cheaply than
they would be able TO do individually. !
Cooperation is only another name
for concentration of capital, energy
and wisdom.
This unifying of these potential
forces means difficulties vanquished. 1
success achieved. The universal adop-
ton OF this principle will furnish the
to number of vexed social
and industrial problems.
The Grange has amply justified its /
existence by the substantial results OBJ |
tanned.
Ii has definite mission and for the |
accomplishment of that mission is |
splendidly equipped. an organization /
founded on sound economic basis;
men and women (the chief asset of
the nation), earnest, devoted. coura-
geous, youth with enthusiasm. optim- |
ism. unmarried ideals, and splendid
ambitions. Through these instrument
in conjunction with the tele- |
phone, Rid, and other modern appli- |
ances isolation and loneliness are be- |