THE RISE OF THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 655 



what was done in Illinois. Marly in 1873 the "American Cheap 

 Transportation Company " was organized at the Astor House, 

 and later in the year two other great mass-meetings were held in 

 Illinois. They accomplished only a great waste of pyrotechnic 

 eloquence. Demagogues and sharpers had taken control, and 

 the real movers had quietly dropped out. 



In spite of the assertions of Mr. C. F. Adams and others, it 

 can be shown that the Grange was not responsible for the 

 Illinois legislation. When the constitution of 1870 and the law 

 of 1871 were passed, the Grange had scarcely a foothold in the 

 State. The State Grange was organized in March, 1872. The 

 real organ of agitation was the " State Farmers' Association," 

 whose subordinate lodges were called " Farmers' Clubs." Its 

 president, \V. C. Flagg, testified before the Windom committee 

 in 1873 that he was not a Granger, that his organization was 

 an open and political one, while the Grange was secret and 

 non-political, disavowing and preventing, as far as it could, 

 any political action. By 1874 seven states had passed so-called 

 "(i ranger" laws, either fixing maxima or providing for a com- 

 mission to make out a schedule of rates. The Iowa bill, on the 

 former model, devoted twenty-six pages to a classification of 

 freight. But all this was surpassed in Wisconsin. In 1873 there 

 appeared in the state senate a certain Potter, from Wautoma, 

 Waushara County. It was said that his county did not contain a 

 mill- of railroad, and he probably knew as little about railroads as 

 any other man in the legislature ; at least, to believe the contrary 

 would require a very pessimistic view of Wisconsin intelligence. 

 March u, 1874, the famous "Potter Bill" became a law. 

 Mr. Potter is said to have made it up by calling for suggestions 

 and incorporating those most disadvantageous to the railroads. 

 At any rate, it was bad enough at first, and the railroad interest 

 its enormities, hoping to ^d it into a shape 

 that they could defeat. They were mistaken. The bill passed, 

 and the governor celebrated some speedy victories in the courts 

 by firing cannon. 



Meanwhile cases were before the Supreme Court on the validity 

 of all this legislation. The court recognized the gravity of the 



