The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-02-25

Both of theSeSEadses did much TO
impede the PROGRESS and obstruct
the real work of the. organization.
Many who were engaged in
trade opposed the Grange, because
they saw that through an organiza
ton such as that. the farmers must
soon become better informed as to
the products of the country and
their consumption, and would thus
be in position to determine as to
the market value of what they had
to sell and what they had to buy.
Hence the silly cry which was
made to ring from one end of the
country to the other, that the
Grange was intended to wage a
war of the country against the
towns and cities.
The great corporations, too, such
as had for long years taxed the far.
mers' products at will, or as much
as they would bear, saw that in this
move, originated by the mass of the
voters wealth-producers of the
country, the time would soon come
when their assumed power would
be antagonized, their misdeeds ex-
posed, their discrimination correct
ed, and the strong arm of the law
interposed to restrain them from
the arbitrary exercise of right,
which is vested in sovereignty alone
that of the right of taxation.
The great power and influence of
railway monopolies were unjustly
arraigned against the farmers or
ganization. The doctrine of our
organization was, and is, that the
railroads and the people should
work in harmony and accord, and
it is gratifying to know that much
has been done to bring about a
kindly and reciprocal good feeling
between the producers as shippers
and the transportation companies of
the country as carriers. Much of
this good feeling, however, has
been brought about by the persist
ent efforts made on the part of the
agriculturists of the country to pro-
cure such legislation as would com
pei transportation companies to
deal fairly and Justly with individ-
uals and localities.
This question of railway control
had its origin in the Grange organ
ization, and year after year memo
rails and petitions have been sent
to the State Legislature, and the
National Legislature. too, asking
that necessary laws be enacted
which would compel these corpora
tons to regard the rights of the
people. The Grange for a long
while contended for this wise and
just measure solitary and alone. but
now it has become one of the great
National questions which must be
solved by the people of these United
States, and for this purpose Anti
Monopoly Leagues are being form
ed in every State of the Union.
The position of the Grange on
this important and vital question
| can not be misunderstood. There
is no disposition, nor is there any
desire to infringe upon any one
single right which justly belongs to
railway corporations. But in these
matters the people have rights, too,
and they ought to and must be pre-
served. And if the Grange had
never done any other good thing,
the mere fact of its having aroused
the people to a sense of the wrongs
under which they labored, and
| pointed out the proper remedy to
be applied, is sufficient to place 1t
upon high vantage ground, and
should enlist in its behalf the best
efforts of all good citizens who are
engaged in agricultural pursuits, as
we'll as others who are as deeply in
terested in these matters as are the
farmers of this country.
Since this question has been agi-
tated in the Grange, and SO promi-
nently kept before the people, great
advances have been made. Many
States have enacted laws which
operate to the benefit of both the
people and the transportation COM
panies, and it is truly gratifying to
know that our own Legislature is
now considering a bill which COW
ers the ground occupied by this
Grange, and which there is good
reason to believe will become law.
The Congress of the United
States, too, are deeply interested in
this same question, and we, as Pa
irons of Husbandry, have good
cause to congratulate ourselves that
we have firmly stood by the prin-
ciples of our organization, and la
bored diligently for the accomplish
ment of this object, which must
bring great good to the whole
country and in no wise damage the
transportation companies.
But the Grange has accomplished
other important work. 1t has
given a prominence to the agricul-
tural interest of the country, which
it would not have attained had it
not been for this organization.
The outlook now is favorable to
the establishment of the Agricul-
tural Department of the Govern
ment upon wider and more per-
manent basis, and the elevation of
the Commissioner to a position Of
| Cabinet officer. For this we have
labored, for we have petitioned.