150 CHAPTERS IN RURAL PROGRESS 



always discountenanced the credit system; and 

 that cash payments by farmers to merchants are 

 far more common than a quarter-century ago 

 may be fairly credited, in part at least, to its 

 influence. 



To describe the many specific legislative 

 achievements which the Granges of the nation 

 and of the several states have accomplished 

 would be tedious. Merely to enumerate a few 

 of them must suffice here. A convenient sum- 

 mary is made from an official circular recently 

 issued by the National Grange. The order has 

 had a large influence in securing the following: 

 The separation of certain agricultural colleges 

 from universities which were receiving the land- 

 grant funds, but were not, in the opinion of the 

 farmers, duly contributing to agricultural edu- 

 cation ; the confining of the appropriations under 

 the second Morrill act of 1890 strictly to instruc- 

 tion in agriculture and mechanical arts; the 

 Hatch Act of 1887, establishing an experiment 

 station in each state and territory; making the 

 head of the Department of Agriculture a cabinet 

 official; the agitation resulting in the famous 

 Iowa court decision, that railroad franchises are 

 subject to the power that created them; the 

 establishment of the Inter-State Commerce Com- 



