AS A POLITICAL FORCE 103 



matters as these, it was generally felt that the desires of the 

 farming class should prevail, and since the Patrons of Husbandry 

 were looked upon as representing that class, their petitions 

 for legislation along these lines were likely to receive favorable 

 consideration. 



When it was a question of legislation upon subjects of more 

 general interest, such as the regulation of corporations, taxation, 

 education, and the rate of interest, the Patrons often found 

 their resolutions and petitions productive of no results, and 

 sometimes adopted more effective ways of making their influence 

 felt. One of these methods was the holding of a Grange meeting 

 at the state capital while the legislature was in session, in order 

 that the presence of a large number of constituents might exert 

 an influence on the legislators. This plan was followed in Iowa 

 during the struggle for legislation to regulate railroads. 1 Another 

 favorite method of attempting to influence legislation was that 

 of interrogating candidates for office regarding their position 

 on certain proposed legislative measures. 2 This plan was made 

 use of by the order in Wisconsin and Illinois and was at times 

 effective in forcing candidates to declare themselves in favor of 

 the desired legislation in order to insure their election. 



Among the subjects upon which the Patrons of Husbandry 

 attempted to secure legislation, first place was occupied during 

 this period by the question of regulating railroad corporations. 

 This subject will be taken up more fully in subsequent chapters, 

 so it will be unnecessary to go into it here, further than to state 

 that the different granges were practically unanimous in demand- 

 ing some measure of regulation of railroads by the state, and the 

 enactment of " anti-pass " legislation. 



Another subject upon which many of the state granges fre- 

 quently requested legislation was that of education. 3 In general 



1 See below, p. 169. 



2 See Wisconsin State Grange, Proceedings, iii, appendix (January, 1875), for 

 a list of questions used in a campaign in Wisconsin during the struggle over the 

 Potter law. 



3 See especially state grange proceedings: Alabama, iii; Indiana, iv; Iowa, 

 iv; Michigan, ii, iii, vi; Missouri, iii; New Hampshire, i,iv, vii; Maine, vi; North 

 Carolina, iii; Vermont, iv; Wisconsin, iii-viL See also below, pp. 290-293. 



