124 THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



for agricultural organization. But even here the agitation for 

 the regulation of railways began long before the Patrons of 

 Husbandry arose to importance, and, in Illinois, even before 

 the movement for rural organization in open farmers' clubs 

 got under way. Thus it is probable that there would have been 

 legislation on the subject even without the accompanying 

 movement for agricultural organization. On the other hand, 

 there is no doubt that the influence of the organized farmers 

 was the principal force back of these movements for railway 

 regulation, giving to them many of their distinctive aspects; 

 and therefore it is eminently proper that they should find a 

 place in any discussion of the Granger movement. 1 



EARLY AGITATION AND THE LAW OF 1869 



In most accounts of railway legislation in the northwestern 

 states the date 1870 is taken as marking the transition between 

 the period of feverish anxiety for the construction of more 

 railroads and the period of agitation for the reduction and equali- 

 zation of rates. 2 While this is fairly accurate as a generaliza- 

 tion, the impossibility of marking off historical development 

 into definite periods with fixed dates is well illustrated by the 

 fact that the first period did not end in the more western states 

 and even in many of the less developed counties of Illinois until 

 long after 1870, while the feeling that legislative curbing of the 

 railroads was necessary began to make its appearance as early 

 as 1850 and became a force to be reckoned with in the decade 

 of the sixties. 3 



In Illinois the first' positive movement in the direction of 

 restrictive railway legislation was the passage of a bill by the 

 House of Representatives in 1861 "to prevent and punish any 



1 For an account of the conditions of railway construction and management 

 which led to the Granger legislation, see above, pp. 9-15. 



2 See J. H. Gordon, Illinois Railway Legislation and Commission Control since 

 1870, introduction by M. B. Hammond, for a division of railway legislation in 

 Illinois into periods. See also E. C. Clark, Slate Railroad Commissions and How 

 they may be Made Effective. 



a F. E. Newton, Railway Legislation in Illinois from 1828 to 1870 (Ms.), 

 ch. x. 



