FARMERS TO THE FRONT 97 



that have already been put before the reader. The 

 very first thing proposed is, that the farmer should 

 "obtain profitable prices for all farm products, in- 

 cluding grain, fruit, vegetables, stock, cotton, and 

 their equivalents." It has been shown that the farm- 

 ers oftentimes do not obtain fair prices for these 

 products, and that such prices can not be obtained 

 without organization among the farmers. This is the 

 theory on which the American Society of Equity is 

 based. That organization can do this it has been the 

 purpose of this argument to demonstrate. That the 

 American Society of Equity can do it follows neces- 

 sarily, if the argument already made is sound, for it 

 is based on principles that have been set forth in the 

 preceding pages. 



But there are certain details connected with this 

 question of price that need further exposition. In 

 order to get a fair price it has to be proved that the 

 farmers are under no necessity of selling their crops 

 at irregular intervals and in uncertain quantities, and 

 this involves two questions : First : Can the farmers 

 hold them ? and second : Have they the facilities for 

 holding them? It is insisted that few farmers are 

 driven to the necessity of selling their crops to the 

 first purchaser that offers, for the farmers are even 

 now the most completely self-supporting class in the 

 country. Many of them have been asked, "Why do 

 you sell your crops now ?" and the answer almost 

 invariably is, "I have found from experience that the 

 price is about as high now as it will be at any time, 



7 



