STOCK-TAKING 175 



oted how inevitably the United Farmers were 

 drawn into the political arena. They stood for 

 principles rather than for party, and seeing 

 small hope of realizing those principles through 

 the medium of the old parties they were led to 

 take independent action. Now politics have 

 always held a strange fascination for men with 

 active minds, and the farmers, with minds alert, 

 have temporarily, too many of them, been 

 captivated with political manifestations. The 

 only organization, visibly active in politics in 

 the past has been the party machine, and it is 

 small wonder therefore that so many United 

 Farmers, as well as other electors, view the 

 U.F.O. as nothing more than a third political 

 party. They think in terms of the old political 

 machine. No view could be more shallow and 

 dangerous, but if it is not to gain ground, leaders 

 must keep their heads level, and love of glory 

 with the ' 'spoils of office" well in check. 



It is well for us therefore to determine what a 

 political party is, in fact. Today it has come 

 to mean little more than a human machine 

 designed to keep one set of men out of office and 

 another set in, who may enforce their wills upon 

 the whole body. Merit undoubtedly plays a 

 large part, but unfortunately expediency seems 

 too often to be the deciding factor. Party 

 politics has thus become an insincere game in 



