THE STORY OF THE NONPARTISAN LEAGUE 



their attention and make them keep still. 

 The fundamental idea of this movement was 

 that the farmers themselves were at fault if 

 their business was unprofitable, because they 

 did not follow the best methods in their farm- 

 ing. Therefore the movement kindly set 

 out to teach them these best methods. If 

 only right methods could be introduced, all 

 would be well in the Northwest. The funds 

 for this grand work of education were 

 raised originally by subscription from banks, 

 great lumber firms, grain-houses, railroad 

 companies, agricultural - implement makers, 

 and mail-order concerns, but later the legis- 

 latures were induced to approve of the proj- 

 ect and to indorse an arrangement by which 

 one-third of the expense was to be borne by 

 the state, one-third by subscriptions among 

 the farmers, and one-third by the business 

 enterprises I have referred to. 



Under this arrangement instruction in farm- 

 ing was to be provided at gatherings and as- 

 semblies through the country. The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture of the United States gave 

 to the benevolence at least a tacit indorse- 

 ment by allowing "Better Farming" circulars 

 to be sent through the mails under the de- 

 partment's frank. After a time the farmers 

 complained that the meetings to which they 

 went with open mouths and thirsting souls, 

 eager for instruction, were used to advise 



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