PROBLEMS OF RURAL SOCIAL LIFE 381 



promising beginning in the Knights of Labor, but it lacked the 

 element of definiteness and of local unity. Its influence, there- 

 fore, waned rapidly, whereas the American Federation of Labor 

 rose to great prominence, power, and influence. Organizing local 

 unions among members of each separate trade, and then feder- 

 ating these unions, leaving to each a great deal of independence 

 and local autonomy, this movement has proceeded on sound 

 principles of organization. This points to the principle of feder- 

 ation as the correct one upon which to attempt the general organ- 

 ization of rural interests. A beginning is already made in the 

 various local and special organizations scattered over the country. 

 If these can be federated into state and national organizations, 

 leaving each local body independent and autonomous, at least 

 so far as its own special objects are concerned, a movement 

 may be started which will do for farmers what the American 

 Federation of Labor has done for wageworkers, though the 

 active program need not be the same. 



It cannot be too much emphasized, however, that any organ- 

 ization whose objects are not constructive, and designed to pro- 

 mote the welfare of the country as a whole, is foredoomed to 

 ultimate failure, because it ought to fail. It is for the interest 

 of the country as a whole that the supply of fruit should be 

 adjusted to the demand, and that there should not be a glut in 

 one market while there is a scarcity in another. A fruit-growers 

 exchange, by organizing the shipping and selling of its fruit 

 so as to bring about a more uniform and equal adjustment of 

 the supply to the demand, is performing a productive function 

 for the country as a whole, and deserves success. When it be- 

 gins to abuse its power and, instead of adjusting the supply to 

 the demand, undertakes merely to charge monopoly prices, it 

 will deserve to fail, and will eventually fail. The same may be 

 said of an organization of dairymen, market gardeners, cotton 

 growers, etc. However, it is not necessary that such organizations 



