FARMERS TO THE FRONT 25 



that they can make more money by combining for 

 the purpose of controlling the market, regulating 

 wages, and dictating prices. The cases are precisely 

 parallel. The real truth is that the critics of such 

 a policy on the part of the farmers know that it 

 would be effective — and they do not want it to be 

 effective. They know further than this, plans pro- 

 posed — some of them in operation already in a 

 limited way — are marked by none of the weaknesses 

 that characterized the Grange, the Farmers' Alli- 

 ance, and the People's Party. The fruit growers in 

 some sections have already organized, and they have 

 much to do with securing a profitable market for 

 their product. When they find that the market in 

 a certain city is full and in another is bare, they di- 

 vert the shipments from the former to the latter 

 city; and the association keeps its members informed 

 as to the state of the market. So there are farmers' 

 societies in certain sections, covering a few counties, 

 which are doing the same thing. 



There is nothing impracticable about this. If 

 this limited cooperation is good, who will deny that 

 complete national cooperation will not do more 

 good. So when it is proposed to apply the same 

 great principle of combination, which the Wall 

 Street people have seen work so well in a limited 

 way, to the whole agricultural class, we have a great 

 outcry against it. They think organization is good 

 for all people and all classes but the farmers. Some 

 educators have tried to point out other ways for 



