FARMERS TO THE FRONT 179 



time. If we admit that the great majority of farm- 

 ers are stubborn, in fact rebellious, yet they can not 

 affect the accurate working results of this machine. 

 There will still be enough loyal ones left at any time 

 to insure success. In this respect the great num- 

 bers of farmers which, in the past, was considered 

 the great element of weakness in a farmers' organ- 

 ization will be its greatest strength, when working 

 on the plan of the American Society of Equity. 

 Give us a number equal to what were in some for- 

 mer farmers' organizations and the definite results 

 will work out almost without an effort on the part 

 of the individual fanner. Farmers should remem- 

 ber that they are not to be ruled from the outside. 

 When the voice of the American Society of Equity 



is heard, it will be the voice of the farmers them- 

 selves. 



So what we are to learn is not whether the organ- 

 ization can succeed, but whether the American farm- 

 ers honestly want it to succeed ; therefore, to doubt 

 the practicability of the plan is to doubt the farmers 

 themselves; after the organization has been effected 

 the farmers can kill it if they wish to, but so can a 

 man rob his partner. Railroads combine success- 

 fully, and yet how often do we hear of secret cut- 

 ting of rates in direct violation of the agreement 

 between the roads. So I admit that some of the 

 farmers might play the traitor to the organization, 

 and yet I hold that the organization would win in 

 spite of their treachery. But there would be few 



