PREFACE 



RAPID growth accompanied by a somewhat painful 

 readjustment has been one of the leading charac- 

 teristics of the history of the United States during 

 the last half century. In the West the change has 

 been so swift and spectacular as to approach a com- 

 plete metamorphosis. With the passing of the 

 frontier has gone something of the old frc-edom and 

 the old opportunity ; and the inevitable change has 

 brought forth inevitable protest, particularly i"iom 

 the agricultural class. Simple farming communi- 

 ties have wakened to find themselves complex in- 

 dustrial regions in which the farmers have fre- 

 quently lost their former preferred position. The 

 result has been a series of radical agitations on 

 the part of farmers determined to better their lot. 

 These movements have manifested different de- 

 grees of coherence and intelligence, but all have had 

 something of the same purpose and spirit, and all 

 may justly be considered as stages of the still 



