TEXAS PACIFIC RAILROAD. 129 



18. The election of members of the Executive Committee was an 

 important matter. At the last session it was determined to increase 

 the number from three to five. D. W. Aiken, of South Carolina, 

 is re-elected for three years, and the two new members are D. T. 

 Chase, of New Hampshire, and John T. Jones, of Arkansas. R. 

 E. Shankland, of Iowa, continues for two years, and William 

 Saunders, of Washington City, for one year. 



19. The National Grange will meet in San Francisco next Novem 

 ber, if, on investigation, it is found that the expense to its Treasury 

 will not be too great. 



20. An important change made by the ratification and final adop 

 tion of the new Constitution is, that Past Masters are no longer, as 

 such, even honorary members of the National or State Granges. 



The following is a report of the Committee and the resolu 

 tions adopted concerning the Texas Pacific Eailroad : 



Your committee, to whom was referred resolutions of the Texas 

 State Grange, and of numerous other bodies in different sections of 

 the United States, to extend its aid to the Texas Pacific Railroad, 

 have had the same under consideration, and ask to make this report: 



Your committee have viewed with great interest the expressions 

 of approval and appeals to Congress to forward this great work, 

 emanating from the State Granges and Boards of Trade, from the 

 Pacific to the Atlantic, and are impressed with the great and obvi 

 ous benefits which would result to this whole nation by the speedy 

 completion of this road ; and as it is an enterprise too vast to de 

 pend alone for its success upon private capital, equal justice to all 

 sections of our common country requires aid of the National Gov 

 ernment to forward this work, under the proper restrictions and 

 safeguards, insuring the Government against loss, and the people 

 against unjust impositions and discriminations. 



Your committee therefore submit the following resolution : 



That this National Grange earnestly invites the attention of Con 

 gress to the necessity of a speedy completion of the Texas. Pacific 

 Railroad, and asks of that body reasonable aid to the company, 

 which has inaugurated this great national enterprise, under such cau 

 tionary restrictions and safeguards as the prudence and wisdom of 

 Congress may devise to guarantee the Government against loss, and 

 protect the agricultural interests of every section of the country 

 against unjust discriminations in the price of transportation. 



The reasons for the action of the National Grange are thus 

 explained by Worthy Master Hamilton : 



The friends of the Texas Pacific, when they came before the Na 

 tional Grange, never asked for anything which might prove injuri 

 ous they merely asked the endorsement of the agriculturists of our 

 country to a bill then before Congress, which was intended and well 

 calculated to develop the resources of millions of fertile acres of 

 our territory, open up beautiful homes for thousands of our fellow 

 citizens, check the monopoly already existing in the carrying trade 

 across this continent, between Asia and the cities and sea-board on 

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