AS A POLITICAL FORCE 115 



weaken its hold on the farming population of the country in the 

 latter part of the decade. 



The tariff question, which, as has been seen, nearly caused a 

 split in the ranks of the reforming farmers of Illinois as early 

 as April, 1873, also proved to be an apple of discord for the 

 Patrons of Husbandry. The different state granges often had 

 decided views on the question, but these views were so divergent 

 that all attempts to reconcile them in the meetings of the Na- 

 tional Grange proved futile. The granges of the northern 

 states, in general, seemed to be more interested in preventing 

 the removal of duties on agricultural products than in securing 

 the reduction of the duties on other articles, although there was 

 a tendency to oppose an increase in the tax on such articles of 

 common consumption as tea and coffee. 1 This was a time when 

 there was considerable agitation for a reciprocity treaty with 

 Canada; but the farmers were unwilling to meet the competition 

 of Canadian products, and the state granges of Indiana and 

 New York adopted resolutions condemning the proposition 

 and urging the senators from those states to oppose the con- 

 firmation of such a treaty. 2 One duty particularly cherished 

 by the northern farmers was that on wool. This was reduced 

 in 1872. It is probable that the activity of the Grange in Michi- 

 gan and a number of other wool-growing states was largely 

 instrumental in securing its restoration in 1874, and in preventing 

 subsequent reduction during the decade. 3 



The California State Grange, on the other hand, advocated a 

 reduction of the duty on grain sacks, while granges in the South 

 naturally inclined toward free trade or a tariff for revenue only. 

 Thus the Texas State Grange sent a request to the National 

 Grange at its ninth session in November, 1875, that it adopt 

 measures to influence Congress to abolish all protective duties. 

 The committee to which this was referred opposed its considera- 

 tion as savoring of a political nature, but the subject was again 



1 Iowa State Grange, Proceedings, iv (1873). 



2 Indiana State Grange, Proceedings, iv (1874); New York State Grange, 

 Proceedings, ii (1875). 



3 Michigan State Grange, Proceedings, vi. 10 (1878), viii. 16 (1880); Wisconsin 

 State Grange, Proceedings, vi. 77 (1878), vii. 18 (1879). 



