Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-12-29
GRANGE ATTITUDE
Extracts From Annual Address of Master of Ohio
State Grange Showing Attitude of Grange
Leaders Toward Governmental Policies
and State Legislation

greedy eyes in his direction and tried
to secure his removal. This is men
toned here only to show that the
farmer is right in insisting that par
tisan politics shall have absolutely
of Ohio, as they touch so vitally the
prosperity, the health, the happiness,
the very life of our commonwealth.
Farmers On All Boards
Agriculture, in proportion to the
number engaged or the amount in
vested, is by far the most important
of the industries of the State. The
Grange is right in its contention that
farmers should have large repre-
sentation on all Boards and Commis-
sions that deal with. rural life. We
demand for all executive positions,
pertaining to agriculture, the ap-
pointment. of men who have been ac-
lively identified with farm life.
Temperance.
For thousands of years, the
worlds best thinkers have looked up
on portable alcohol as one of the
greatest enemies of the human fami-
ly. For generations in this country,
Christian people have recognized
that the saloon was a moral wrong,
and an economic waste, but little
progress had been made toward its
destruction until the present gener-
alton. We have been brought face to
face with the fact that the saloon
must go or our Republican form of
government must perish. High IL
5cense, low license and regulation have
all been tried, but it has made little
difference; the Liquor business has
continually injected itself in politics
and planted itself in front of every
reform attempted. The very nature
of the BUSINESS is such that effective
regulation and control is impossible.
The American people have found that
there is no way we can take the sa-
loon out of politics, so in desperation,
have determined to destroy the saloon.
The attitude of the National and
State Oranges ON this suggestion is
consistent; both have declared for
temperance reform and local option.
Game Laws.
The question is often asked, "Why
the antagonism between the farmer
and the sportsman?" We might ans
wer 'eThere would be no antagon-
ism if all hunters were real sports
men" In state like Ohio, with no
public lands, the farmer, naturally
and rightfully, feels that there is no
public game However it is the law
less hunter that is largely response
BILE for this feeling.
Education.
The Grange has ever championed
! the cause of rural education; our rec
ord has been one of consistent pro-
gress both as relates to the country
school and our agricultural college.
/ We must not forget that records
show that about 95 per cent. of the
boys and girls that enter our country
schools never graduate from college.
The first great interest of the Grange
then must be in favor of the 90 per
cent. rather than the per cent.
Our best educators seem to agree
that the workings of our school code,
have definitely improved the rural
schools of Ohio. In most sections of
the State, with the exception of minor
details, the law seems to be giving
satisfaction. The one complaint
seems to be that some of the conmu-
mites feel that district supervision
is unnecessary, while others report
that it has been great assistance in
securing uniformity and efficiency.
A careful survey of the school situa-
ton in the State would seem to in
dicate that the trouble is not in the
compulsory supervision but in the
character and ability of some of the
district supervisors employed. When
the code went into effect, there we're
not a sufficient number of men
trained and developed for this work.
/ Would it not be the part of wisdom
to give supervision, as now provided
for, more thorough trial? A great
] organization, like ours, cannot af-
ford to take a backward step in mat
ters relating to education. Stinginess
1 toward the support of our public
schools is but another name for plac-
ing mortgage on the future.
i ROAD IMPROVEMENT
Since the organization of the
Grange, it has recognized that road
improvement and rural progress go
, hand in hand. We have long advo-
Gated Federal aid in road-building
, and rejoice at the passage of the
,, Shackelford Bill, which appropriates
from the National Treasury $780,
10000 for use in Ohio during the
|, next five years. We recommend that
the next General Assembly enact leg
islation providing means and methods
of cooperation between the admins
!. trative authorities of the State and
: : ! Nation to conform to recent Federal
legislation so as to insure the great.
: est degree of benefit to our State.
|. Civil Service.
The people of Ohio, by Constitution
9 al decree, have declared for honesty
: and efficiency in all departments o1
q government through the medium ot
Civil Service. They recognize that eff
ficiency and economy can only b.
2 brought about by the substitution O
u the Merit System for the Spoils Sys
: tenn in the administration of public af
! fairs.
It Civil Service, like direct prima
;. ries, the 0non-partisan judiciary, an
d Continued on page ten)