L. 



THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



conflict, toured the country, addressing great 

 meetings of farmers, and finally accepted at 

 a merely nominal salary the position of sales 

 / manager at Minneapolis. It was his duty to 

 I get these banking accommodations, and his 

 j distress grew with the tightening band the 

 I banks were weaving about his institution. 

 As fast as one bank refused the Equity 

 account Mr. Loftus must chase about the city 

 until he found another willing to accept it. 

 At last only one bank stood between him and 

 ruin, and one day the cashier of that bank 

 called him into the office, and with expres- 

 sions of regret and personal esteem told him 

 that instructions had been issued that the 

 Equity was to have no more credit there. 



Mr. Loftus went back to his headquarters, 

 his mind in a whirl. There seemed nothing 

 to do but to announce the closing of the 

 Equity and try to settle with the farmers for 

 what grain was then in transit. After so long 

 and brave a fight defeat had come at last. 



"What did you do, George.^" asked a friend, 

 afterward. 



"I will tell you what I did," said Mr. Loftus. 

 "I am not much in the piety line, but I went 

 into my office and shut the door and kneeled 

 down and prayed. T\Tien I got up I happened 

 to think of an old friend of mine in a bank in 

 1 St. Paul. I went straight there to see him. 

 1 I used to get credit at that bank when I was 



I 136 



