Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-03-22

bad and good would all be worth about the
same, and that as little as the poorest Of
them II would be apoor way to encourage
4 them to be smart"
"Does Graves work In your roomTs
"YeS, but be is just going out for this
| mornin'-hisi'-
'Send him in IL you can lind him. Philip
rose TO his feet now, and was walking the
room impatiently when John Graves slouched
in He turned on him as IL he was going to
do violence to his visitor, but il was only a
question he hurled at him.
"What do you think ought TO be changed
in the milli Speak up now, and let me know
your mindn
~ think we work too hard for our pay,
then,n drawled the laborer, but his mind was
in an unusually excited condition.
THAT is because the public want such
goods Us ours so cheap
"There's other things to cut on besides labor
forever and ever. Oh, no, ye can't buy poor
cotton, It would show in the cloth; We can't
save on machinery, tt would spoil yer salea;
but il we carders and weavers and spinners
be cut, it don't leave mark on the cloth.
But it leaves deep gashes in our hearts and
joys, you be suren. Graves looked at the
young man to see If he might go on, but he
could not read his masters face. He hesi-
tated a moment and then he continued.
There aint poor bent girl in the mill
but might live life SO happy it would make
a strong man cry to think Of it. We are of
more account than your machinery No
beltin' or patent self acting springs could do
our work; it takes immortal souls, and intel
lects in the image of God to do it. It's the
g Il ,k,nk
the two of us gets. We aint fairly paid till
we gets, the weakest of us, taste of the
sweet things in this worla we have longed for
SO long. l don't care what yer wise hook
men says" Was the young proprietor angry,
he stood SO grave and still! What a change!
Time was when pity would have shone on
every line of his face. But he might have
been statue for all appearance of melting in
him now.
~ pay you tho market price, as much as
the other mill owners"
Well, God have mercy on his poor children,
if Philip Breton could make that excuse!
The man sat down without an invitation, and
leaned his brawny elbows on the table.
Snow see here, you told me to speak my
mind, and am agoin' to. We are poor; we
amt got nothin'; we can't lay back and wait
for our price. We want somethin' to eat
today; We come to you for work; we
must have work, if it only earns us
a loaf of bread. Is it right, then, to value
us at what we can be got for? If we could
haggle with ye, and hang off the way little
ready cash let's q man do, there might be
some sense in it. But you never let us get
enough ahead for that It's work OF g.
hungry with U.s. The poorer we gets, tia
tighter yc can squeeze us, and l sometimes
wonder why ye gives us rs much as ye do. l
spose a man might live on O little less. Aud
it's all business, as ye say"
Philip had seated himself, but he said
nothing. He had given the man the priv
ilege of his tongue, and he did not seem dis
posed to stop him.
"Is tho right price Of thing what man
| III give fo" it? If they had the money, men
would give S1.000000 for breath of air,
when they're stitled. Would it be right to
pump off the air, and then let it on at 81 000,-
600 n breathingI If you was drowning,
you'd give 81 100000 to be saved if it was
only to hold out a pole to yer. Is that fair
price for holdin' out pole? We're starvin'
unless we can get bite to eat Is it any
more right to bargain with us for q life of
hard work, for just enough to live on? A man
wants somethin' more than food He wants
to send his children to school, to get loafin'
hour now and then, to make himself some
thin besides a brute He wants-he wants
some such things and chances as you have.
| Why, squire, we're all men trgether." The
mans eyes looked across at Philip with q
vaguo wistfulness, as if he were thinking of
tho beautiful possibilities of O life so far all
drudgery and want.
"But what is there to dor exclaimed
Philip in all impatient tone that put to flight
all the worlzman's foolish fancieS. The young
mans heart seemed changed to flint "You
don't want to be objects of charity, do you"
John Graves Strengthened his arms along
the table; then he stood up.
''Charity! Well no, not such charity as
picks q creature up today as soft as baby,
and drops him tomorrow like dog But il
payin' yer help enough of yer gain SO they
can know what life is--if that is charity, as
you call it, give It to us. Ye needn't be SO
precious fraid of hurtin' the laboring classes,
as they call 'em, by treatin' 'em too well.
They're sinkin' every day lower and lower,
and lots of fellows in specs keep a warnin'
you not to spoil 'em, not to hurt their pride,
or break their spirit by givin' 'em something
As if kindness ever hurt any human soul
Not that would cali it charity; they earns
every mite Yell ever give EN-"
"But if the mills or employers don't make
such gains as you seem to take for grant
| ed"--
eff there amt money made, why, nobody
can find no fault not to get big pay. All
mean is when money is made, and that's
pretty often, we ought to have some share
in it."
"Dont 60, John, want to ask you"-
81 must; asked out for today" and the
loor closed after the man. For quite q while
after his last visitor had gone, Philip sat
with his cyos f,ed on tho door knoh in in.
tc....J a3atti..acac, Was he angry t. the
audacity of the common laborer2 When he
pushed back his chair and rose to his feet,
running his hands through his hair, he made
one excamation
GLOW blind" But whom he meant,
whether his class or the laborers, did not
| appear from his tone or from the bitter smile
| on his lips. John Graves would have told in
o moment that the young proprietor meant
no good to his help. The man had had
glimmer of hope that Philip Breton might
only be waiting for an opportunity, but this
interview had dispelled it from his mind.
| 1t was some little time afterwards that
Philip left his counting room and made his
way up the street. He was dressed in SOM
berest black, and his silk hat was subdued
with a wide band of Grape. But his dress
was no more melancholy than his face.
When under pressure of business, one would
not have noticed it so especially, but the in
| ho xuau th,.oxy, boo ,,,,o,, h;p,,olf