The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-01
THE STATE GRANGE.
How the Order"ftas Grown in Cali
F., -" - :fornia.

h. II Is interesting 10. nOIe WIFI Wndt GET
tainty popular epidemics of all kinds,
when once fairly started, break out spor-
adically and simultaneously at. places
most distant from each other and from
the center of ferment.. In 1871, lin spite OF
the l.sw overland railroad, California was
farther from the Mississippi Valley than it
now is from Egypt, but brand from the
burning drifted oyer and lighted the blaze
here. A lively account of the. beginnings
of the agitation in California may be
found in a book bv the late Professor E. S.
Carr, published by Bancroft in 1875. At
that time, says Professor Carr:
1.-The wheat-growers had the largest in
terests at stake and were mostly concerned
in the question of reducing the cost of
transportation, but the fruit-growers even
more strongly resolved to strike for free
dom from the exactions and combinations
of middlemen, who, they insisted, were
receiving the lions share of the profits
the farmers seemed everywhere fully
awake to the idea than an intelligent COM
pensation could best be effected by asso-
Citations confined to those engaged In agri-
culture"
To secure this farmers club was organ
lied at Sacramento December 7, 1871, fol-
lowed by similar societies at Stockton,
Oakland, San Jose and generally through
out the State.
The reports and resolutions of the clubs
of that day are lively reading. The fol-
lowing extracts from a deliverance of a
committee of the Oakland club, August %,
1872. are fair samples:
ITO demonstrate the urgent necessity of
a league or association among farmers to
prevent the ShyOcks who are preying upon
them from carrying off all the farm ers'
profits and making them mere hewers OF
wood and drawers of water and delivers in
the soil 10 benefit few heartless grain
spectators, let us look at the manner in
which the grain market has been manipu-
lated in California this season. We are
told that the prices here are governed by
the prices of grain in Liverpool. How is
this2
"On the I'd day of August the Liverpool
market for California wheat was quoted at
lis Sd and the same day at San Francisco
at 81 55 to 81 80 per GENITAL; on the 18th
the Liverpool quotations were lbs 40, and
on the next day in San Francisco the
spectators paid only 81 60 for good ship
ping; here was an advance at Liverpool
of Is cents per GENITAL in eleven days, and
how did the San Francisco market re-
spond? How much did the wheat buyers
OF San Francisco advance the prices? Not
one cent. But we are told by
these wheat sharps, these bread bucca neers,
that the present low price of wheat is
necessarily caused by the increased price
of freights. Is this true? Let US prick
this pretty bubble and see it collapse"
And the committee proceeds to prove
that the increased freight rates were simply
due to corner in charters, which had
been managed with great profits 10 the
ring The distinct charges made by the
different clubs, and apparently proved,
were that there were often deliberately ar
ranged false reports of the Liverpool mar
ket; frequent corners in charters; continual
corners in bags; refusal of banks to adj
vance on wheat in country warehouses
outrageous local freights.
The remedy proposed was the formation
of Farmers Protective Unions in the vari-
Gus districts and counties, each with its
own store; strong State institution at
the head; the establishment of bank to
advance on country grain, and the system
attic lighting of charter spectators by
Withholding grain until demurrage should
eat up their profits and force them to sur
render. Unions near tidewater or naviga-
able streams were to build and run their
own boats.
To promote these ends State conven-
ton of delegates from Farmers clubs met
at Sacramento in November and adopted
some lurid resolutions denouncing the
monopolists and spectators and author
izing the formation of a Farmers Union
Protective League" for the purpose of
fighting them.
A constitution and bylaws were adopted
and officers elected, with Hon. John Bid
well president, and others still well known
in the Directory. The convention, how
ever, made the mistake, so often repeated
in this State and elsewhere, of raising
no money to carry out its resolutions, and
the State effort came to nothing.
Vigorous efforts were made in various
counties and districts, resulting in the
formation Of a large number of Farmers
Union stores, OF which some remain to this
day, invariably however controlled by a
few persons who gradually absorbed suf-
fcient of the stock to assure themselves of
Vigor and ability in the management. For
the most part they and the grange stores
which succeeded them have gone out of
existence. usually to the great loss of their
stockholders.