CHAPTER IV 



CURBING THE RAILROADS 



THOUGH the society of the Patrons of Husbandry 

 was avowedly non-political in character, there is 

 ample justification for the use of the term "Grang- 

 er" in connection with the radical railroad legisla- 

 tion enacted in the Northwestern States during the 

 seventies. The fact that the Grange did not take 

 direct political action is immaterial: certainly the 

 order made political action on the part of the 

 farmers possible by establishing among them a feel- 

 ing of mutual confidence and trust whereby they 

 could organize to work harmoniously for their com- 

 mon cause. Before the advent of the Patrons of 

 Husbandry the farmers were so isolated from each 

 other that cooperation was impossible. It is hard 

 for us to imagine, familiar as we are with the rural 

 free delivery of mail, with the country telephone 

 line, with the automobile, how completely the aver- 

 age farmer of 1865 was cut off from communication 



43 



