The Grange advance., 1873-10-15

vigor, energy, enterprise and al the quail
tiles that go to make up powerful peo:
pie, are best developed in the regions of
short summers and long winters. AS a
consequence of the short summer season,
no time should be lost. Lost time in
seeding can not be made up. for twelve
months. An extra days help at the
right time may make decided difference
in your years profit Economic labor,
yet have help enough to do each branch
Of work in it's proper season. Econo-
mize labor by hiring the best help even
at an increased price. In machinery get
with neighbors rather than agents. 1t
is good policy and good economy to
adopt the general experience of those
about you, IN the purchase of new inn
plements. \ whole community is not
often mistaken.
The attention Of the whole country is
attracted by what has been styled the
farmers movement, a movement origin
ating in the general feeling prevailing
among the farmers Of the west that too
large a proportion of the proceeds Of
their labor has been absorbed by exces-
sive and disproportionate charges by
transportation companies. This feeling
has at length taken shape in organiza
tions formed for the purpose of consid-
erlng and discussing the evils, the inter-
ests, and the remedies of the producing
classes. The eneral business rule
that competitor will regulate prices, and
keep all the different departments of la
Dor in their legitimate and proper place,
seems in these latter days to fail to apply
Combinations Of capital, control prices
of gold, of wheat, of cotton and wool,
and latterly Of all transpoction. Great
lines of railroads built with view to
compete for business, and thus to prop
erly regulate the charges upon trade and
travel, are no longer competing lines.
Consolidation of lines, and consolida-
tions between lines, agreements to main
tain equality Of rules has entirely done
away with competition, and has left the
public entirely to. the discretion, if not
the mercy, of few railroad men, who ab-
solutely control all the channels of trans
portation, and set such a price upon
traffic as they consider for their interest.
TO the farmers it seems as if railroad
men were only anxious to see how far it
was possible to increase the freight on
passenger traffic, without checking pro-
duction and discouraging travel and bus
mess. The production Of the soil sets
all capital in motion, yet it has appeared
that business men in any occupation
were able to understand one another, and
agree upon line of policy, except the
farming class. The farmers Of the coun-
try constitute the majority of it's citi-
zens. The political power rests with them.
The ultimate regulation of all the ma
chinery Of government can be controlled
by them. In State like ours the predom-
mating class can see at least to it that
their interests are well represented-that
their best representative men act for
them in the halls Of legislation, both
State and National
1t is not enough to say that the inter-
est of the entire community is identical:
that what is for the benefit of one is for
the benefit Of all. While this may be
true as an abstract proposition, yet
farmers should look after their special
interests and should make some sacri:>
fees of time, and some effort to secure q
voice in directing and controlling legisla-
ton.
Farmers must either be represented bv
their own profession or if they elect that
other professions shall represent them it
must be understood that they accept,
and demand and insist that their inter-
ests shall be looked to. The railroad
| problem is new one to all classes, not
only to the people at large, but to the
projectors, builders, and owners of the
roads themselves.
The people desire cheap transporta-
ton, the railroad men desire interest
upon their capital invested, and income
to repair, replace, rebuild, re. stock their
roads, margin for contingencies and
also opportunity to build up immense
| fortunes.
But the facilities of railroads have be-
come necessity to business and to coun-
try. The management Of these expen-
sive undertakings, so that the greatest
good shall be done to the greatest num-
Der is, to be the great question of the
day. Private capital in immense amounts
has been invested in the railroad system
of the country. Subsidies of land have
been donated by Congress, bonds have
been voted by the people, privileges and
franchises granted by the Legislature.
All of these united have built great lines
of communication, and have opened up
the wilderness for habitation. Like fire
the railroad is a good servant, but hard
master. Weneed the railroad-we must
have the railroad, we cannot live without
it, and yet we cannot resign our living,
our profits, our freedom into its control.
It must be our servant in deed, and not
our master. How this state Of things
shall be brought about is thequestion to