The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-03-20
CHAPTER FROM A STRIKE
THE MAN WHO "scABBEpp AND
WAS soRELY ASHAMED OF 1T.


to Keep Up Their Slaves Hours and
Starvation Wages for Others.
sit shows how providential the strike
was, anyhow" said the woman.
Eyes" said the husband, with queer
smile, s'most people would say that was
one of the times that Providence was on
my side, because was ready to drown
my conscience and do almost anything
for money. don't know as 1 would
have robbed or committed murder for
gain that day, but suppose / should
have been ready to in little while.
The men had struck you know, for
twelve hours for a days work and a
dollar and seventy-five cents for days
wages. / knew they were right. No
man can live in the city and raise
family, tidy and decent, on anything
less; and the object of society, the pur-
pose God had in establishing the church
and founding governments on earth, /
believe, was the welfare of the many,
not the qualification Of the few. The
company said they wouldn't grant the
demand, and / went and took one Of
those mems places just because was
out of a job and you were out of food.
I helped the owners to grind the
workers down to dependence and weak
ness. 1t was the meanest thing ever
did, Hannah, but as quick as did it
Providence turned on my side, you
see. / simply obeyed the natural, uni
versal law Of individual desire, and took
what could get without heed for 9TH
ers' rights or needs. didn't blame the
men for what they did to me afterward.
! thought while the horses were drag
ging me round over the cobble stones,
after they had upset the car, that they
couldn't serve me any worse than had
served them. But was taking care Of
number one, and SO Providence was on
my side, because Providence helps them
that help themselves, if they are mean.
That is really the lesson Of our Chris
tianity; take what you can get SO long
as the law don't interfere, no matter
who's hurt by your taking it. It doesn't
mean to encourage evil; its purpose is
entirely benefcent; but in order to Sc
cure the patronage of the strong it has
to be a little blind to their foibles. The
company finally conceded part. of what
they knew was only right and they could
well afford to allow; but they stuck to
us 'scabs' because we'd sold ourselves to
help them refuse the whole. That's what
men call honor among thieves. YOU see;
they let us keep our places because we
had helped them keep what everybody
L L L 4 L - i 7 ~
the reason they let this young fellow
take my run as a substitute"
swell, Jonas, that isn't the reason this
man sends you the money every week.
is it?''
The wife spoke with an air of triumnh
now,
aThere. you've got me. Hannah. own
mn can;t see a1v ,,oss;L1a L1e,, reason ,ybv u,
he should do It unless It il to helm a fei-
low that needs helm. don,t believe he's
a detective, and what other reason he
can have for mixine mn IN the matter 7
can't see. He rode with me every dav
and sometimes two or three times day
for a week during the hottest Of it. We
talked the strike over a eood many times
and told him inst what tbonpht abont
that and some other thinos 100 Idon,t
know what would have become Of me
that dav thew made the raid on nv car
If II hadn't been for him He seemed To
take as nuch interest, in tha affair as anv-
bodv. and think got r,ore Of tha stones
thev threw than aid n WAS he who
stonned the horses n;cled ma m and
finally lupged me hack to the s;dawalL
and stood bv wb;la 7 had NV cone,h;re,
smell When 4 was over 7 saw he was
looking az me nrattv ser;ons lika = and M ha.
;nc afraid ba,d aau som nathing eoft which
would have haan To- ,,rc6 for me inst
then sold oaraIv 10 divert h;s o+tan,
tion Won know. ~
".WWell. mister what do Won think ~
thisy
usCowardsr he saia +brouob ,;s taatb
saw III. Ts+s ,,,a,.a ',i oi;,c,,S .,,d 80 - -
them baa crt an tha SrrcS1s ,, - fro,,
which the HOOD wss 5r;nn;ns tnsw
/ was bnrt nrettv had and thoucht a
was nrohablx tbs and oe mn nv ',hS ior S,,t =
wasn't going to show any white Feather.
SO said, yes n was cowar,lJv bnt 4
amt any ,nore,n deserve sHow's
thatY he asked. and 7 said: These men
were Getting inst enongb to starvs com.
fortably on and wanted a little more
They ought to have had IL put In and
got the place. not because the nav was
what IL oueht to he or the ho,,rs reason.
able. INIT becanse T hadn't anvthino to
do and no nrosnect of anvtb;no tn
Laar ,,voalf f,o,,, stsrvat t;o,, 7 balyssd tho