THE FOOD CRISIS AND AMERICANISM 115 



Non- Partisan League that most effective combina- 

 tion of American farmers ever organized. It took 

 possession of North Dakota a year or two ago, and 

 but for the war would now hold the balance of political 

 power in most, if not all, the Corn Belt and Pacific 

 Coast States. 



I am not qualified to discuss the merits or demerits 

 of this organization. With them, as with every man 

 and organization, the same test of loyalty should be 

 applied: "Are they for us or against us?" . . . 

 "Are they helping or hindering our war activities?" 

 If the latter, it should be suppressed. 



One thing, however, seldom, if ever, mentioned in 

 the press should burn itself into the consciousness of 

 every thinking American citizen. That question is 

 this : " What was the cause of this widespread dis- 

 content, that such an organization is possible? That 

 upon their bald promise of bettering marketing con- 

 ditions, without tangible evidence that they could make 

 such promise good, a small group of men were able 

 to induce enough farmers of that little State, North 

 Dakota, to contribute $16 per capita, until these en- 

 thusiastic and self-appointed agricultural reformers, 

 or agrarian revolutionists, had more than a million in 

 cash at their disposal to carry on their propaganda ? " 



Discontent, widespread and bitter, because of mar- 

 keting conditions, is the only way to account for this 

 movement. To silence discontent, without removing 

 its cause, makes that discontent doubly dangerous. 

 Discontent is the only soil in which the seeds of revo- 

 lution and anarchy grow. Restricting prices of the 



