THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 441 



ences are cheerfully surrendered to the common good. 

 An opportunity is afforded to each member, to give ex- 

 pression to his views, and the general discussion which 

 follows such expression subjects the ideas advanced to 

 a test which proves either their excellence or the re- 

 verse. 



It has been generally admitted that " the farmer is a 

 power in the land," but this admission has been made 

 in a vague sort of way. The farmer has hitherto been 

 conscious of his power, but it has been as a voter that 

 he has regarded himself. He has known the extent to 

 which his power has been rendered useless by the divi- 

 sions that have existed among his class. Farmer 

 Smith may have had one idea of his grievances, and 

 the proper mode of righting them, and the view held 

 by Farmer Brown may have been entirely different. 

 But in the Grange these two men meet upon a common 

 platform. The Order recognizes as evils certain things 

 upon which the whole farming class have long been 

 united, and it proposes a method of redress which men 

 of the most extreme views can accept. Its primary ob- 

 ject is to bring about a union among the farmers of the 

 Republic, for it is its cardinal maxim that only in 

 union can the agricultural class show its strength and 

 make it felt. 



The Grange recognizes the plain fact that the Ameri- 

 can farmer is the victim of certain evils, and it proposes 

 to correct these. In order to accomplish this, it organizes 

 the farmers into one harmonious body ; makes them a 

 unit, and then exerts their combined strength for their 

 protection. Conscious that the farmer needs protection 

 against his foes^and that a single man can accomplish 

 nothing, the Grange exerts the strength of a powerful 



