Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1874-06-05
THE FAR.NERN.
- 9
Patrons Of ExlisDl2ldry.

~s>
THE CHANGERS, THEIR AIMS AND Oh
JECTS.
No movement hitherto heard O
in the United States has spread will
such rapidity as that Of the grangers
or Patrons of Iusbandry. From day
to day the Order advances with gigan
tic strides, and threatens, ere another
wear has passed, to sweep away all tho
existing political and party landmarks
and virtually direct the industrial
future Of the Union. Not State
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, OF
from the Gulfof Mexico to the borders
Of Canada-save Connecticut, Della
ware and Rhode ISland-that does not
number subordinate Lodges by the
hundred. and members, III some III
stances. by the hundred thousand. AT
the great Convention held Il few weeks
AGO in st. Louis. 10000 such Lodges,
with members numbering million,
were represented. And from one to
two hundred new Lodges weekly are
added to this number.
The principal strength OF the move
mcnt lies in the great States OF the
Wcst-Iowa. Missouri and Kansas
actually contributing one-ha't the en-
tire membership Of the organization.
Iowa contains , GOO subordinate lodges,
Missouri .3O0. and Kansas 10. Here
on the Parific Coast. California, reck-
Olis close Oh 200 with q membership OF
$4,000. San joaquin, Los Angeles and
Sonoma take tie lead in the move
mcnt, furnishing nearly ore fourth the
whole number OF Changers. Every
week from four to six new Lodges are
added, each averaging from 80 to 90
members. At this rate their numbers
within the next twelve months will at
least be doubled.
The sraLd object that the National
organization proposes, is the cmanci-
patton of the farmers OF the Union
from the leading strings in which they
have SO long been held, and to over
throw the INDUSTRIOUS monOpollcS that
have SO long oppressed them. Their
organizers rightly thought that, num-
bcring six millions, one half the toilers
Of the nation, they did not possess a
1.-THE Of the influence Of the commerce.
Ill classes. though the latter possessed
not mere han Il fourth Of the farmers
numerical strength. Producers of all
those articles that have made lis
wealthy and struDg-cOttOn, wheat,
corn. wool and W!nc-the majority of
the farmers only lived frcln day to day,
half the timcintlt bt otLe stcIcileepers,
while the carriers and eNchahgers Of
their products made colossal fortunes,
revealed IN luxury and held tightly III
their exclusive grasp TIE wealth, pow
or and influence OF tie nation.
70 break Up the monopoly that
renders this possible has been the
grand aim and object of the Changers.
They started to fight the railroads,
whose excessive freight charges rem
lereu it mere profitable for farmers in
the great West to burn corn for fuel
than to ship it t. those il, the seaport
cities or beyond the sea who wanted
it for food. But once united under the
influence Of their secret Orders, and
feeling their strength, their aims Ma
turally took a wider scope. Seeing
the enormous profits made by the
middle men, they thought that a good
opportunity offered to obtain goods
direct from the manufacturer by their
own agents. And they have made
tremendous stride; toward breaking
ND the mOnOpolies Of the railroads and
Of the miCdlemen.
In Iowa. Illinois and Minnesota they
have mastered the railroad interest at
the polls, beat it in the halls of legis-
lation, and purified the judicial bench
when it was found to be occupied by
the adlierents Of monopoly. The rail-
roads still hold out, still defy the laws
regulating freight and fares, and
threaten passive but stubborn resis
lance; but they must needs come to
terms ere long. In the fight against
the monopoly Of the middlemen, they
have in the great States just mention
cd, successfully organized cooperative
stores, banks and factories. In the
South both agriculture and manufac-
lures have received a tremendous i'm
pulse through the efforts Of the Gran
ges, while immigration has been en-
courag ed and the sectional feeling re-
sulting from the war has been in a
great measure toned down and soften
ed.
On the Pacific slope the same broad
industrial problems present themselves
for solution, though with slight modi-
tications. The freight monopoly OF
foreign shipping must be broken down;
the feasibility OF shipping in bulk de-
tcrmined, the practicability of selling
by the hands of agents direct in the
Liverpool and other foreign markets
must be fairly tested; grand scheme
of irrigation must he secured, which,
while bestowing Oh the farmer all the
benefit possible to be derived from a
plentifal'supply, will yet preclude the
possibility Of q monopoly Of the living
waters OF the State; tie land monopO-
~ that keeps away the immigrant
must bc broken up, and the outlook
for the establishment of Grange com
mission houses, banks, grain ware
houses and stores must be considered.
=. K. Chronicle.