Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-06-18
OOLFAX AND THE CHANGERS.
Letter from the Hen. Schuyler Coifax 20 the
Patrons OF Hushandry OF w abash County.

are requested by the Committee o
Arrangements of the Patrons of Hus
bandry Of Wabash county to invite
me to address Grange picnic in tina
county, TO be held near North Man
chaster on the 18th inst. l have 81
many pleasant recollections of your
county during thorough canvass o
it in my younger years, in 1851, and
have received so many evidences o
the good will of its citizens during
visits to it since then, that / woulC
with great pleasure accept this invita-
ton with which | have been honored
but for an engagement of some
months standing to speak on tina
very day at college commencement
at Olivet, Mich.
Entirely removed now from politi
cal position or political candidacy
can say, without a misconstructior
of my motives, shat the evils which
the Grange organization was primarily
intended to correct or modify were
pointed out warningly by me in {
Fourth of July Grafton two years ago
before the organization had attained
is present prominence. But / have
always recognized that there are rail
road rights as we'll as railroad wrongs
and that this great question must bt
settled, and can only be enduringly
settled, on the basis of right and jus
tice, and upon those principles o.
equity which have been potential ii
the settlement of all the great ques
tons confronting us in our recent his
tory. Thus, while all must acknowl
edge their great usefulness in devel
oping the great resources of the ma
ton, and opening vast areas of our
interior to settlement ard improve.
ment, we all see plainly that railroads
can no more do without the producers
than the producers can do without
them. And all should concede that,
as railroads can only be built by the
exercise of the States right of emf.
nent domain, under charters as public
highways granted by the people
through their Legislatures, they have
no more right to denounce reasonable
Legislative supervision than ferries or
turnpikes chartered by the same au-
thority. And, if the miller who grinds
wheat can rightfully be limited by the
state in his tolls, why cannot the rail-
road which brings the wheat to his
mill to be ground? The just ground
on which all just men can unite is,
that railroads should be common car
riers for all on common grounds, and
at equitable rates, without favoritism
or unjust discrimination, and on the
just basis of Reasonable rates for
the people and reasonable profits for
the companies" / remember many
years ago how distinguished states
man was criticised for a proposition
that their great railroads should run
third class trains, mornings and even
ings, for laborers, etc, at penny 4
cents) per mile. He was lampooned
as demagogue, and as visionary
theorist. But these Parliamentary
trains" as they are called, were found,
when at last reluctantly established,
to be not only the great accommoda-
ton for the poor that was claimed for
them, but also amongst the most pro-
fitable to the companies of all their
trains.
Two things in your organization
have struck me as specially suspicious:
First, the admission of your wives and
daughters to membership, enhancing,
doubtless, the social interest of your
meetings, and reckoning woman on
ward to wider spheres Of usefulness
in the community; and, secondly, the
frank and outspoken declarations of
50 many of your Oranges as to intem-
perance, the enemy of the working
man and the bane of society. / trust
your organization will never speak
with an uncertain voice on this great
evil of the century. For all experience
proves that, where drinking.shops de-
crease, crime and pauperism, with
their consequent taxation, decrease,
comfort and happiness in the abodes
of the poor increase, and law and
order, peace and quiet, industry and
| thrift, more generally prevail.
Your demands, too, for increased
| economy in public expenditures and
great watchfnlness as to public mon.
eys, cannot fail to do good. When
YOU proceed from generalities to de.
tails, you will find that, besides strict
| scrutiny as TO national appropriations,
you will need quite ss watchful care
as to home taxation. Gov Hayes, OF
| Ohio, one Of the best Governors that
State ever had, proved, several years
ago, in a message that attracted toe
| little attention, that unrestrained loea
taxation was the heaviest burden, by
far, the taxpayer had to shoulder
And that is so completely within your
power, locally, have great hopes Of
| benefcient results in this line frem
your organization.
Not being member of your Order
am not sure that understand your
exact position as to "middlemen."-
Ii your object is 10 economize as fal
as possible, buying with cash from
manufacturers or their agents, at then
Lowest prices, instead of on credit al
higher rates, and thus saving the per
centage that the credit system absorb'
from the honest poor, that is certainly
laudable. But middlemen, as 8 class
are as necessary in the operation O.
trade and commerce and business al
lawyers are in law and doctors in med
icine, and need special education
and adaptation to their work. If yor
could abolish all middlemen with theil
experience, you would have to edu
cate and train up middlemen out o
your own ranks to fill their places
| And, as we cannot buy dress. pattern
| for our wives direct from the Man
chester Mills, we must recognize tina
agents who contract at wholesale, and
taking all the risks of shipments ant
4 -. ~.ta;i ,e,oads 20 Ms are, to large