THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 485 



" Several "Western journals have contained articles 

 purporting to give an estimate of the immense sums of 

 money that the Grange is taking from the farmers in 

 the shape of fees, dues, etc., and have hinted that it 

 was a foolish waste of money, which should be stopped 

 before the people could be made to believe the farmers' 

 cry of ' hard times.' They have ' also criticised the 

 Grange for its secrecy. In justice to the Order, as I 

 have observed it, I wish to repeat what I said in a 

 former letter that all attempts to organize the farmers 

 for any purpose previous to the establishment of the 

 Grange were failures ; that its constitution and by-laws 

 are public ; that, as at present organized, it cannot be 

 converted into a secret caucus to further the ends of any 

 men or party, though it teaches certain principles 

 which its members will probably demand shall be re- 

 cognized by the parties or the men they support ; and 

 finally, that, though the Grange does collect from its 

 members, in the aggregate, a considerable sum of money, 

 it has already returned to them in this State alone, 

 through cooperation, which is yet only an experiment, 

 more money than has been paid into it throughout the 

 country, to say nothing of the intellectual and social 

 benefits it has conferred upon its members. The 

 Granger who has bought a plow only through the agent 

 of the Grange has saved more than enough to pay his 

 fees for a year, while those who have purchased sewing 

 machines or other expensive machinery have saved 

 enough to pay their fees for several years." 



As was to have teen supposed, reckless and irrespon- 

 sible men have sought to take advantage of the busi- 

 ness feature of the Grange, to increase their sales to 

 farmers, and it is a common thing to find dealers claim- 



