The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-05-23
Grange Politics" (so-Called).

. FlStdDle Dy legislative authority, ant
that the power should be invoked in tn
interest and for the protection of tn
;. People, did not take a new departure
j but was simply treading the path which
!, the Order marked out years ago. A
+ some of our contemporaries seem to b.
d utterly ignorant of its history, in add
E ton to what has been heretofore ad
duced for their information, we will Civ,
them more light. At the annual meet
ing of the National Grange in 1882,
report was presented by Special Com
mittee which had been appointed to con
E fer with the Congressional COMMITTEES
! on Commerce with the view to secur,
legislation on this very subject of Cor
Poration Supervision. From this re-
! port we will copy the following extracts
In compliance with a request of Wor.
thy Master, WOodman, of the National
Grange, through Brother Armstrong. Of
the New York State Grange, the under
signed appeared before the Commerce
Committee of the House of Representa-
tives in March last to urge upon that
body the necessity of regulating by law
transportation through and between the
several States of the Union; and beg
leave to submit the following reporf
upon the subject
mat Congress possesses constitutional
authority on this subject, under the del
cgated power to regulate commerce be-
tween the States, is not denied.
| That the best interests of the people
demand that this authority shall be ex-
erclsed, the history of railroad Transport
tation in this country abundantlv
proves. In demanding this legislation
we emphatically deny hostile intent to-
wards the railroad interests of the coun-
try which have grown with marvellous
rapldlty to almost fabulous magnitude
within the last few years. We realize
the indispensable necessity of railroads.
and freely admit that they have been
and are of great benefit to every section
81 our common country.
After commenting upon the benefits
OF railroads and disclaiming hostility to |
them, the report discusses the necessity
OF protecting the public from over
charges, determinations, etc, and adds:
To correct these abuses and restrain
corporate power, legislative authority il
invoked. Just and equitable laws
should be enacted that will protect pop
uiar rights without doing violence to in
dlVldual or corporate interests. Rail
road commissioners should be appointed
by the Federal and State Governments
to see that these laws are enforced. The
purpose OF the law and the endeayor NJ
Ill good citizens should be to avoid an
tagonlsms and harmonic the interests
ot all departments of the business Of tba
country We believe these objects
you'd be substantially secured by the
Reagan bill, and we there urged its
ADOPTION with such force and arguments
Is we could command, but all arguments
'nd appeals fell upon leaden ears. The
were nearly solid in the
abroad interest q majority of whom !
we're stockholders in, or ATTORNEYS for
hese corporations But we do not de,
par OF ultimate success in railroad 8
transportation reform The sense of
'u6hc justice will not always slumber t
no when fully aroused the people will !
urely provide remedy for public :
..rongs and protection for popular !
lights. r'p'i"i
we need not repeat that this grave
uestlon was not considered by the c
'atlonal Grange from partisan stand
ONT nor with reference to its bearing Il
pom political parties. 1t is no more '
aole to the charge of entering the po-
teal area by having declared this doc c
Inc, than the Supreme Court of the
nlted States which has again and again o
laced upon it the stamp of its approval. i
me declaration of principles of the Il
atlonal Grange "emphatically and o
merely asserts the oft-repeated truth o.
lughtin its organic law, that the Grange Of
not a political organization" At te
le same time, it says; eve must NJ tt
avs bear in mind that no one by be- p
'mlng Patron of Husbandry gives up V
lat lnalienable right and duty which s.
slong to every American citizen to take s.
proper interest in the politics of the al
'untry" til