442 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



combination to protect the farmer against the evils from 

 which he suffers. 



The Grange recognizes that the farmer is robbed of 

 his fair reward by the extortions of the railroad com- 

 panies, and it seeks to bring about the existence of a 

 more liberal state of affairs in'which the railroads, while 

 earning a just return on their investments, shall allow 

 the farmer a more generous and less ruinous rate of 

 freights. It proposes to accomplish this by the united 

 action of the farmers of the entire country ; by placing 

 in power men of tried integrity, and who will secure 

 the passage of a series of laws which shall protect the 

 farmer and at the same time do justice to the railroad 

 companies. This is a task of great magnitude, for, as 

 we have shown, the power of the Corporations is im- 

 mense, and they will not easily surrender it. But the 

 Grange has taken a lesson from them. It has observed 

 that they have achieved their power to plunder by 

 combination and unity of action, and it proposes to fight 

 them with the same weapons. It proposes to combine 

 the farmers of each and every State against them. No 

 single man, no single local or State organization of men, 

 could accomplish such a work. But with the machinery 

 at the command of the Order, the work is simple 

 enough. 



In each local Grange the programme is the same as 

 in the National Grange. The same evil is recognized, 

 and the same method of remedying it is sought to be 

 enforced. The measures necessary to this end are ar- 

 ranged, and have received the sanction of the National 

 Grange. They are recommended to the Order at large, 

 and are communicated by the National Grange to the 

 various State Granges, each of which, in its turn, com> 



