FARMERS TO THE FRONT 121 



these roads to pay interest and make dividends on 

 their vast issues of bonds and stocks that don't rep- 

 resent real value. He may well question the fairness 

 of this arrangement. At any rate, the American So- 

 ciety of Equity will give some attention to this vital 

 question of transportation. The individual farmer 

 can not fight the railroads, but he can make a good 

 showing as a member of a great and powerful or- 

 ganization numbering a million or more, made up of 

 farmers all over the country determined to get their 

 rights. Mr. John D.' Rockfeller, who knows some- 

 thing of the virtues of combination, and who has re- 

 cently been engaged in an effort to secure control of 

 large systems of railroads, says : 



"To fight the battle alone is to be lost. Association 

 with others is an absolute necessity if we would be 

 successful. In union there is strength and success. 

 We can see this illustration every day in the business 

 world." 



Mr. Rockefeller is right. Especially is organiza- 

 tion necessary for the farmers who are at the present 

 moment unorganized themselves, fighting organiza- 

 tions in practically every branch of industry. Mr. 

 Rockefeller's reference to the "business world" does 

 not at present include the farmers. Everybody knows 

 that they are not considered business people. But is 

 it not time for them to get into the business world ? 

 What is good for one class of people who produce, 

 manufacture and sell, is good for others. If "in 

 union there is strength and success" for Rockefeller 



