Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-12-19
The CHANGERS AND THE RAILROADS.

To Geo, C. Gibbs, Esq, Delegate to the
California State Grange:
SIR: While the Grange organiza-
tions throughout the United States
eschew politics, Ipresume they do not
intend this abnegation of political
questions to be understood in its gen
eral sense, but rather in the conven-
tional use of the term, as applied to
partizanship; because there is no class
of citizens more deeply interested in
the political system of the nation than
the farmers and agricuturists.
No other class of our people con-
tributes so largely towards defraying
the expenses of the National, State
and county governments, in proper
ton to, their actual capital or their
yearly income, as that which obtains
its livelihood from the products of the
soil. Such being the case, there is no
class of the community so deeply in
terested or SO highly entitled to the
benefits flowing from government, as
the farming class.
In all past ages and in all the varied
forms of government which the inge-
nuity of man has been able to call into
existence, those who have forced the
soil to give forth out of its store-hous
the wealth which nature has laid up
therein, have exercised but little
influence upon the politics of their re-
spective countries. The soldier, the
landlord, the merchant and the capi-
talist have been those who, without
consulting the interests OF those who
by their skill and toll in cultivating
the earth, constitute the bone and
muscle, the true wealth of the coun-
try, have moulded and guided the
politics OF the government. / cannot,
therefore, entertain the idea that in
THIS day uud generation ond in these
United States, where knowledge is
diff'used among the agricultural class
to a higher degree and greater extent
than in almost any other nation, they
should voluntarily objure the princi-
pies of sound political economy and
refrain from an effort to carry these
principles into effect.
III Is dl dAlOIlI UIiaU UIlc ioI
the accomplishment of an enterprise
must be in proportion to the magnl-
tude of that enterprise. That which
may be beyond the means of one man,
may be easily performed by the COM
bined power of two men. Thus we
see great enterprises carried to success
full execution by associations, which
could not have been effected by the
| efforts of one or two individuals.
There are enterprises the accomplish
ment of which are not only beyond
the means of individuals, but of a
| magnitude SO great as to bar the at
tempt to carry them into execution by
any voluntary association OF indiVid-
uals. These, to be brought to sue
cessful issue, must be undertaken by
the whole people, by the nation, act
| ing through and by means of its gov
| ernment. 1t was in this way that the
| great works of past ages and peoples
were accomplished, and it is thus that
| in modern times and at the present
day, great enterprises for the welfare
of the people have been crowned with
success.
That the highways of commerce for
the interchange of the products OF the
soil and of industry in general,
whether those ways are over the water
or upon the land, should be such as to
afford the greatest facility and prompt
ness and at the least cost, are most
beneficial to those whose products are
derived from the soil must be appar-
ent. The productions of the farm are
of greater weight and bulk in proper
ton to their market value than are
those of the workshop and manufac-
tory; consequently, those means
through which the cost and length of
| time required for the transportation of
the produce of the land is lessened,
operate more directly for the benefit
of the agricultural than for that of
any other class OF Inhabitants.
While it may be susceptible of dem
| onstration that an undue proportion
of the burden of building the railways
of the United States has fallen upon
the farming and agricultural classes,
it must be admitted that their con-
struction has greatly benefited these
classes of our community, and that
there are projected railways, the
prompt completion OF which would
inure to the great benefit of the farm
ing and agricultural interests of the
nation, admit of no doubt.
| Although the cost of constructing a
/ railway is an item that must be taken
into consideration when determining
the rate of fares and freights, yet this
item, great as it is, loses in great
measure its Importance, when placed
by the side of the yearly expense OF
operating the road and Keeping it and
the rolling stock in repair.
/ .u ITO be concluded tomorrow