Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1875 — Grange Slanders. [ARTICLE]

Grange Slanders.

There is no end to the efforts of our enemies to sow dissensions among the ranks of the Patrons. No stone is left unturned to accomplish their purpose. No lie is too base to be uttered and re}>eated, even in the face of the most pos* tive contradiction, accompanied by proofs of the falsehood of the utterance. We are led to these remarks at this time by noticing a late article in the Atta and other journals, republished from Eastern Sapers, in relation to the finances of the rational Grange. This article is but a rehash of what has been often published before, and is as baseless ah those upon the same subject which have preceded it. Full refutations of these falsehoods appeared in the Rural Press of Oct. 81 of last year. It is really astonishing to see how little discretion or common sense is displayed by those who hope thus to hoodwink and deceive the toiling and suffering farmers of the land into a distrust? of the only general and the most complete organization ever organized for their welfare and protection. We can account for such things only upon one or two hypotheses: Either these slanderers are assuming that the members of the great producing army of the Union are so debased and ignorant as to be totally unable to’ distinguish truth from falsehood and candor from deceit, or the traducers themselves are so steeped in the infamy which overhangs and seeifisa to envelzyp“Wff "greatTnasß"uf _ Government officials at Washington and elsewhere that they themselves cannot distinguish right from wrong—and hold all public money, of whatever character, legitimate Blunder for those who can reach it. We rather hold to the latter, from the fact that every slander of this kind, so far, seems to have originated from some correspondent or newspaper editor in or near that great sink of iniquity —Washington city. We are not astonished that such things should emanate from such a source; but we do feel some surprise to find them reproduced in journals published in this city which lay claim to a reputation for fairness and honesty in the discussion of matters pertaining to public interest. — Pacific Rural Press.