FARMERS TO THE FRONT 191 



not to one people, but to all people. The greatest 

 merit of the plan is that it does not antagonize any 

 government. It seeks the cooperation of all govern- 

 ments, which, no matter what their form, are with- 

 out exception based on the idea that the good and 

 prosperity of the subject or the citizen must be their 

 chief consideration. 



If the rulers of the earth believe this, and they all 

 profess to do so, they will find a valuable and useful 

 ally in the American Society of Equity. All that is 

 asked is that the men who feed the world should 

 themselves be decently fed. Even in the most abso- 

 lute monarchies it is of the first importance that the 

 people should be happy, contented and prosperous. 

 And that government is wise which exerts itself to 

 the utmost to secure that result. When this can be 

 achieved without cost or peril to the government, it 

 would seem as though no objection could be raised 

 even by the most absolute ruler to any plan that ap- 

 peared likely to bring the result to pass. Kingdoms 

 have been known to go to war for the sake of divert- 

 ing the attention of the people away from ill condi- 

 tions at home. There have, in the history of the race, 

 been many wars prompted by this motive. But such 

 relief is only temporary. For after the war is over 

 we find that the same evils exist, and that the burden 

 of taxation imposed by the war only makes them 

 worse and increases the discontent of the people. So, 

 at most, war undertaken for this purpose is a mere 

 palliative. What is wanted is a permanent remedy. 



