106 THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



went even so far as to advocate the regulation of the interest 

 rate by federal legislation. The Wisconsin legislature passed a 

 law in 1878 reducing the legal rate in the state from ten to seven 

 per cent. This was probably a result, in part, of the Grange 

 agitation, although it is impossible to show any direct connec- 

 tion, and the Grange continued to pass resolutions on the subject. 

 Another indication that farmers in general belonged to the 

 debtor class at this time is seen in the resolution of the Nebraska 

 State Grange, opposing any change in the stay or exemption 

 laws or the laws relating to foreclosure of mortgages and col- 

 lection of debts as likely to " do great injury to the debtor 

 class." 1 On the other hand, resolutions of the Iowa and New 

 Hampshire State Granges looking to the safeguarding of deposits 

 in state banks 2 would indicate that some farmers, at least, were 

 not in debt. 



One practically universal demand of the Patrons was that of 

 reform and retrenchment in the administration of government, 

 state and local as well as national. In state affairs this took the 

 form mainly of a demand for a reduction of salaries and fees of 

 state and local officials, and resolutions embodying this demand 

 or protesting against proposed increases can be found in the 

 proceedings of nearly every state grange from New Hampshire 

 to California. 3 The general argument was that, since the 

 income from all other occupations had decreased and since all 

 commodities were at bottom prices, it was but fair that salaries 

 of public officials should be reduced to a corresponding basis. 

 It is probable that this attitude of the granges, together with 

 the general sensitiveness on the subject resulting from the so- 

 called " salary grab " in Congress, 4 was effective in keeping down 

 the compensation of public officials in a number of states. Thus 

 in Illinois a movement to increase the salaries of supreme court 



1 Nebraska State Grange, Proceedings, iv. 33 (1874). 



2 Iowa State Grange, Proceedings, vi (1875); New Hampshire State Grange, 

 Proceedings, iv (1877). 



8 For good examples see state grange proceedings: Indiana, iv; Michigan, i; 

 New York, ii; Ohio, iii; Wisconsin, vi. 



4 Dunning, Reconstruction , Political and Economic {American Nation, xxii), 

 233-235. 



