134 THE STORY OF THE U.F.O. 



functioned as the great silent partner, engulfed 

 in the hereditary, partisan, stereotyped, political 

 machine, that fossilizes the individual and cor- 

 rupts the party. In that kind of politics the 

 farmer was so deep that frequently he quite 

 forgot legitimate interests and ignored the wel- 

 fare of the country. Yet very few, the farmer 

 least of all, realized it, and so the statement 

 ' 'farmers are in politics" is not, as at first it 

 sounds, so strangely incongruous and empty. 

 Current events teach us that the statement is 

 full of meaning and we behold an old, un- 

 noticed fact in its new and dazzling setting. No 

 longer is the farmer the donkey engine of the 

 politician, used to elevate others to high places. 

 Rather he chooses now to act on his own volition, 

 elevating to position whom he will, and by so 

 dhoosing, elevating himself. 



It is not within the scope of this work to 

 discuss systems of government at any length, 

 weighing for instance the merits of party 

 government as against group government. But 

 it is necessary that we note some of the features 

 and the, effects of the party system which we 

 now have, in order to understand the attitude of 

 the farmers toward it. 



Political parties, whether Liberal or Conserva- 

 tive, are subject to the same tendencies and the 

 same natural laws as affect individuals, or small 



