THE RISE OF THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 649 



represent the movement enjoyed an astonishing influence. Among 

 other legislation secured by these men, one bill was rushed through 

 for printing and distributing to the farmers certain agricultural 

 documents, at an expense of $500,000 ! W. W. Phelps opposed 

 it, only to be bitterly attacked on the score of sympathy with 

 monopolists and lack of sympathy with farmers. One fervid 

 orator from Kansas went over his whole record for proofs of 

 this, and alleged many damaging facts among them that he 

 was rich, that he was interested in banks and railroads, and that 

 he had been graduated with honor from Yale College. " These 

 Grangers," exclaimed the orator, "mean business; . . , they are 

 chosen to be the sovereigns of the mightiest republic of earth." 

 Various cities strove for the honor of having the National Grange 

 offices located within their limits, one offering to give a splendid 

 building, another, to furnish necessary office-room and an annuity 

 of $5000 for five years, but the Grange was rich and indepen- 

 dent in those days. At the seventh annual session held at 

 St. Louis in 1874, a declaration of purposes was adopted which 

 still remains the official statement. I can quote but fragments 

 of this creditable document : 



We shall endeavor ... to enhance the comforts and attractions of our homes, 

 and strengthen our attachment to our pursuits ; to foster co-operation ; . . . 

 to diversify our crops ; to condense the weight of our exports, selling less 

 in the bushel and more on hoof and in fleece ; to discountenance the credit 

 system, the mortgage system, the fashion system, and every other system 

 tending to prodigality and bankruptcy. We propose meeting together, buying 

 together, selling together. We wage no aggressive warfare against any other 

 interests whatever ; ... we hold that transportation companies are necessary 

 to our success, that their interests are intimately connected with our interests, 

 and that harmonious action is mutually advantageous. We are not enemies of 

 railroads. In our noble order there is no communism, no agrarianism, we em- 

 phatically assert the truth taught in our organic law that the Grange is not a 

 political or party organization. No Grange, if true to its obligations, can dis- 

 cuss political or religious questions, nor call political conventions, nor nominate 

 candidates, nor even discuss their merits in its meetings. 



It is to be noted that this is 1874, at the height of the "Anti- 

 Railroad " and "Farmers' party" excitement. 



The Grange had now reached the zenith of its power. One 

 year later, in the stormy meeting held at Charleston, a measure 



