40 THE THIRD POWER 



we all, interested in selling dear and buying cheap. 

 Backed by the government, and assisted by his com- 

 bination, he has it in his power to make, or at least 

 largely to influence prices. With those to whom he 

 sells and from whom he buys unorganized, he occu- 

 pies an exceedingly strong position. It would be 

 less strong were his customers, the farmers, also 

 organized. They might still have to pay the manu- 

 facturer's price, but they could, if organized, sell 

 at their own nrice. The manufacturer, as do all the 

 rest, "looks with distrust" on any movement look- 

 ing to an organization of the farmers. This is nat- 

 ural, because all former farmer organizations were 

 directed to pull the other person's business down to 

 a level with unsatisfactory agriculture. But it is 

 different in this movement. Now it is proposed to 

 build agriculture up to a level with the best of 

 them. Therefore, manufacturers, merchants, bank- 

 ers, etc., are needlessly alarmed. In fact, when the 

 nlan to make the Third Power a real power is under- 

 stood they will apnrove and help it. 



Nor can the political phase of the question be 

 disregarded. The tremendous power which organ- 

 ization would clothe the farmers with, could not be 

 ignored by the government. If the combined agri- 

 cultural interests of the country should ask the men 

 at Washington to take off a protective duty — even 

 though it were for the special benefit of Mr. Mor- 

 gan's steel trust — that duty would come off. If the 

 demand were made for special legislation in the in- 



