THE GRANGE 155 



troversy. This neutral policy as to party 

 questions imposes certain limitations on the 

 influence of the organization; but experience 

 has demonstrated that this, more than any other 

 thing, is responsible for the fact that the Grange 

 still lives and thrives. 



The other misconception lies in the sentence 

 quoted from Professor Johnston, that the Grange 

 has for its object "co-operation among farmers 

 in purchasing and in other business interests;" 

 the implication being that business was the 

 chief function. It is generally admitted that 

 in the early days thousands joined the order 

 "for what there was in it;" believing that the 

 organization furnished a means for abolishing 

 the middlemen, and putting ready money into 

 the pockets of the farmers. When these sordid 

 souls were disillusioned, their enthusiasm went 

 down to the zero of activity. They misunder- 

 stood, or interpreted too radically, a well- 

 defined, conservative, legitimate purpose of the 

 Grange to co-operate on business lines. The 

 order did believe that farmers could do without 

 the surplus of middlemen; it did purpose to aid 

 the farmer financially, though this purpose was 

 not its main function. In the earlier period 

 Grange stores were organized. A few of these 



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