Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-05-15
The Farmers and the
- -r. Railroads.. .s,r

Husbandry is the first genera
; organization of farmers for the
purpose Of modifying speciai
} points Of Legislation ever star
ted in this country. 1t is said
that the movement had its ori-
gin in Iowa, in Consequence of
the opposition.ma made.by theslafge
manufacturers Of farming i'm
plements, such as reapers, ,thresh-
ers and cultivaters, to the Co
operative clubs formed by farm
iers in some localities for the
purchase Of these implements at
wholesale prices and on better
terms than they could buy them
separately from the local agents
OF manufacturers. The farm
ers were naturally anxious to
save the profits, on some arti-
cles very large, which they had
! been pay ing TO the middle men,
besides the profit Of the manu-
facturers. 'fhefagents TTebei1ed
Observation-Disclosures farm
ers, which in many localities
would have cut down fheir prof
its from a large su3n to almost
nothing, and their dissatisfac-
ton led to a combination of the
manufacturers, who agreed not
to sell below fixed prices for
the respective implements, and
refuse to sell directly to faflqers
in places where they had SfeSn-
lar agencies. The farmers, meet
/ ing with this new difficulty, re-
solved TO establish "a general
secret organization Of all per-
SONS in their calling, under
/ the title Of the Patrons of Hus-
bandry, and the new society be
gan to spread about as fast o.
yer the Northwest, including.
Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indi-
ana and other States as rapidly
as the fire kindled by the brand
of an Indian hunter ever spread
through the dry grass of
Western prairie. As the new
Order began to establish its
oranges" or lodges, in. all di-
rections, and the farmers, sec
/ ing their increasing mSEster-r6ll,
for the first time began to. real
iize they had a majority of the
voters Of the country, and the
general freight blockade and
higher charges for Transports
ltion during the past winter
pressed heavily upon them
The Iowa farmers, finding they
could send their corn to marke t
and make a profit, used the su +
plus Of their crop in some To-
calities for fuel. The attention
of the Patrons was directed
to the partiality Of certain rail
roads to particular shippers
They said that certain buyers
of grain and stock could get
trains of cars where, they could
not get Gre car, getting them at
q much less rate and they
charged that in many Instances
the favored buyefsJN were either
partners or merely agents of
the railroad officers. Hhe s'Pat-
Irons" also began to protest a
gainst those peculiar wheels
within wheels called m ''fast
/ freight" lines, by which a set Of
railroad managers form a fast
freight company among them
| selves for the purpose Of doing a
transportation business at high
er rates than charged for ordina-
ry freight. In view OF these
! things it is not wonderful if
the "Patrons" came to o'tie con-
clusion that It. was of little use
! to correct minor evils if the
Tom Scots, jay G3ulds and
Jim Fisks of the day, were
the dictators of the trans Dol'ta-
ton business, and virtually on
der them at what prices to Sell
their crops. Our readers We're
recently informed as to the lin
its proposed to be set to rail
road power in the Pennsylvania
Constitutional Conventiony and,
if the reforms are adopted in tie
stronghold of the PepnsylYa-
MIA Central, twill add increased
confidence to the moEement in
the West. Certainly, in sever
al respects, the wonderful pro
gress which the Patrons of Hus-
bandry have made in a season
when there is an utter absence
of political eXcitementisattract-
mo much notice everywhere.
We hope their oranges Will
soon spread all over-the South,
and that all monopolliiess; ii ! and
combinations of capital against
lp-I---5 4bn interests of the