The anti-monopolist., 1875-01-14

land is now suffering from financial em'
barrassments,-but there are no Gran
gers in England!
II. It is charged that the straiten-.
ed condition of the railroads
has also been caused by the
Grangers. Another absurdity. The
collapse of the railroads began by
the failure of thirty American roads to
nav the interest on their bolds in
Europe. Why? There were no hard
times then in this country. and the
Oranges had scarcely begun to attract
attention. Why was it :? The answer
is plain. Because they had ovcrdone
the business of railroad building; they
had rushed their roads ahead of the de-
mands of the settlements; they had
built them exclusively on borrowed
capital; and they had stolen so much
in the construction that roads that
really cost $4,000 per mile were bond
ed for $4,000, $50,000 and 100000
per mile. There was no possibility OF
paying the interest on these bonds
there was no business that would pay
it; hence, they went to protest in Eu-
rope hence, Jay Coke couldn't borrow
any more money there; hence ne fall
ed; and hence, all the inflated schemes OF
the country exploded one after the
other like pack of Chinese crackers
on the Fourth Of July. The Changers
had no more to do with producing the
financial breakup than that venerable
old gentlemen, ''the man in the moon.
III. We are told that if we had no
Grangers we would have good times
again at once; that money would rush
into the State and all manner of busl'
ness would revive. Another laughable
absurdity. There are no Changers in
New York, worth speaking of;;-and IN
New England they are almost as scarce
as hens teeth. Why don't business
revive there7 Why are the factories
silent, the shops empty, the ships IDLE
at the docks If it is the Granger:
that produce the hard times, then there
should be good times where the Grang
ers are not.
| Nv. Then we are told that no more
railroads will be built in Minnesota on
account of the Changers. Our answe1
is that if we were to hold meeting o
the State Grange tomorrow, and re
solve, unanimously, that we would sub
nit without a murmur to all the de
; mands of the railroads, however extor
Itionate, that they could take all "
t had and our notes for the balance, tina
we were willing to work for moth
+, ing and find ourselves.
t would not bring one dollar of none
e into the State for railroad building
: and simply because the money canne
j. be obtained for railroad building Q
D any terms. The thing is overdone;-
< is played out. We must wait until th
! railroad fever revives. Look back
t 1857. We issued State bonds an
/ built several hundred miles of road-bc'
+ and tied and graded part of it; an
t we had no Changers then and we wei
willing te mortgage our souls salvatio
o to get railroads, and yet in the who
J. country not one dollar could be foun
y with which to iron and finish tho
k roads, and they lay there until Il
It rains of heaven almost washed the
away.
al In short, it is all balderdash al
a. poppy cock, Ito use choice word
to which alone can itly express our CO
Id tempt for such arguments, gotten I
ST in the back offices Of some railro'
he company.
N. The railroads have their rights u
he the people have their rights. II
~. trnth lies somewhere between the e
NO trems demands Of both. We dor
.ss want to crush out the railroads, al
a. we are determined the railroads sh,
,le nos crush US out. A dollar invested
v. bailding railroad is no more acr
As and has no more rights than doll
ed invested in farm alongs ide Of it; a
!. in time Of collapse and poverty DO
"e sides must bear their share of the br
en- den 1T must not be all thrown on Il
nd farmer, simply because the railroad
10 able to hire .ewspapers and sble In
It yers to plead its cause; while the Pc
scattered inhabitants Of the land Z
= voiceless and practically unorganizs
~ The right wrongs no man. and
ms right and only the right We ask.
n. CORRUPTION.
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