304 



FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS 



was an era of great activity, economic and political, among farmers' 

 organizations. The League above named came out, finally, as a 

 distinctly political party. In this form it speedily disappeared 

 from sight. (2) The Populist Party. The Farmers' Alliance of the 

 Middle West and South at about this same time attained to great 

 numbers and strength, working for economic reforms, particularly 

 cooperative stores. However, by the year 1892, it had entered 

 politics under the name of "People's Party." The Populist Party, 

 as it was generally called, elected many State and a few Congres- 

 sional candidates for office. Some of its reforms were abandoned 



FIG. 53. The Canadian Council of Agriculture, composed of four delegates from each of the 

 following organizations: United Farmers of Alberta, Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Associa- 

 tion, Manitoba Grain Growers' Association, Saskatchewan Cooperative EleyatorlCo., United 

 Grain Growers, United Farmers of Ontario, United Farmers' Cooperative Company of 

 Ontario, Grain Growers' Guide. 



as either impracticable or ahead of the times ; others were adopted 

 by the dominant parties. Hence the Populist party disappeared 

 as suddenly as it had risen. 



Canadian Council of Agriculture. The careful reader of this 

 chapter, who is familiar with our economic and political history, 

 has already compared agricultural organizations with labor 

 organizations in the United States, as to aims and methods. The 

 two outstanding labor organizations since the Civil War have been 

 the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor. 

 The Knights of Labor entered politics in order to secure the reforms 

 they wanted. That is, they aimed to nominate and elect candi- 



