FARMERS TO THE FRONT 163 



the people have lost interest in it and influence 

 with it. 



Now the proposition is to restore to the people 

 that supremacy which is rightfully theirs, and which 

 they must have if this is ever again to be a govern- 

 ment of the people. As this is even yet pre-eminently 

 an agricultural country, the farmers are the people. 

 With the millions of men directly interested in fur- 

 thering their own interests, which are those of the 

 people, and bound together in an organization, the 

 usurpation of the politicians and corporations would 

 be broken, and the real rulers would govern. Con- 

 sidered in this light the American Society of Equity 

 — the Third Power — is an instrument for the resto- 

 ration of true democratic government in the United 

 States, regardless of name of party. No administra- 

 tion would dare to disregard such an influence, or 

 would think of tying itself up to the politicians and 

 those who now use them. Under such a system noth- 

 ing would or could be done without the freely ex- 

 pressed will of the people. If they governed them- 

 selves badly, they would still govern themselves, and 

 would be responsible for all mistakes and crimes. 

 With this power and influence the people would re- 

 gain their old interest in public affairs, and the 

 government would no longer be forced to rely on 

 the professional politician "for continuous activity 

 in giving effect to its decrees." In a word, it is 

 proposed to broaden the base of government and 

 to put the power and responsibility in and on the peo- 



