426 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



our immediate neighborhood, seemed to me to imply a 

 degree of subjection to the will of others altogether at 

 variance with my conception of republican free princi- 

 ples. This, however, was only my side of the question, 

 and being unwilling to incur the odium attached to 

 the two knights of olden time, who, having regarded 

 a shield from different stand-points, and seen different 

 colors, contended, each, that the color he had seen was 

 that of the whole shield, and neither having the candor 

 to go over to the other side and *see for himself, both 

 preferred to settle the question at the point of the sword. 

 I, therefore, determined just to step over and see how 

 things looked from the opposite stand-point. And I 

 must say that a good deal of the one-sided coloring I 

 had at first seen was lost by this little manoeuvre. For 

 instance, being subject to the will of the National 

 Grange, which had, at first, seemed to be so great an objec- 

 tion, began now to look somewhat like an advantage, 

 certainly like a necessity. For any body of men to be 

 effective must be organized, and every organization to 

 be perfect must have a head, with an able corps of sub- 

 altern officers. Just in proportion as an organization 

 is deficient in these respects will it be deficient in 

 strength, Vind vice versa, the same is equally true. The 

 Patrons of Husbandry is simply a grand combination 

 of societies, of which the subordinate Granges are the 

 individual members, the State Granges the corps of 

 subaltern officers, and the National Grange, composed 

 of none but those who are distinguished for pre-eminent 

 merit and ability, the great head. Now, each subordi- 

 nate Grange, being only one of a thousand, like indi- 

 vidual members of one great body, it is necessary for 

 the good of the whole that their several workings be in 



