122 THE THIRD POWER 



and his associates, why would it not mean strength 

 and success for the farmers? A good many years 

 ago the Chinese were oppressed and harried by the 

 civilized nations of the world very much as they are 

 to-day. The people of China could make no head- 

 way against the trained soldiers of Europe. Finally 

 a formidable rebellion broke out in the empire, and 

 the authorities secured the services of that great 

 Christian soldier, Charles George Gordon, who or- 

 ganized his Ever Victorious Army, and with it sup- 

 pressed the rebellion without losing a single battle. 

 No better army followed a gallant leader to victory. 

 And to-day, if there were another Gordon at the head 

 of a Chinese army, he might sweep Russia out of 

 Manchuria and compel all the powers of the world 

 to respect the integrity and the sovereignty of that 

 ancient empire. Yet precisely the thing that the 

 Chinese lacked was the power of organization and 

 cooperation. But when they did act together it was 

 with decisive results. 



It can be so with the American farmers. They, 

 too, have been oppressed and harried by highly or- 

 ganized bands of marauders, and they have been 

 unable to protect themselves simply because they 

 have not acted together. What we want to see is an 

 Ever Victorious Army of American farmers, which 

 shall fight, not for conquest, but in righteous defense 

 of their rights, their families and themselves. Their 

 victory, which will be sure, will redound to their own 



