Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1874 — The National Grange—How the Farmers Are Swindled. [ARTICLE]

The National Grange—How the Farmers Are Swindled.

No more specious humbug exists, nor one more unpopular among the farming classes, than what is known as the National Grange. They elected themselves for the term of five years, and cannot be removed. They are, of course, destroying the efficacy of the organization, and will have absorbed all the money by the time their tenure of office expires. Of course these parties have fattened on the farming community, under the plea that they were working in their interest. Gradually, however, thfir motives are coming to light.—B'asAington Chronicle.

We have rarely met with a more bra-zen-faced misrepresentation and slander than the above delectable morceau, which tj»e Washington Chronicle publishes to the world as truth! . It is really astonish ing to see how little discretion —how little common-sense policy—is used bv those who seem to think it a religious duty to deceive and hoodwink the toiling masses of this great "and glorious Republic! We can account for this utter disregard of the principles of ordinary caution only on the hypothesis that to the eyes of many of those in high places, like the Washington Chronicle, for instance, the

bone and sinew of our land, the sturdy fanners upon whose shoulders rests eveiy department of our grand nationality, appear so ignorant and debased as 'to be totally unable to distinguish truth from falsehood, honesty and candor from the most reckless attempts at perversion and deeelt! But to the fool - idi and wholly untenable position of our Washington contemporary. It says that the Grange movement is the most unpopular of all humbugs among the farming.classes. The Lora help any one who is so deeply steeped in ignorance and folly as to publish such a statement to an intelligent community for truth! If our friend of the Chronicle does not know it Ue should just step over to the office 1

of Bro. Kelley and learn the fact that never before in the history of confederate organizations was the growth so rapid and permanent, or so universally popular among that class for whose benefit it was specially designed. Our Order is really only about four or five f’ears old and yet we have Granges estab-’ ished in forty-three States, Territories and Provinces, numbering in the aggregate nearly 25,000 Granges with a membership of over one and a half millions. The membership has nearly doubled within the past six months. This does not look much like unpopularity among the farmers. And why should it be when, according to a late report of the Agricultural Department, it has saved to the members during the past year over SO,000,000? — Rural Southland.