308 THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



To secure for the workers the full enjoyment of the wealth they create; 

 sufficient leisure in which to develop their intellectual, moral, and social 

 faculties; all of the benefits, recreation, and pleasure of association; in a 

 word, to enable them to share in the gains and honors of advancing civili- 

 zation. 1 



In order to secure these results various demands were made 

 upon the state and national governments, among which were 

 the reservation of public lands for actual settlers; the issue of 

 legal- tender money " direct to the people, without the inter- 

 vention of banks " ; government ownership of railroads; postal 

 savings banks; and a graduated income tax. It is said that in 

 the later eighties large numbers of farmers joined the Knights 

 of Labor in parts of the South and West. In some states friendly 

 relations were established between the Knights and the different 

 farmers' organizations; while the National Assembly of the 

 Knights of Labor and the National Farmers' Alliance and 

 Industrial Union subscribed to a joint platform in St. Louis in 



The Granger movement, broadly viewed, was more than a 

 movement for class organization and its influence can be traced 

 in other directions. It was a movement to subject railroad 

 corporations to public control and the permanent influence of 

 its work in this direction has already been indicated. It was 

 also a movement for independence in politics, for a preference 

 for men and measures over parties, and even, when necessary, 

 for the organization of third parties. Politically, as otherwise, 

 the movement transcended the organization from which came 

 its name and even the agricultural class; but it was, neverthe- 

 less, distinctly a movement, not of leaders, but of the masses. 

 The political organizations of the Grangers soon passed away; 

 but the idea persisted that the people could break away from the 

 old political parties, which were still dividing on bygone issues, 

 and could force new issues to the front in spite of the opposition 

 of conservative political leaders. 



In a few instances, as has been seen, it is possible to trace a 

 direct connection between the Independent parties of the Granger 



1 Ely, Labor Movement, 86. 



2 Ibid. 83; Dunning, Farmers' Alliance History, 122, 154. 



