26 CHAPTERS IN RURAL PROGRESS 



of a purely educational nature exists among 

 stock-breeders, fruit-growers, dairymen. It is 

 true that no one general organization of farmers, 

 embracing a large proportion of the class, has 

 as yet been perfected. The nearest approach 

 to it is the Grange, which, contrary to a popular 

 notion, is in a prosperous condition, with a really 

 large influence upon the social, financial, educa- 

 tional, and legislative interests of the farming 

 class. It has had a steady growth during the 

 past ten years, and is a quiet but powerful factor 

 in rural progress. The Grange is perhaps too 

 conservative in its administrative policy. It has 

 not at least succeeded in converting to its fold 

 the farmers of the great Mississippi Valley. 

 But it has workable machinery, it disavows 

 partisan politics and selfish class interests, and 

 it subordinates financial benefits, while empha- 

 sizing educational and broadly political ad- 

 vantages. It seems fair to interpret the prin- 

 ciples of the Grange as wholly in line with the 

 premise of this paper, that the farmers need to 

 preserve their status, politically, industrially, and 

 socially, and that organization is one of the 

 <Xi fundamental methods they must use. The 

 Grange, therefore, deserves to succeed, and 

 indeed is succeeding. 



