ILLINOIS. 



863 



companies, aside from claiming that they 

 were chartered corporations, and were en- 

 titled to fix whatever rates of freight they 

 pleased, maintained that the inherent diffi- 

 culties of the transportation problem, growing 

 out of the tendency of railroads to consolidate 

 into grand trunk-lines, and other causes, pro- 

 ducing a sharp competition, imposed unavoid- 

 able conditions upon certain companies in the 

 regulation of their freight-tariffs. Thus, as to 

 through-freights, the Western roads were gov- 

 erned by the Eastern branches in the adoption 

 of tariffs. Furthermore, the railroads depend- 

 ed for their profits chiefly upon the through- 

 freights, the charges for which, however, were 

 not exorbitant. As to local discriminations, it 

 was contended that the tariff between any two 

 given points is fixed by the shortest competing 



line, and that all other competing lines must 

 necessarily adopt the same rates. In the mat- 

 ter of way-freights the same competition is 

 not encountered, and the company is at liberty 

 to fix its own tariff. It was also claimed that, 

 even with the high rates, many companies 

 were not paying expenses. 



Such was the attitude of the parties in the 

 "anti-railroad war." "Whether this state of 

 affairs was the cause of the agricultural classes 

 forming organizations popularly known as 

 " granges," or was the occasion of the develop- 

 ment and extension of these associations, does 

 not appear ; but it is certain that for several 

 years there has existed in the Northwestern 

 States a great number of farmers' clubs and 

 associations, and various organizations of the 

 "Patrons of Husbandry," so popularly known 



CITT Of CHICAGO BKFORE THE FIRE. 



nnder the general name of "granges;" they 

 seem to have originated and to have been con- 

 ducted on a uniform plan. Mainly secret in 

 their proceedings, they were known as to their 

 membership and officers. The extent of the 

 movement in Illinois is shown by the estimate 

 that in 1873 there were in that State about 

 800 granges, with not less than 20,000 mem- 

 bers. Although one aspect of this association 

 of farmers has been social, there is no doubt 

 that one of the primary objects of. the order 

 was to effect a saving in their necessary ex- 

 penditure. 



In Illinois the farmers were specially ag- 

 grieved on account of the system adopted by 

 the manufacturers of agricultural implements, 

 by which they were required to pay a large 

 percentage from 20 to 40 per cent. to 

 middle-men who were the agents of the manu- 

 facturers. In many cases it appeared that the 

 manufacturers agreed with their agents not to 



sell any agricultural implements directly from 

 the manufactory at lower prices than those 

 demanded by the local agents. This was re- 

 garded as a great imposition by the farmers, 

 who in many instances passed resolutions 

 against purchasing from manufacturers who 

 had made such contracts. Many granges, each 

 acting independently for itself, made a com- 

 mon fund of the money which the members 

 intended b devote to the purchase of agri- 

 cultural implements, and sent committees di- 

 rectly to the manufacturers to make wholesale 

 purchases. They maintained that by this 

 course forty per cent, was, in many cases, 

 saved. In some instances this plan was ex- 

 tended to purchasing other articles, such as 

 groceries and dry goods, to the great injury of 

 the local trade. 



Before proceeding to record the more im- 

 portant events of the contest between the farm- 

 ers and the railroad corporations, it may be 



