THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



the farmer had confined his efforts to the eco- 

 nomic field, he would have been told to go into 

 politics. If he had tried to win free by po- 

 litical action, he would have been instructed 

 to use only his economic power. 



The philosophical expect these things al- 

 ways and are not much swayed by them. 

 What is said of men that seek reform is not 

 of much importance. The reform is the only 

 thing that endures or is vital. No achieve- 

 ment of the human mind is easier than to 

 impugn motives, and actions the most un- 

 selfish are the actions most readily misrepre- 

 sented. Nothing counts in the long run but 

 results. Troops of angels do not now come 

 down from heaven to set men's grievances 

 right; human injustice is fought by human 

 means. I have spent much time in the North- 

 west studying the troubles of the farmer there, 

 and it always seemed to me that the attacks 

 on the men that were trying to bring about 

 better things were of the truly traditional 

 type the assailants were merely repeating 

 familiar history, and no one need take over- 

 seriously what they said. 



The organization whose rise I am now to 

 relate has been savagely attacked; I shall not 

 try to avoid or conceal that fact. Very likely 

 because of these attacks it is now discredited 

 more or less in the minds of those that read 

 about it. I am not to appear in any way as 



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