, and people who
are closely knit together in an association and who form a true social
organism, a true rural community, where the general will can find
expression and society is malleable to the general will. I assert
that there never can be any progress in rural districts or any real
prosperity without such farmers' organizations or guilds. Wherever rural
prosperity is reported of any country inquire into it, and it will be
found that it depends on rural organization. Wherever there is rural
decay, if it is inquired into, it will be found that there was a rural
population but no rural community, no organization, no guild to promote
common interests and unite the countrymen in defense of them.

VI.

It is the business of the rural reformer to create the rural community.
It is the antecedent to the creation of a rural civilization. We have to
organize the community so that it can act as one body. It is not enough
to organize farmers in a district for one purpose only--in a credit
society, a dairy society, a fruit society, a bacon factory, or in a
co-operative store. All these may be and must be beginnings; but if they
do not develop and absorb all rural business into their organization
they will have little effect on character. No true social organism will
have been created. If people unite as consumers to buy together they
only come into contact on this one point; there is no general identity
of interest. If co-operative societies are specialized for this purpose
or that--as in Great Britain or on the Continent--to a large extent the
limitation of objects prevents a true social organism from being formed.
The latter has a tremendous effect on human character. The specialized
society only develops economic efficiency. The evolution of humanity
beyond its present level depends absolutely on its power to unite and
create true social organisms. Life in its higher forms is only possible
because of the union of myriads of tiny lives to form a larger being,
which manifests will, intelligence, affection, and the spiritual powers.
The life of the amoeba or any other unicellular organism is low compared
with the life in more complex organisms, like the ant or bee. Man is
the most highly developed living organism on the globe; yet his body
is built up of innumerable cells, each of which might be described as
a tiny life in itself. But they are built up in man into such a close
association that what affects one part