The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-06-04


canoe. You pay men to look
after your interests, who have been
already retained by the railroads,
you knowing it at the time You
by your ballots employ them hence
you are responsible for the sacrifice
of your own interests. What you
have done, and are doing, is but the
counterpart of what the masses are
doing in that respect throughout
the United States. Will you con-
tinue so to do, or will you by your
ballots enforce the spirit of the petit
ton (signed by you at your last
meetingJ for the regulation by Con
gress of inter State commerce? The
National Grange has sounded the
alarm, which has been echoed and
re echoed throughout the Union.
1t is no false alarm. The creatures
(the railroads. claim that they a,e
greater than their creators 1.-THE
masses of the people), and practi-
cally enforce their Claim by cor
ruptly securing their emfssaries to
Represent ostensibly the peoples in
terests in the various Legislatures,
State and National, but who really
are laboring to increase the tribute
demanded of the masses by their
(the epresentatives) real masters.
I on have it i'll your power now to
reform abuses and enforce the spirit
Of the petition referred to and the
clause Of the Constitution quoted.
The Supreme Court of the United
States has decided, virtual y, in the
Justly celebrated Granger cases,
carried no from Illinois, that it was
the imperative duty of Congress to
regulate inter- State railroads, and
of States TO regulate the rates, etc,
OF local lines within their borders.
Compel your representatives to en-
force the Constitution as interpreted
by this highest tribunal of the land,
while YOU are blessed with a Su-
preme Court that is not owned by
the railroads. Fortunately, too, for
you at this time, the President of
the United States is not owned by
the railroads but is the oufspoken
enemy of their extortions and eff
croaCfmsnts upon the Just rights
and interests Of the people. Enforce
then at once the spirit of the peti
ton by sending no man to represent
you either in State or National Leg
islature who is in any way connect
ed with railroads or who is liable
to he bribed by them either directly
or indirectly. The demand made
in your petition is just, it is Constl-
tutional. The Order of Patrons is
not an enemy to railroads. 1t re-
cGgnfes their importance, in fact
their absolute necessity IS society is
now constituted. 1t wants private
capital really invested III them TO
pay a reasonable dividend, but IT
disclainls any wish to have them so
run as to declare a dividend on the
innunierable millions of watered
stock now clamoring for dividend
AS the sole object of the Nation
and of the State in granting the
charters of the railroads and con-
tributing so largely by donations OF
| land. etc. to their construction was
to procure additional highway facil-
tiles for the people and not to en-
rich a few individuals, the Grange
demands that they perform the
functions of highways, and as pub
lie carriers be subjected to all re-
strietions that have been placed on
all simiat corporations for centuries
past. The Grange demands that
some localities shall not be com
PEELED to pay part of all the freight
on products of more favored local.
ties. It demands that short dis
tances shall not be compelled to
pay more freight than long ones,
because there happens to be com
peting lines for the CARRYING trade
Of the longer distance. And it de
nands that it shall not be in the
power of three or four men to in
crease or diminish the value of the
property of this Nation to the
amount of thousands of millions of
dollars by simply lowering or rails
ing few cents per hundred pounds,
the freights on the roads under their
control. Already the justice of
these demands is being acknowl
edged by the most intelligent and
influential Boards of Trade of the
land Already manufacturers every
where and hundred of thousands
of farmers who are not within
the Grange, are awakening to the
necessity of speedily enforcing these
demands. Press forward then to
their attainments, which is of more
importance, many times, than get
ting rebate from manufactures
agents, tradesmen, or even securing
the payment, by plain and honest
means of our State and Nationa
debts, for there is a principle in
volved in the former which has
constitution, custom, justice, ano
your very liberties, as well as inn
merable millions on its side, while
with the latter money only is in
volved.
A k,+ 10 NV