Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-03-15
The Changers and Railroads.


The political papers generally have borne
down hard upon the Patrons of lIusbandry
for the part taken by them in the West
toward making the great corporations of that
section amenabe to their creator, the peo-
pie, as represented in the state governments.
1t has been attempted to charge the general
collapse of speculation, and the :" hard times, "
upon the farmers, instead of upon the gen
eral extravaganza, laziness, and that desire
to live at the expense Of other people, which
has caused the national expenses so long
to exceed the national income, aud at last
necessiated an hour of settlement and an
era Of reform.
Perhaps there is no newspaper in the
country that cares less for, or is more openly
Indifferent to, the farming class than the
Springfield RepuJlicea The opinions and
feelings Of the farmers are received with
about as much rosn"-., by this smart, intelli-
ger. representative Of the manufacturing
fristocracy Of Western Massachusetts,, as it
has for the public sentiment of some interior
province of the Chinese empire. Butthough
so lazily contemptuous of the farmers, and
indeed of working-men generally, the RepuJ
iicdn is a heightened paper, in the best sense
of the word II will not le or misstate, OF
misrepresent facts. II is this controlling
integrity Of character that makes the Repub
iicdn Independent OF partisan control, while
so rigidly partisan in sentiment. Calling it
self independent in politics, it is only indie
pendent of politicians. But for this, ever
with this motive, we ought to be thankful
and not expect all the virtues under HEAVIER
for nine dollars year.
The Republican,, in a recently Published
article upon Western Railroad Legislation
has the justice to say
The granger legislation OF 1874 in Wisconsin
being nndone In detail, but the principle stand
an important distinction which is oyerlooke,
by those who claim that II all goes for naught
The principle OF state supervision and stnte reg
ulation is distinctly asserted and enforced in tn
Vance bill, which is now on its passage through
the Wisconsin legislature, and which repeats tn
Potter law The fact simply is, that the rotte
law carried the principle too far, and attempted +
regulate the operation of railroads too closely"
There is not one political newspaper in
hundred, the country over, that would hav
stated the facts as honestly as they are state
in the above quoted paragraph And, con
tinuing the subject, the Republican, with tn
same proud honesty, awards due credit +
the work of the Western farmers, as follows
"Gmnge legislation having run Its course in tn
West, Iowa alone, we believe, retaining a stric
tariff of rates, we are at liberty to judge some
what Of It's results. lthas probably repressed rail
road development 10 some extent, but that was
great mercy and directly in the line OF other infu
enees, not springing from legislation The rail
roads were over-stimulated, dishonesty inflate
and managed, greedy and defiant Of public opinion
and shameless in their manipulation Of politics an
their corruption Of the very sources of politica
power, The grange rose upand struck them simul
taneously with the panic Of 1873, The grange re
asserted the sovereignty OF the state all com
mon carriers, not only practically by raising u
legislatures which the railroads We're powerless t
buy or to ntimidate, but judicially by defendin
NheN n'N'iNAbhNf ~ ihe WINS NhN 0bNNto0Auh
maintaining it through successiyoappeals up to tn
supreme court Of the United States, where now
rests. Practically, grange legislation has merel
Intensified the financial distress. No more road
probably would be paying dividends to-day,
grange legislation had never been heard oil
Nay, the very economy aud honesty OF manage
ment neeessitated by the panic and the grange
has probably saved the roads more money tina
they have lost by the adverse influence of tn
grange itself, Says prominent Western Rilroa
man, Between you and me, confess that, a
a choice Of evils, had rather face the grang
than such rush OF new railroads as threatene
MS two years ago but hope to see both kept /
their proper bounds" Grange legislation, theC
resically, has been worth all II has cost for just
Of Its results-namely, that 1t has reasserted tn
power OF the people over the railroad power, I
regard TO which, five years ago, even the mos
hopeful and steady going men were giving then
selves over to piteous driyel Of lament. 1t wa
then that Wendell Phillips struck his sprite
trope about legislatures nnttering like dried leave
as Tom SCOTS garments swept the ground. III
eloquenee remains but the truth, thank the LORD
has departed out Of these words. The grange la
. disproyed IT."