IS THE UNION A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION? 281 



few farmers who will aid them in their battle against 

 monopoly? The farmers are tired of unredeemed pledges 

 and broken promises. They want to go to the front where 

 the fiercest battle wages. If they use their own brains, 

 and have moral courage, they are abundantly able to take 

 care of themselves. The Order has persistently ignored 

 partyism. The organization has never permitted itself to 

 be the tail to anybody's kite. But nothing has been 

 farther from their intentions, from the start, than ignoring 

 politics. It was the evident, avowed, and expressed intention 

 to exert an influence on legislation that would eradicate 

 class laws from the statutes, overthrow monopoly and enact 

 laws that would guarantee equal rights and protection to 

 all. In ignoring partyism they have acted wisely. 



"But is politics nothing but partyism? Is there no 

 politics except such as is embraced in the platform of one 

 or the other of the old-time parties? As a matter of fact 

 there is very little of real politics in the old parties. It is 

 little less than a struggle of 'ins' to keep in and 

 of the 'outs' to get in. We believe that politics, in its 

 truest and highest sense, involves totally different prob- 

 lems. It is the science of government. It has for its aim, 

 to administer the laws, ,and otherwise conduct the affairs of 

 government on the principle of the 'greatest good to the 

 greatest number.' This ought to be the sole aim of any 

 party which bids for popular favor. Any man who asks 

 for the vote of the people on any other ground, ought to 

 be denied the votes of even his friends. Honesty and 

 efficiency ought to be the sole requirements in a candidate, 

 and no man should vote for another merely on personal 

 grounds, any more than he ought to do it for a five dollar 

 bill or drink of whisky. When the Wheel and the 

 Grange and the Alliance go into politics of this sort, and 

 stand by each other like men, and will not sell out, the 

 farmers can accomplish what they please in reforming 



