THE STORY OF THE XOXPARTISAX LEAGUE 



roads, mills, banks, or elevator companies, 

 constantly narrowed down to fewer and fewer 

 hands. There was, moreover, this fact be- 

 coming more apparent every day, that if the 

 small country bank was dependent upon the 

 great Minneapolis bank, the great Minneapolis 

 bank was dependent hardly less upon the 

 greater bank of New York. 



In the presence of all these tremendous 

 powers the farmer of North Dakota seemed 

 like the smallest midget to be filliped about 

 by the thumb nails of giants. Instead of 

 frightening him, the great and almost comi- 

 cal disproportion between himself and the 

 influences he must fight if he was to win free, 

 seemed, in some cases, at least, to stimulate 

 him. It was Jack the Giant-killer in real life; 

 Ulysses defying a new race of Cyclops. A 

 hard-handed farmer in big boots and soiled 

 overalls is not just the typical figure of ro- 

 mance; but if you will follow now the details 

 of his fighting I think you will find him as 

 chivalric as those that went up the slopes of 

 Bunker Hill and possessed of essentially the 

 same spirit. 



