The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-06-19
The 'Tarmers' Granges"-Value Of 0rgani-
zafiOn
The Western war against railroad rapacity is

The Western war against railroad rapacity is
type, on a smaller scale, of the victorious
contests of the Democratic party in that -four
ishing period when its chief strength lay in the
agricultural districts, and "Down with Monop-
oily g was its loudest battle-cry. We of course
refer to the period when the Democracy, led by
Andrew Jackson, was engaged in its great
struggle with the United States Bank The
new monster, or rather the new den of mon
sters, may not be 80 speedily subdued; but the
people will triumph, sooner or later, and their
success will be due to the same causes to which
the agricultural and laboring classes owed
theirs when they crushed the Bank.
1t might be supposed, if experience did not
teach the contrary, that victory ought to be
easy in struggle of large masses of people
against limited number Of monopolists, But
the monopolists are like a garrison in strong
fortress, where a few battalions can Withstand
for long time the assaults of vast armies
Their advantage lies in great concentration
of wealth and influence in few hands, and in
their facilities for acting in combination. The
smallness of their numbers and their opportu-
mites for confidential intercourse enable them
to veil their plans until they are ready for ex-
ecution. The people who are their victims
possess no corresponding advantages. The
monopolists can support lobbies, give dinners,
cultivate intimacies with Legislators, grant
loans or other favors to the wire-pullers who
pack nominating conventions; whereas the
mass of small cultivators OH their farms and
mechanics who 60 to their daily toll live quite
out of the spheres of busy intrigue. They are
powerless to foil unjust legislation while the
yoke is being fastened upon their necks. This
balance of facilities on the side of the monop-
olists increases year by year. 1t is only by
combination and discipline on the part of the
people that they can be successfully resisted.
The chief value of the Farmers Oranges
consists in their revival of q perception to
which the Democratic party owed most of its
success in its palmy days. The Democracy of
those days, fighting against the Bank monopo-
lists, the manufacturing monopolists, and the
whole set of schemers and speculators sue
ceeded in virtue of their discipline, which was
always far strictcr in the Democratic party
than in any of its successive opponents. Po-
litical parties which are sure of the support of
the heavy interests that seek to rob the people
can afford looser organization. The several
classes of monopolists are always ready to play
into each others hands, and can easily extem-
porize combinations when they have an impor-
tant end to carry. The people have no chance
against them except by steady organization
and perfect discipline The political sagacity
of the old Democratic leaders was in no respect
more sgnally exhibited than in the resolute
steadiness with which they upheld the discip-
line of the party. We rejoice that the same
idea has taken strong hold of the minds of
the Western farmers, and that they are giving
it practical effect. They do not interfere with.
the Democratic party. They are composed OF
similar materials and are pursuing the same
ends. The Democratic party will preserve and
strengthen its organization the Farmers
Oranges will perfect theirs; and common aims
will make it as easy for them to act in concert,
as it is for the great monopoly interests to ex-
temporize combinations for mutual protection.
-NeW York World.