The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-04-24
Petitions to Congress-.
BY II. HsHBAEGH, MAsTER.oR Tur

In our last communication we ur
ged the propriety of writing to Sen.
atois and members of Congress. ask.
ing them to act and to act prom ptly,
and wisely, on the subject of. inter,
state commerce SO that the freight
rates might be regulated, giving rea-
sonable and fair profits to capital, la
Dor and risk, invested in transporta-
ton enterprises and at the same time,
allow reasonable and fair profits to
producers and shippers This
would be regulating this important
subject upon sound basis and upon
the principle of equal Justice There
is no. class more deeply interested in
this question than the farmers, and
none can be expected to work more
faithfully for its accomplishment
than the-farmers. You should,
therefore, mot be backward in writ
ing to your Senator and Represent
tatiye in Congress. You have che,
sen them as your agents toslegislate
in the interest and for the welfare
of the whole people, and not for a
favorite few haze sEa7 81 esast
l. You may-as well give your Rep
rese 1ttative to understand, first as
last, that we are not waging var
fare against any interest or class, and
especially none against railroads, for
no class needs railroads more than
the farmers, hence we do not desire
to hinder, modest, or cripple them,
but that the railroads need the farm
ers equally as much, can not be de-
MED, and the former would cease to
prosper and cease to exist, were it
not for the large productions of the
latter, that furnishes the tonnage out
of which railroads and transporta-
ton companies reap their millions
annually But you should determine
on warfare for justice and that you
are going to fight it out on the line
of equal justice to all classes and all
interests, even should it take an en-
tire new set of Representatives and
Senators. Do not allow your servants
in the national legislature to form
combinations to thwart the wishes
of the people, and delay action up
on this question until Congress ad-
journs, and then come home, and tell
US how gladly they would have sup.
ported the measure, but that it could
not be reached before the time for
adjournment. You pay them sal
airy of $1,000 a year, and they can
afford to remain in session and dis
pose of this all important question.
WHY should they adi ourn at the end
of four or five months and call it a
years service, aud leave the most
important work of the session I'M
done? Insist upon Immediate action
so that every representative and
Senator may have a known record
when they return to their consti-
tuents for election t'siit
And with all the efforts, resolu-
tons and memorials of Boards of
Trade and commercial associations.
together with the signatures of over
million farmers as petitioners pray
ing Congress for an act of justice to
relieve oppression, it may yet fail,
for money, talent, trickery and all
sorts of schemes are employed to de-
feat the will of the people 1t is,
charged and stands undisputed, that
the books of the Vanderbilt line of
r. r. show an appropriation ofQVer
5000, ooe forlegislative expenditures,
and it is but reasonable to suppose
that al similar institutions will be
equally as liberal, and it should be
understood that any public servant
who may, perchance, fall heir to any
portion of this vast amount of legis.,
lative expenditures, can have, no
further claim upon the suffrages of
the people, in neither State or Ma
tional point Of view o'''
Ruta failure should not in the least
discourage US, for allreformsand rev.
olutions require great efforts, and
sometimes great sacrifices, and a
reform Of such magnitude as this
cannot be an exception to the gener-
al rule Forty years ago delegation
from Pennsylvania applied to Con-
gress for a tariff on iron. It was
Claimed that this would develop the
mining and manufacturing interest,
but the delegation failed in their
demands from time TO time until
they finally succeeded in electing
Congress that passed tariff law.
SO with many great measures, great
and determined efforts were en-
ployed and a Congress elected with
special reference to certain measures.
IF our present effort proves a fall
ure, (Which it probably willy, we
are fully justified in employing. the
same means, and elect legislators
both State and national, that will
neither sell nor lend themselves to
any scheme or selfish interest, in the
true interest ofthe people. Corpor-
ations and schemers do not become
discouraged by single failures, but
they nerve up fresh courage. lay
deeper plans, and resort to greater
trickery so as to finally accomplish
their plans. AS soon as one election
is over they commence figuring for
the next campaign, working two or
three years in advance to educate
and regulate their candidates for
Governor of the State, and select
their men, for representatives in
State and National legislatures
And none but men promised and
| pledged can secure their favors, they
fsx,- ~, az, NOR II, fl1fs Yfsar.