72 THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



delegates from the state granges. Some even went so far as to 

 favor the abolition of the national body and the reduction of the 

 powers of the state granges to the lowest possible limits. This 

 agitation led to an almost continuous tinkering with the con- 

 stitution, which, while failing to satisfy the demands of the 

 discontented, helped to weaken the influence of the order. 1 



The connection of the Grange with a number of political 

 movements of the time contributed in large measure to its 

 decline. In spite of constitutional provisions against political 

 discussions and the efforts of a number of leaders to keep the 

 movement clear from partisan politics at least, it proved to be 

 impossible to prevent subordinate granges in a number of 

 states and in some cases even the state granges from taking 

 an active part in the work of the various Independent, 

 Farmers', and Anti-Monopoly parties which flourished at the 

 time. 2 The general public classed all these phenomena together 

 under the designation of the " Granger movement " ; and, 

 indeed, they were all component parts of the same general 

 movement for protective and cooperative organization of the 

 agricultural class. Thus when these political movements came 

 to naught, or discredited themselves by their extreme radicalism, 

 the order of Patrons of Husbandry had to suffer along with 

 the rest. 3 



Similarly in the matter of railroad regulation, the order was 

 compelled to suffer in part for the sins of others. The impres- 

 sion seems to have been quite prevalent that the main purpose of 

 the order was to " fight railroads," and large numbers of farmers 

 undoubtedly joined it with this object in view. Consequently, 

 in spite of the conservative position assumed in the " Declaration 

 of Purposes," the order in a number of states became involved 

 in efforts to secure railway legislation of the most radical sort. 

 The failure of this legislation to accomplish its purpose, and the 



1 Bulletin (Wisconsin), June, 1875; Prairie Partner, xlvi. 371 (November 30, 

 1875); California Patron, November 15, 1876, p. 4; Pierson, in Popular Science 

 Monthly, xxxii. 371-373 (January, 1888). 



2 See below, pp. 80-102. 



8 Patrons' Bulletin (Kentucky), December, 1876; Southern Farmers' Monthly, 

 iii. 60 (February, 1880); Paine, Granger Movement in Illinois, 8. 



