 The UIL tactic at the time of setting the have-nots against the haves naturally appealed to the self-interest of the simpler peasants and was the main reason for the rapid spread of the movement.By April 1900 the League's listing showed 462 branches, representing between 60,000 and 80,000 members in twenty five counties.Within two years O’Brien's UIL was by far the largest organisation in the country, comprising 1150 branches and 84,355 members.