The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-24


have been and are discussing the important
question whether this old organization and It's
slime -honored principles shall Still be main
tanned or abandoned for new party, with
new name aud upon the Giving issues Of the
dav." the farmers OF the Northwest for their
own protection. have entered upon new
movement in which we see looming into view
the leading issues Of our next Presidential
campaign. This farmers movement has been
slowly gaining ground for several years. In
the outset the farmers concerned undertook to
band themselves together in secret societies,
or "Granges of the Patrons of Husbandry,"
against railway monopolies and combinations,
and against the existing high railway freights
which eat up the farmers profits in the trans
portation of his produce to market. These
Oranges" first organized in Minnesota and
next adopted generally by the farmers OF
Illinois, are rapidly spreading over all the
Northwestern and Southwestern States. For
examples twelve hundred Of these Oranges are
reported for Iowa. with an aggregate member
ship of one hundred thousand men, which is
half the popular vote of the State already
hundred Oranges organized, with every prom
Use of an increase that will control the vote Of
the State And so this general movement is
spreading throughout the corn, wheat, beef
and pork producing communities of the
Northwest.
The direct object in view is cheaper trans
portation to the seaboard; but indirectly free
trade will inevitably be blended by 1876 with
cheap freights. The burning of Chicago has
resulted in demonstrating to the people of the
West that there is no protection for them in
our existing protective tariff. After the Chi
cago fire, and as lift to that unfortunate
community in the rebuilding of their city,
Congress, for limited time, removed the duty
on their building materials. The conse-
quence was the rebuilding Of their waste places
with q rapidity which astonished even them
selves; but with the restoration Of those sus-
pended duties the mystery is solved. In this
experiment they have discovered, to an extent
they had not imagined could be possible,
that their prosperity lies in free trade, or
purely revenue system of duties, and that what
is called the protection of home industry is
to them tax ga delusion and a SNARE"
And from this demonstration of the fact at
Chicago, among other things, this idea Of free
trade is destined to take possession of the
Mississippi Valley within the next three years,
in connection with the pressing necessity of
cheaper transportation between that valley and
our Atlantic seaports.
powerful impetus, meantime, will be
given to the common cause Of these Western
Oranges by the National Convention, which,
under o call of o number OF presidents OF
farming conventions and members Of boards Of
trade from different sections Of the Union, is
to be held in New York on the 9th day of May
next, in the interests of the producers and
consumers of the United States. The objects
of this Convention will be cooperation among
these parties, and to consider what can be
done to reduce the cost Of transportation by
railroad and water. Now, if this Convention,
representing million of farmers, more or
less, connected with these Oranges, can be
brought to full appreciation of their strength
and their opportunity, they may lay the
foundation for great political revolution in
our next Presidential election. They may
achieve this revolution either through fusion
with the democratic party or as third and
independent party in the contest on the is
sues of free trade and regulation of COM
merce between the States by Congress to
secure cheap freights and uniform charges.
There are many indications Of Presidential
scrub race in 1876. 1t seems to be generally
accepted among the republican party leaders
that General Grant will not be candidate for
another term. Accordingly, we find enter
prising aspirants for his place cropping out
from Maine to Illinois. From the clashing
intrigues of these rival candidates we shall
probably have such dissensions and divisions
in the republican camp as to give us bolt or
two from the regular party nominations. In
any event, the line of success foreshadowed
for the democratic party is q coalition with
these farmers Oranges of the West, and with
the free traders of oil parties throughout the
Union for the Presidential succession. The
issues of the war are settled, the corruptions
of the party in power are neutralized by the
corruptions of the old democratic Tammany
Ring, our existing financial system cannot be
safely pronounced failure calling for q
sweeping reconstruction but the tariff and
these railway monopolies and combinations
and these Western Changes point out the way
whereby the opposition, brought under the
standard Of the democratic party, may, in
1876, sweep the West and the South, with
New York to back them.
democratic contemporary has made the
important discovery that the inglorious col
lapse in October and November last Of the
Cincinnati and Baltimore coalition movements
of May and July may be charged to the cap
ture Of the Cincinnati Convention by band
of political jugglers, who, with the nomina-