The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-17
Tho Illinois Granger

The Illinois Patrons of Husbandry con
cluded their recent state convention at
Bloomington with lengthy declaration of
purposes OF a much more rational-or at
all events, a less irratiOnal-tenor than the
general average Of pronunciamentos from
the oranges. Ii is platform not By any
means free from visionary nonsense about
constructing railroad tariffs by statutory
enactment, nor is it altogether exempt from
the midi@yal notion that papa government
is an earthly omnipotence that can easily
regulate, amend, or abolish the ordinances
of Almighty God and whose proper func
tionit is to do for society what society could
better and more economically do for itself
But il enunciates considerably less of this
paternal hapdoOdle than has characterized
most of the grange plato ms. The fact is
an encouraging indication that the grab
gers are gradually gaining truer concep-
tons of this worlds affairs.
The Illinois grangers do not commit the
stupidity Of denying that they have any po-
litical purposes, or that they intend not to
enter the field of political controversy By
such denial they would have given the
lie 10 the greater part of their own declar-
alton of PURPOSES That declaration con
ststs Of thirteen distinct propositions, some
of which involve subordinate or alternate
propositions and excepting six of these
propositions every one of them relates to
a clearly political subject and proposes
what is only attainable by political action.
They propose to reform our execrable ifs
cal system 81 rs to remove the feature OF
costly banking monopoly, and to establish
the circulating medium on specie basis
10 repeal the salary grab iniquity, and re
duce official compensatiOns 10 the standard
of economy and republican simplicity; tC
reform the civil service so as TO expel from
the public administration the application Of
the infamous maxim that the spoils belong
to the victors; TO abolish the prohibitory
restrictions which exclude foreign ships
from our coasting and inland carrying
trade; 10 open and improve natu
raj channels Of commerce, and to make ar,
tifcal channels OF commences when essen
tial as parts of natural ones and to encour
age the construction of railroads by private
enterprise and capital under liberal char
tiers, with such limitations as the publit
good demands, and ''as the last resort,
that the government itself shall 90 int,
the credt-mobiler ring national highway
railroading business /; to control railroads
transportation companies and others whC
may unjustly combine TO the injury of thu
public interests, by congressional enact
ment % control chartered monopOlies b.
state legislation and 80 forth. Ever,
purpose here indicated is political pur
pose, and is incomprehensible as anythin,
else. Not one OF them is purpose attain
able in any way but by political action
In fact, every purpose Of a positive charac
ter that is expressed or implied in tn
thirteen resolutions, is essentially and nee
essarilly political one, involving eithe
the enactment OF modification, or repea
OF laws by the political power Of the stat
or the republic All its leading purposes
as enunciated through its own organism
being politically ones, what absurdity i
It tor this order any longer to pretend tina
il is non political.
Ii by the pretense hitherto 50 generall
set up that the order is not political, ha
been meant simply that it is not in any wa,
an auxiliary 10 either Ufthe old corrupt ant
decrepid political party organizations, thel
the proposition is both comprehensive an,
maniiestly true. But it would be better I,
declare the fact in plain words. The pu
trid old parties have no patent on politics
however much the corrupt politicians tina
own them may think so. There is no mo
nopoly Of politics, or political questions, O
political agencies, in this country that tn,
people have not in their own hands tn,
power to abolish. - Chicago Times.