AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION. 113 



Sec. 6. Where State Granges are organized, dispensations for the organization 

 of the Subordinate Granges heretofore issued shall be replaced by Charter from 

 the National Grange without further fee; and thereafter all applications for Char 

 ters for Subordinate Granges shall pass through the office of the Master of the State 

 Grange, and must be approved by him before they are issued by the National 

 Grange. When so issued, the Charter shall pass through the office of the Secre 

 tary of the State Grange and receive the signature and official seal of that office. 

 . Sec. 7. No Grange shall confer more than one degree on the same person at 

 the same meeting. 



AETICLE IX. The duties of the officers of the National, State-and Subordinate 

 Granges shall be prescribed by the laws of the same. 



ARTICLE X. Section 1. The Treasurers of the National, State and Subordi 

 nate Granges shall give bonds, to be approved by the officers of their respective 

 Granges. 



Sec. 2. In all Granges bills must be approved by the Master, and counter 

 signed by the Secretary, before the Treasurer can pay the same. 



AKTICLE XI. Religious or political questions will not be tolerated as subjects 

 of discussion in the work of the Order, and no political or religious tests for 

 membership shall be applied. 



ARTICLE XIII. The Master of the National Grange and the members of the 

 Executive Committee shall be empowered to suspend from office any officer of the 

 National Grange who may prove inefficient or derelict in the discharge of his 

 duty, subject to appeal to the next session thereafter of the National Grange. 



AETICLE XIV. This Constitution can be altered or amended by a two thirds 

 vote of the National Grange at any annual meeting, and when such alteration or 

 amendment shall have been ratified by three focirths of the State Granges, and 

 the same reported to the Secretary of the National Grange, it shall be of full 

 force. 



[Our readers will observe, by comparing it with the Constitution as 

 it existed before the meeting at St. Louis, that the new Constitution, 

 as herewith given, changes entirely the status of Past Masters and 

 their wives, as members of the National Grange and of State Granges. 

 Formerly, as honorary members of these bodies, they could attend 

 at their own expense, take part in debate, serve on committees, be 

 eligible to office, in short, be active members in every way, except 

 to vote. In the National Grange, under the old law, if it was 

 deemed expedient to appoint them on standing committees to report 

 at the next session, it could be done, and their expenses paid out of 

 the treasury. Under the new law all this is changed. In State 

 Granges Past Masters and their wives can now attend if they wish to 

 and &quot; look on&quot; as fifth degree members. In. the National Grange, 

 ditto, as sixth degree members. If their past experience and training- 

 are of any value, it goes for naught. That is all. In other words, 

 the National and State Granges are now more exclusive in their priv 

 ileges than formerly. The changes in the new Constitution were in 

 force at the late session of the National Grange, and will be in force 

 at all sessions of State Granges for the ensuing year. 



Of the amendments proposed at St. Louis, all were ratified and 

 became laws, except four, namely, those relating to 



1. The seven founders becoming life members. 



2. Past Masters of National Granges, and their wives. 



3. Increase of representation. 



4. Increase of membership fees, 

 These four were lost. 



It is important for our members, everywhere, to observe that as 

 the Constitution now stands (Art. VIII., Sec. 7), different degrees can 

 be conferred on different persons at the same meeting, but not on 



