The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-02-11
1s1r3A DANGEROUS LoBBya

Al WeetluS VI LUG 0i6u6o W
"Wednesday resolution was adopted
providing for the appointment of com.
mittee of. three to be known as the "leg.
islatiY., committee" !" and whose duty il
|; shall bs to bring before the Legislature
such matters as the State Grange shall
direct, aud who shall in addition point
out and "try To defeat all legislation cal
sculated to injnre the farmers of the
sState.n The Worthy Master of the
Grange is authorized to call this commit.
tee together whenever deemed necessary,
and it, is slso provided that their travel
ing expenses shall be paid tout of the
treasury Of the Grange. The
Grange proposes to try plan which the
farmers have denounced, year in and
year out, for the last generation. It has
substantially provided for the organiza.
tion of. alobty whose expenses are to be
paid from the treasury of the Grange,
and whose duty it shall be TO try to
influence legislation in the interests Of
the farmers. If it iswrong for railroad
and manufat curing corporations to send
agents to Columbia to secure such legis-
lation as will advance their corporate
interests and personal schemes, it is
wrong for the farmers to attempt, to
accomplish like purpose in the same
Yay. The mistake which the
farmers have made heretofore has con-
sisted in not taking as much interest as
they should have taken in shaping the
primary assemblies and in securing for
themselves the best, possible representa-.
:tion in the. General Assembly. n
What the farmers need, in short, is not
q committee 10 represent them in the
lobby of.the Legislature, but capable,
earnest and visilant men to represent
them on the floor Of the Legislature.
There is, to our mind, no force in the
..Neus and Courier's objection to the
Grange Committee on legislation, and it
is q little strange that such committee
should be compared with the lobby Of
In the case of corpora.
tions and lobbyists for private interests,
the objection is that certain designing
schemers get from the Legislature privi-
.leges for individual interests, which are
inimical to the public good. There is
no such danger from committee of
farmers. II they can influence legisla-
tion SO as to benefit the agricultural in.
,terests of the State, it will likewise bene-
fit the whole State, for the agricultural
interests are very diversified, and being
the largest interest of the State underly
Its. general prosperity. We doubt the
ability of such a committee to accom-.
plish much good, but have no objection
to giving it a chance. Its mission is to
benefit an important class in our State,
and it is not selfish, sectional or danger
Gus in its purposes. If it succeeds, it
cannot hurt any interest in the State, for
the prosperity of the agricultural portion
of the State will benefit, not hurt other
interests. Such committees are not i'm.
proper and are not unknown in this
State. The State bar association has
such committee appointed to look after
the subject Of legislation generally, and
it is just as fair to charge the bar associ-
alton with instituting q lobby as to
charge the Grange with it, and yet we
do not remember to have seen any objec-
ton from the Ne,os and Courier to this
action on the part of-.ae lawyers. We
are glad to see the different interests in
the State watching legislation. 1t is
healthy sign, and if the people will heed
the advice given in the latter part Of the
Neus and Coarier's article there will be
no danger from lobbyists of any kind,
and committees like that from the
Grange will be serviceable in furnishing
information and facts connected with the
interests they represent. Of all matters
connected with our State government,
there is nothing of so much Importance
as the selection of Legislators. If any
evils arise in our government which are
general and permanent iu their effects,
they are the result Of crude or injurious
legislation, and therefore, while we can
see no reason why the Grange should not
appoint its committee on legislation, we
fully concur in the concluding part of
the Mews and Courier's article.