126 THE AGRARIAN CRUSADE 



could mean nothing less than the defeat of all 

 their original purposes. 



One disappointment after another, however, 

 made it apparent that little was to be expected 

 from the Republican or the Democratic party. 

 Trust in individual politicians proved equally vain, 

 since promises easily made during a hot campaign 

 were as easily forgotten after the battle was over. 

 One speaker before a state convention of the North- 

 west Alliance put into words what many were 

 thinking: "There may be some contingencies 

 when you may have to act politically. If other 

 parties will not nominate men friendly to your in- 

 terest, then your influence will have to be felt in 

 some way or you may as well disband. If all par- 

 ties nominate your enemies, then put some of your 

 own friends into the race and then stand by them 

 as a Christian stands by his religion." In other 

 words, if nothing was to be gained by scattering 

 votes among the candidates of the old parties, in- 

 dependent action remained the only course. Hence 

 it was that the late eighties saw the beginnings of 

 another party of protest, dominated by the farm- 

 ers and so formidable as to cause the machine poli- 

 ticians to realize that a new force was abroad in 

 the land. 



