110 THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



the idea of the " Degree of the Golden Sheaf," which was ap- 

 parently intended as a sort of secret inner circle within the Grange 

 with the object of securing concert of action at the ballot box. 1 

 For some reason, secret political associations have never flourished 

 in the United States, and both of these movements appear 

 to have been fiascos. In general the farmers preferred to keep 

 the secret feature out of their political organizations, as witness 

 the open farmers' clubs of the western states. 



At first there seemed to be a tendency on the part of some 

 of the leaders of the Grange to interpret the political restriction 

 of the constitution in such a way as to prohibit the discussion 

 of politico-economic questions, and the agitation for legislation 

 in the interest of farmers. Thus, the National Grange, when 

 confronted, at its seventh session, with a resolution for memoraliz- 

 ing Congress on the subject of national finance and the bonded 

 debt, decided that it would be injudicious to take any action 

 in the matter. 2 These scruples were soon wiped away, however, 

 and the " Declaration of Purposes,' ' adopted at the same session, 

 plainly exhibits an intention to agitate for legislation along a 

 number of lines. 3 By the tenth session of the National Grange, 

 in November, 1876, this work had become one of the most 

 prominent functions of the order, and a general plan of action 

 was adopted for securing the desired legislation. 4 According 

 to this plan the master of the National Grange was to draw up 

 forms of a petition to Congress on the subjects decided upon; 

 these were to be sent to the state masters, who would circulate 



1 All the evidence that has been secured relating to the " Degree of the Golden 

 Sheaf " is comprised in a number of circulars in the library of the Wisconsin His- 

 torical Society. These are signed by Kelley as " actuary," and one of them, dated 

 April 12, 1886, declares that the association was organized in 1875. One is tempted 

 to wonder if the fee, of at least five dollars, which was to be paid to the National 

 Branch by each subordinate branch established, was not the real raison d'etre for 

 the degree. In 1877 the National Grange adopted a resolution denouncing as 

 conspirators any members of the order " found engaged in organizing a secret 

 society within our order, or consisting in part or the whole of members of our Order." 

 National Grange, Proceedings, xi. 136 (1877). 



2 National Grange, Proceedings, vii. 41 (1874). 

 Ibid. 56 (1874). 



4 Ibid. x. 159 (1876). 



