1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 279 



and defensive armies everywhere and at all times. They 

 come from the nation's farms. For the nation's life they 

 offer, and if need be, sacrifice their own. Their work done, 

 the survivors go back to their silent, inconspicuous lives, 

 and are too soon forgotten. Seeking for the philosophy of 

 this fact, it seems to me that the common phrase, " The 

 land we love," does have a special weight of meaning for 

 the class who own the land, live upon it, work upon it, study 

 it, develop its resources, and from those resources feed and 

 clothe the world. If there be something in this thought, and 

 the farmer does indeed have especial reason to love his 

 country, to stand for its defence in time of danger, and to 

 die for it if need be, it would seem to follow that he ought 

 to exercise the full measure of control which belongs to him 

 and the government of that country. I most thoroughly 

 believe that to do this is his privilege and his duty as well. 

 In this land of freedom, where the conduct of government 

 is committed to the people, such control must be exercised 

 largely through the agency of political parties. These great, 

 loosely organized, voluntary associations of voters, of which 

 but two worthy of the name can co-exist, should represent 

 the progressive and conservative tendencies of the public 

 thought. I do not believe in a farmers' party. There is no 

 room for it, and class interest is far too narrow a basis for 

 such an association. The farmer may belong to either the 

 progressives or conservatives ; but, in the party of which he 

 is a member, he should be a force. He should meet therein 

 the representatives of every class interest upon equal terms, 

 and exercise that measure of control to which the number 

 and importance of his class entitle him. 



There are two general principles or methods of controlling 

 the action of a political party. One is to guide it aright 

 through forethought and influence exerted at the right mo- 

 ment, as the skilful horseman guides his team by constant 

 touch of rein. The other method attempts no guidance, but 

 visits each departure from what is deemed the right course 

 with crippling punishment. While this last method may 

 sometimes prove effective, it has no other recommendation. 

 Important public interests are endangered by it, and at best 

 it is cruel and unskilful. 



