, 1874-01-22

Tho FnrunorAs Movement 1'ferc.
tofrtspo1dcnet a fhs Chicaoo Itj5una.

| ''.'10'N.''-SW " 1Ho LHaclH0 iT5NHA.
TOPEKA, Kan., Jun, iB, 1874
Lilo annual mcoting OF tho Farnotn' CT
| operative Association-of which an account hns
Deoh aont you by acknowledgements a few
tohoctiops upon the general movement Of tho
farmers III this State.
III no stato hnvo tho results Of that movement
ncen moro surprising; In uone, certainly has
! soole beeh moia ewing need OF reform. In
proportion TO population and roaourcos, no State
e@ceoae Aa'lsab In tho power of Its nonopolios.
anu Ia tho political influence OF It's great corpo-
| Fatlons' Nowcro hna this power been more
| oncesiyely aud unacrupuously cnpoyod for tho
| control OF legislation. In tue light Of past lc.
Seaopmonsss it Is scarcely necessary to add that
VIC may falrIy clalm precedence In political
corruption, aa In many othor respects.
There has long boou widespread foolIup
that some check must bo put uron theeo cor
porato influences; that tho unloubtod right of
tic State tocontrol them must 10 exercised IN
tue interest Of It's cltizons; md that tbcir
facilities tor shaping and thwarting legislation
must he ourtaiscd. ThiH prevalent soati,ncnt
has lithorto failed Of ita purpose lhruugh tho
want af 81 > noFgani7sl and nnitod Notion. 1ndecd,
beon cioson to tho Legislature; but taey havo
generally turned out to bo tho most nbicot
nerytols Of t,lo railroads. Whenever any TO-
t."..'mi!1 1u5.hias4oh nas peen perfected, 1t has
ssnal!y' failed of execution, and has remained
q dead letter OH tho statllto-book. A law Of
tho btate at this hour fixes the rato of
faro at certaln maximum figure, and
aaakes n u mHlemeator tor any railway oioor
iias been entiroly d!AregArtlcd, Molo than TINT,
legislation faa boon shapod Especially to oncollr.
a3o railroad compaulos to resist and delay tho
payment of taxes.
More offensive, If not moro injurious, ooase-
0uencos have followed tile open and shameless
Interference in our e1ootlons great aud amajl
popular aud Legislative. 70 tile autiye ,utrrnuai-
lion OF inc ra'lway-strllkers our municipalities
which III oushing them, amounting in tic ag-
grcSato to *l3 100000, or $4,000, ,0D5 more than
Hil tho roads OF tho Stuo aro valued ut udor o,,r
infamous Rallroad~Aseess,nent law,
How to correct these and other glaring evil
has long boon tho oonln1run with Which our
people have wreBiled. Il las been s1lyod. Tha
urangors havo furnished the romedy, This
s1sa snte GFange was olganzod only last year, aud
section OF tue stasc. Nearly 1000 subordinate
Oranges arc fnoperation. III the Canvass Of
lust full, quietly. without the blowing Of tr,m,
pets. and III tho lace Of tho ridcule of tho eutirs
party y-prosa, the Grangers organizod their torcos.
marched to tue polls, aud elected to tho Lerlsla
ture, II not M absolute anti-ltopuhijcun mSiori.
~ at least no nearly 10 tu nssuro tho accon1-
psiment Of much bonotleial legislation. # this
anticipation shall provo usory, tl1.ro viii be- M
room for douot MS to the composition OF Tue ue5
Legislature. 'eo |'"' :
How fur tho Grange oloment will be- able to
nnouce y, n, tug election of ssaator to occur on
Ills reputation by predicting. Very little has vat
boen developed on tho subject, aud my forocast-
ing OF tho result must be nero oonjeosuro, An
Impression prevails qllte generally. however,
seF, but TINT he toiu 10 Republican of ci,arao-
ter and integrity, aud ono in hearty sympathy
with tue Reform moyomout.
OF tic next popular canvass 1t il oasior to TAXA
tho measure. lie Rsforme's will nominate AID
elect a full State ticket. oycry .netnbar vi Con-
sreAh, majority Of county officers, at!d an oyor-
wholmlng majority OF tho Legislature.