Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-10-27

The National Grange at its annual
meeting in 1902, decided on the fol.
lowing lines of national legislation !:
General rural free delivery; postal
savings banks; election of United
States senators by the people; a con
stitutional amendment giving Con-
gress power to regulate and control
trusts and other combinations; en-
largement Of the powers of interstate
commerce commission; regulation OF
the use Of shoddy; pure food laws;
provision for the extension Of markets
for products equally with manufac-
tured articles; enactment Of an anti
trust law clearly defining what acts
on the part of any corporation would
be detrimental to public welfare;
speedy construction Of the Nicaragua
canal; speedy construction Of a ship
canal connecting the Mississippi river
with the great lakes and the latter
with the Atlantic ocean"
Nearly all these reforms have been
brought forward by the Democrats in
Congress and voted down by the Re
publicans, the exceptions being rural
free delivery. which both parties fav-
ored, and the partial enactment Of
pure food laws. Both parties favor
ed the oceanic canal, though the sub.
stltution of the Panama route for the
Nicaraguan by the Republicans has
been a source OF scandal and will
probably delay the attainment of that
much desired improvement.
The Grange this year again de-
mands similar legislation as 1t did in
1902, but the prospect of obtaining
it will be still further postponed il
the Republicans succeed in electinG
their ticket. At the Congressional
election OF 1902 the farmers in the
Northern states evidently believed
the pledge of the Republican candi.
dates, that they would enact the leg
islation asked for by the Grange, but
although the Congress then elected
has had nearly two years to show its
good faith and redeem the pledge
made to the farmers no such legisla.
ton has been accomplished.
VIII these farmers. who must feel
they have been deluded, continue to
rely upon Republican promises, or
will they kick over the traces and
vote for the candidates who they
know will carry out the Grange pro-
gram? The record shows that the
Democrats introduced bills for the leg
islation demanded, but 1t was either
smothered in committee, or voted
down by the Republican majority. To
obtain legislation, such as the Nation
al Grange suggests, it is utterly use
less to rely upon the pledge of a can
didate whose party does not favor It,
The candidate. If elected. may hon
estly intend to redeem his promises,
but when he takes his seat in Con.
gress he finds the three Republican
members OF the Committee on Rules
a barrier over which he cannot climb
unless a majority of all the members
Of his party are on his side. Even
then If the leaders decide that the
legislation is against the railroads,
or other combination of vested inter
ests, they postpone action until the
corporation lobby have had time to
convert" a minority into a majority.
There are other ways that are dark
and tricks that are vain for which the
Republican machine politician is pecu-
liar. The moral Of 1t all is, to vote
for the candidates of the party who
will not throw these extraordinary
obstacles In the way of legislation the
people desire.