THE GREEN RISING 



CHAPTER I 

 INTRODUCTION 



It is not an easy matter to appraise a great social 

 movement during its progress. Time is usually re- 

 quired to give perspective to the various aspects of 

 a situation under review. This is certainly true of 

 the world-wide agrarian movement now in progress 

 throughout most of the civilized countries of the 

 world, and more particularly in the countries of 

 western Europe and the United States. 



It is difficult for many intelligent citizens to appre- 

 ciate what is actually happening or has happened 

 in our midst in the last few years. There are many 

 people who do not realize that one of the most 

 profound agrarian movements of history has oc- 

 curred. A few years ago, a meeting of farm repre- 

 sentatives was held in Chicago. A new farm 

 organization was brought into existence at this 

 meeting. Before the end of the first year this or- 

 ganization claimed a membership of a million farm- 

 ers. Its influence was soon clearly felt in almost 

 every state in the Union. It contributed to the or- 

 ganization of a farm bloc in Congress; it caused the 



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