THE NEW DEMOCRACY 219 



mere numbers is itself important. The farmer vote 

 wherever universal suffrage prevails holds the balance 

 of power or is overwhelmingly the majority vote. The 

 business of farming is vital and primary. The farmers 

 have an innate love of fair play. It is certainly true of 

 the American farmer that he is a thoughtful citizen. 

 He has time to think and he does think. There is a 

 certain poise or balance among farmers, amounting 

 often to undue conservatism, that can assist mightily 

 in an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary progress. 

 Let it be said too that any efforts to prevent democracy 

 from having its way in the new time must not be scorn- 

 ful of the farmer's influence; for once he has broken 

 the moorings of conservatism he becomes a radical of 

 the radicals. The very insistence of the farmer upon 

 the freedom of the individual is good doctrine in a time 

 of organized effort. For let the rural emphasis upon 

 individualism be broadened a bit until it becomes merely 

 insistence upon individuality and we will have almost 

 the ideal attitude. Individualism tends unquestionably 

 to be selfish. Individuality just as surely is needed in a 

 world where the cooperation of great groups may easily 

 submerge the man himself. The farmer has a genuine 

 contribution to make to a fuller democracy. 



SOME QUESTIONS ARISE 



But will American farmers cooperate? There is no 

 doubt but the American farmer instinctively and tradi- 

 tionally prefers the independent method of work. Yet 

 for fifty years he has recognized the growing need of 

 collective effort. As a matter of fact a complete census 

 of organized activities among our farmers would reveal 

 a stupendous development of cooperative endeavor. 

 Our country is so big, the needs of different sections so 



