The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-06-17

COLFAX AND THE EGRANGERS.

COLFAX AND THEGRANGERs.
Letter rroan Hon. Schuyler ColfAx to
the Patrons Of Husbandry of Va
bash COuhty. erk
SoUTH BEND, IND, June 2.
My DEAR SIR:-On my return
home from a speaking tour, received
your kind note, in which You state
that you are requested by the Com
mittee of Arrangements OF the Pa
irons of Husbandry Of Wabash county
to invite me to address grange pic
mic for, that county, to be held near
. North Manchester on the 18th inst.
/ have SO many pleasant recollectlons
of your county during thorough can
vass of it in my younger years, IN 1901,
and have received so many evidences
!; of the good will Of its citizens during
visits to it since then, that | would,
with great pleasure, accept this invi-'
tation with which, have been honor
/. ed, but Tor an engagement of some
mouths standing. to speak on that
very day at college commencement
at Olivet, Michigan. 4--
Entirely removed now from politi-
cal position or political candidacy. !
can say, without a misconstruction of
my motives, that the evils which the
grange organization was primarily ia
tended to correct or modify, werc
pointed out warningly by me in
fourth of July Grafton two years ago,
before the organization had attained
1 it's present prominence. But l have
! always recognized that there are rail-
road rights as we'll as railroad wrongs,
and that this great question must be
/ settled, and can only be enluringly
settled on the basis Of right and jus
tice. and upon those principals of
I equality which have been potential in
the settlement of all the great ques
I tions confronting US in our recent
history. Thus, while all must &C
knowledge their great usefulness in
developing the resources of the nation
and opening vast areas OF our interior
to settlement and Improvement, we all
see plainly that railroads can no more
J. 10 without the producers than the
I producers can do without them. And
COuCcuC dS
can only be built by the exercise Of
she States right of eminent 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 authority. And
if the miller wEo grinds wheat can
rightfully be limited by the State in
his tolls, why can not the railroad
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 carriers 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 COM
panies." l remember many years ago
how distinguished English states
man was criticised for proposition
that their great railroads should run
third class trains mornings and even.
ings. for laborers, ETC.. at penny
! two cents) per mile. He was lam.
pooned as de!nagogue and as vision.
airy theorist. But these "parliamen-
tary trains" as they are called, were
found when at last reluctantly estab
I lished, to be not only the great accom-
1 mediation for the poor that was claim
! ed for them. but also amongst the
I most profitable to the companies o.
1 all their trains.
! Two things in your organization
! have struck me as especially auspi
I cious. First, the admission Of yoIl
, wives and daughters to membership
; enhancing doubtless the social inter
est OF your meetings. and bcckoninl
! woman onward to wider spheres o
! usefulness in the community, and sec
| ondly, the frank and outspoken dec
| larations of so many of your grange
| as TO intemperance, the enemy of tn,
| workingman and the bane Of society
| trust your organization will neve
| speak with an uncertain voice on thi
l great evil of the century. For all ex
I perience proves that where drinkin
| shops decrease, crime and pauperisn
| with their consequent taxation, de
4 crease, comfort and happiness in tn
! abodes of the poor increase, and la,
I and order, peace and quiet, industr
! and thrift more generally prevail.
I Your demands. too, for increase
1 economy in public expenditures. an
| greater watchfulness as to public mon
I eys, cannot fail to do good. Whe
! you proceed from generalities to de
!! tails, you will find that besides strio
scrutiny as to national appropriation
You will need quite as watchful car
as to home taxation. Gov. Hayes, {
Ohio, one of the best governors tina
= State ever had, proved several year
ago. in a message that attracted to
I little attention, that unrestrained lc
cal taxation was the heaviest burdel
: | by far. the taxpayer had to shoulder
- And that is so completely within you
4 power, locally, that have great hope
: of benifcent results in that line frol
your organization.
r Not being a member of your ordel
! | am not sure that I understand you
+. exact position as to 'middlemen."
, your object is to economize as far q
, possible, buying with cash from manu
: /, facturers or their agents, at their low
$ est price. instead of on credit at highe
, rates, and thus save the heavy pe
+. centage that the credit system absorbt
5 from the honest poor, that is certainl
y laudable But middlemen, as elias
- are as necessary in the operations
2 trade and commerce and business, ::
. lawyers are in law, and doctors
+ medicine, and need special educ:
tion and adaptation to their work J
Y you could abolish all middlemen wit
;. their experience, you would have
y educate and train up middlemen o,
:. OF your own ranks to fill their place
:. And, as we cannot buy dress pattern
{ for our wives direct from the Maj
chester mills, We must recognize tn
: agents who contract at wholesale, ar
: taking all the risks Of shipments an
;. sales, retail goods to US, are to larl