The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-04-22

THE tines must be sadly out Of
joint II we are to Judge by the organi-
cations constantly sprineing into ex-
istenee with the ayowed purpose of
ameliorating the condition of society.
The Oranges have for a long time been
| occupying a large share OF public at
tention. They have gone into all the
States. They have in some been sup
posed to hold absolute political su-
premacy. The roll of Membership
runs up into millions, it is claimed,
| and still they press on and work for
| recruits. We are not familiar with
all the objects sought to be accom-
plished by the Grange. But so far as
We do understand them, We find neih h
ing hat any one can justly condemn
| at least SO far as the principle is con-
cerned. We believe their primary
object was and is to liberate internal
commerce from the exaeting tolls of
carriers. Farmers, especially in the
| West, find that ii costs SO much mon-
ey to get their products to the sea-
board that they get no profit on their
labor. BE they ever SO industrious
and economical, they are nevertheless
kept poor, and they are discouraged
at the prospect of spending all their
lives IN labor and never getting ahead
in the world.
This is hardship. and If the
farmers can remedy the evil they
| ought by all means to do SO. They
| thought, at the start that it would be
! an easy matter-that their grief came
| of railroad monopoly, and that the
only thing needed was legislation
compelling railroads to work at estab-
lished rates of freight, uniform and
low enough to Tighten the burden of
transportation. But the combined
| wisdom of Grangers, Legislators and
railroad men, working together in
| good faith has evolved nothing yet
that solves the differ lty. Railroads
as now built and operated will never
be able to carry Western wheat and
corn to the seahoard at prices much,
if any, below the average that has
| hitherto prevailed. The Grange move
good by establishing this fact twill
rid their minds OF the idea that rail-
roads are always robbing them-and
this Will remove great deal of dis
satisfaction and ill-feeling from the
public mind. 1t will bring about re-
| iations between the railroads and the
people they serve.
But the settlement of this vexed
question will do more; it will satisfy
the minds of the producing men on
another vital point: that wafer ear
| riage is the only cheap carriage they
will ever have in the West, and that
the improvement of the Mississippi
river and its tributaries. and especial
/ ly the establishment of a deep outlet
to the ocean, are the measures on
| which they should concentrate all
| their future efforts. If the Oranges
| i L, L. IL Il.
/ ance from high freights to an early
conclusion, they had as we'll cease
| their pressure on Congress in behalf
of the bill introduced and so ably and
successfully championed by Mr.. Me-
Crary. If it should pass the Senate.
which is highly improbable, it will
lead 40 no practical relief. 1t will
| cause the establishment Of commits
sion, that after year or twos expen-
sive existence viii establish just such
a tariff of rates as the experienced
| railroad officers tell them is the mini
mum they can work for. That will
be about present lates-and so will
/ end the Intervention OF Congress IN
the carrying business Let the Gran
ges. instead Of beating about the bush
two or three years longer, hoping to
get VI hat is really impossIble-eheap
l
| Congressman in behalf Of the perma-
nent opening of the mouth Of the
Mississippi river and the clearing OF
its tributaries Of all distractions 10
navigation. There Is no constitutional
difficulties in the way. and the work
when accomplished will secure ior all
time cheap trans portation direct trade
| with Europe, and a deiigcrance from
the delays, tolls. commissions, trans
| fers, storages aud cxt1rtions of the
seabcara cities, that have grown rich
AID great through handling, selling
and shipping the products of the toll
and sweat Of Western farmers, and
having thss grown rich. use all their
wealth and political power to Intimi-
date Congress and the President, and
defeat public measures that the West
ern States have deepest interest III.
THE West by its labor, heavily
taxed in the transfer Of its products
to the East. and taxed again IN buying
all the articles Of home consumption
In the same Eastern markets, has
| built up the great wealth of the cities
of the seaboard Like Jeshrum,
those cities shave waxed fat and are
now kicking the Nest. and tauniing
1t with ignorance, dishonesty and pow
erty. There Is an easy mode of delIy-
erance for the West. The Oranges
will End it if they heartily desire the
relief they have been calling for They
can by cooperation. in which the
South in body will aid them. compel
the opening of the mouth Of the Mis-
sissippi river by the Government.
When that is done, they can have
| their grain delivered in Liverpool as
eheapIy as it Is in the average of years
delivered in New York: and return
freights, Of whatever foreign goods
the Western population want, can be
had to St Louis at . saving cores
pondiBgly as great.
/ We submit these suggestions to
the Western men who have entered
into the Grange movement, as TO in
tellgeBt mep seeking TO do laudable
work, and desiring earnestly to find
the true way of reaching the object
they aim at 1t will shortea labor.
save expense, aad hasten the frnition
of their hopes to go to work the right
way-and in that work they shall Have
our hearty cooperation.
An exchange truly says: Ii costs