AS A POLITICAL FORCE 121 



for greater security of bank deposits; and for commercial 

 treaties to open up the markets of the world, and especially of 

 South America, to the products of American agriculture. 1 



On a number of other subjects of more general interest, the 

 National Grange was somewhat chary of putting itself on record, 

 probably for fear of antagonizing some of the members of the 

 order. Thus, when the proposition for the exclusion of Chinese 

 labor, a subject which was agitating the people of the Pacific 

 coast at this time and upon which resolutions had been passed 

 by the California State Grange, was brought before the National 

 Grange at its eleventh session in 1877, through a resolution 

 presented by a delegate from California, the resolution was 

 rejected without consideration. 2 Women's suffrage was another 

 of these questions, and one in which the order had a particular 

 interest, since its ranks and its dignities were open to women on 

 practically the same footing as to men. Various state granges 

 frequently declared themselves in favor of giving the ballot to 

 women, and the question came before the National Grange at 

 its tenth session in 1876. It was referred to a special committee 

 of five which reported unfavorably. The chairman of the 

 committee, " Sister " Washburn of Colorado, then submitted a 

 minority report in favor of the proposition, but the whole subject 

 was indefinitely postponed by a vote of twenty-four (sixteen 

 men and eight women) to nine (five men and four women). 3 

 Questions of temperance and prohibition also received occasional 

 attention from the order, and the Ohio State Grange once allowed 

 itself to be drawn into a temperance crusade which was under 

 way at Xenia during its session in that place. 4 Resolutions 

 condemning intemperance, and suggesting that members should 

 not cast their ballots for candidates for public office who made 

 use of intoxicating drinks or were in sympathy with the liquor 

 traffic, were presented to the National Grange at its twelfth 

 session in 1878 by the delegate from Ohio, and were carried by 



1 National Grange, Proceedings, xi. 133 (1877), xiii. 124 (1879). 



2 Ibid. xi. 108, 132 (1877). 



3 National Grange, Proceedings, x. 94, 96, 121, 169-171 (1876). 



4 Ohio State Grange, Proceedings, i (1873). See also below, p. 298. 



