RAILWAY LEGISLATION 1 55 



non-competitive rates, and asserted that this was the working 

 of the new law. 1 This illustrates what was undoubtedly the 

 favorite method of attack, to appear to obey the law, but to 

 do it in such a way as to make it as obnoxious as possible. It 

 is said, moreover, to have been the constant policy of railroad 

 officials and employees to explain every inconvenience and to 

 answer every complaint with the assertion that the things 

 complained of were results of the railroad law. These methods 

 were followed in other states at this time with more success than 

 in Illinois. 



Not all the forces were arrayed on the side of the railroad 

 companies, however, nor did the interest of the farmers' organiza- 

 tions cease with the passage of the laws of 1873. In September, 

 1873, the railroad commission held a joint meeting with the 

 executive committee of the State Farmers' Association to con- 

 sider the railroad law and its enforcement. 2 In October, 1873, 

 a " Northwestern Farmers' Convention," which met at Chicago 

 to consider transportation problems, appointed a committee 

 to investigate the workings of the Illinois law. This committee 

 reported that the effects of the law were not such as had been 

 anticipated because of the failure of the railroads to observe 

 it. 3 Later in the year the state grange and the State Farmers' 

 Association each adopted resolutions demanding the enforce- 

 ment of the law and opposing its repeal or modification. 4 Year 

 after year these resolutions or similar ones were repeated by 

 the various state and local organizations of the farmers, and 

 often even more stringent legislation was demanded. 5 The 

 different political parties, too, mindful of the votes of the farmers, 



1 That the primary object of this action was to influence public opinion is in- 

 dicated by the fact that most of the new high rates were soon modified. 



2 Chicago Tribune, September 19, 1873, p. 8. 



3 American Annual Cyclopedia, 1873, p. 368. 



4 Illinois State Farmers' Association, Proceedings, ii. 100-109; Prairie Farmer, 

 xliv. 401, 403 (December, 1873). 



5 Ibid. xlv. 12, 57, 59, 65, 97, 161, 164, 188, 225, xlvi. 27, 33, 38, 48, 73, 105, 237 

 (1874-75); Appleton's Cyclopedia, 1875, p. 393; Illinois State Farmer's Associa- 

 tion, Proceedings, v. 13-15, 34-36 (1877); Illinois State Grange, Proceedings, v. 

 36 (1876). 



