Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1874 — Defending the Grange. [ARTICLE]

Defending the Grange.

A New York Granger, refuting the attacks of Chas. W. Green upon tl»e Order, at the Anti-Secret Society Convention held some weeks ago at Syracuse, N. Y„ made this able defense of the Order, its principles and its officers: The Order is essentially philanthropic in its origin and modes of working; its founders, among whom Mr. Saunders is one of the most widely known, so far being, as Mr. Green represents them, “dignitaries without dignity,” “given to vulgarity,” and “men who would hardly be received into decent society,” are men of refinement, culture, and of a most genial and benevolent disposition. So far is it from being true that they have sought to continue themselves in office for the sake of personal gain or honor, that, at the expiration of their first term, all of them withdrew from office, and but two, the Secretary and Treasurer, would permit themselves to be re-elected. Mr. Saunders, the first Master of the National Grange, refused absolutely a re-election, and when he was compelled by the National Grange to accept the laborious and thankless office of Chairman of the Executive Committee he put himself under the order of the other officers. The revenues' of the National Grange, under the’ great and healthy increase of the Order, are now of considerable amount, the aggregation of millions of littles; but every dollar of its expenditures being accounted for, and its books are now, as they always have been, open to the examination of every member of the Order. There is no contingent or secret service fund, no money to be used in bribes, or to be squandered by pampered officials or expended for political or other sinister purposes. The salaries of all the officers of the National Grange, though they are the hardest worked men in the United States, are less than those which any wholesale merchant pays to his clerks; and it is true to-day that the salaried officers of the National Grange are poorer than they would have been had they remained in their several previous avocations. The records of any secret society in this or any other country may be searched in vain for a nobler, purer and more patriotic showing than these earnest and —patient men have made and can make of their connection with the National Grange. The whole story of the connection of the Grange with politics and political parties is equally false, and to any* member of the Order is perfectly absurd. The constitution of the National, State and Subordinate Granges requires that no political or partisan topic shall be discussed m the Grange, and no rule is more strictly enforced. The members of the Order are from all political parties and from every shade or section of each, and their political views are never questioned or influenced in the Grange. Belonging to the great agricultural class it is fair to presume that they will seek to have the State and National legislation such as will promote and facilitate, in the highest and widest sense, the interests of agriculture; and as these are affiliated with all others, they will not probably wrong any others. They are, so far as we know, a unit in favor of honesty, capacity and economy in the management of National and State affairs. But even these principles, against which no sincere patriot can raise any objection, cannot be discussed in the Grange.