Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-06-11
Farmers Cranges-Corporations-
MOnODOlieS.

country, uniting IN associations or secret So
cieties with the avowed purpose of control
ling elections in the interest of farmers espe-
cially, has attained large dimensions. In
many States, some Western States conspicu-
ously, it no doubt contains on it's rolls Of
membership majority of the voters. In
Illinois it has just elected Judge of the Su-
preme Court, defeating Judge Lawrence
who had offended byldeciding against law
passed for the purpose of regulating and
cheapening rates of freight over the railroads
of the State. Elsewhere it is already looked
upon as a powerful body of voters, and is
evidently getting ready at all points for
campaign against the railroad and transpor-
tation companies. Politicians treat it with
respect, Candidates and aspirants for Office
endeavor to secure its favor by joining
the organization. Newspapers give it edito-
rial notice every day. Men anxious to pre-
serve old party lines look upon the movement
with dismay, as giving promise that, in the
new cry of railroad and anti-railroad, mo-
nopoly and anti-monopoly, dear freights and
cheap freights, Democrat, Republican and
Liberal will soon be known only as party
names of past generation. The organiza-
ton is, in any event, worthy of attention as
one of the political signs of the time, and it
may be profitable to consider its significance
The time is favorable to new party assoc-
atoms. While the people have lost none of
their adherence of slavery or treason, and
hold with as much zeal as ever their belief in
| the rights of man, there is unquestionably
growing apprehension that there is more
than one kind OF slavery, and that the rights
| of men are not limited entirely to the rights
OF the negro. This naturally leads intelligent
| voters to consider the proprety Of new polti-
cal organizations; and the hope undoubtedly
| is entertained that by this means the old po-
| litical machinery and the cid political lead
ers will lose much Of their power. The farm
ers, being large part of the voters of the
country, have at last concluded to try their
numer cal strength at the ballot box, to Sc
cure such legislation as they believe will ad-
vance their own interest; and they propose
to elect governors, State legis atures, courts,
and Congresses, hereafter, who will inter
pref constitutions and pass laws in accordance
with their instructions and demands Their
first point of attack seems to be the transport
tation companies and in the Western States,
where it takes about five bushels of corn to
send one to the seaboard, and where railroad
manages are getting rich much faster than
the farmers, their platform demanding
cheapening of freight has great popularity.
| 1t is obvious enough that these farmers are
doing what they have perfect right to do /;
indeed, acting as political organization, are
doing what they ought to do so far as their
demands are just, and SO far as they can bet
ter secure them by concert of action. This
is government of the people, and the theory
of representation is that through it the voters
secure and defend their own rights. Each man
is at liberty to demand by his vote the legs-
lation that shall secure his own highest in
terest; with this limitation, that in thi. he
shall not invade the rights Of any other per-
son. One PERSONS rights ought to be just as
sacred as another PERSONS rights in this
country anything less than this is not equal
rights. So far as the farmers, or any other
class of persons, have any wrongs to be right
ed they ought to present their case and de-
mand their redress through every agency our
free country allows them to use; and legis-
latures and courts are legitimate agencies to
be employed. A partisan court is scarcely
worse than partisan Congress or parti-
san legislature; indeed, it will seldom hap
pen that the country that enjoy legislature
that merely represents party or a class in.
terest, will not soon have court to sustain
it's legislation. The last refuge of Justice
and equal rights is not in either elective
judges or Congresses or a Judiciary appoint
ed for life; it is in the people; and when
their sense of sef-intersst deadens their sense
of justice, they Will soon enough find their
willing instruments in legislatures and on the
bench, There is hardly. the occasion for
alarm that some people have found in the
fact that the farmers of Illinois have voted
for candidate of their own for Judge. They
Judge that any party or any set of men have
to do similar thing; and they only acted
unwisely if their candidate was not an intel
ligent, honest man, and fit for the position
There is no doubt that this farmers move
ment is fully warranted by precedent, and is
a perfectly legitimate method Of procedure.
This may not save it from ultimate cOndem-
nation, however. In it's pursuit of better
Legislation, and d sJunder Interpretation and
more just execution OF statutes, its justifca-
ton must be found mainly in its achieve
ments If it degenerates into a mere politi-
cal machine it will not only be worthless, it
will be positively mischevous ; and this, IN
fortunately, is the chief danger that waits
upon these class movements. Fney are too
often used as means of doing great wrongs
this injustice being wrought partly by look
ing at all questions only from one point of
view, and partly because a strong and just
movement, as this in many respects undoubt-
eddy is, will attract the adventures who,
under cover of devotion to farmers rights,
will really be only seeking to enrich them
selves. Already, discarded and disreputable
politicians are attempting to get new repu-
tation and new opportunities for plumber
by the loudest protestations of love for the
interest of the farmers and there is perhaps
some reason for apprehension that in some
States these organizations may fall into the
error of supposing that great zeal for their
cause is evidence of a possession of all the
virtues and high order of intelligence.
There is space in this article only to alude
to the questions involved in the rights oil
corporations in their controversy with the
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