52 THE THIRD POWER 



the farmer does not enjoy? Many fantastic schemes 

 have been devised for the emancipation of the Amer- 

 ican farmer, but they have all had one fundamental 

 defect in that they looked in the first instance to the 

 government instead of the farmer himself. No peo- 

 ple was ever freed except by its own exertions. 



"Who would be free themselves must strike the 

 blow." 



So this appeal is not to the government, not to 

 the politicians, not even to the law, but to the farm- 

 ers themselves. If they show themselves worthy of 

 the blessings which they crave, they can get them. 

 The demand is not for government warehouses, 

 free silver, unlimited issues of paper money, loans 

 from the treasury on crops or land, duties on farm 

 products, or even for the better regulation of trusts 

 and corporations, but simply for the use of the power 

 which the farmers have to help themselves. The 

 question is whether they are patriotic enough, in- 

 telligent enough, self- restrained enough, determined 

 enough, and wisely selfish enough, simply to put out 

 their hands and pluck the fruit which hangs within 

 easy reach of their grasp. They, in the beginning 

 at least, need no help from any one. Governments 

 are like God in one particular, in that they help 

 those who help themselves. When people generally, 

 and the politicians in particular, see that the farmers 

 are in earnest about this business they will promptly 

 cooperate. The farmers will find that they have as 

 many real friends as they now have pretended ones. 



