The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-10-25
90 1
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HI1%SSES
by o3nu0aoaasG
- Cos,Nl6sT ass ~ y
CHAPTER IX-CoNr1Nurn.

CHAPTER IA-CONTINUED
Thus, it was resolved that another
incumbrance should be laid on the
broad back of the breadwinner, who
shouldered the burden cheerfully, for
George Harland had a big heart and
never fretted over trifles.
The young women retired to put the
children to bed, and the mechanic. well
pleased with himself and his surround
ings, drew his chair closer to the stove
and lit his pipe to enjoy his usual even
ing smoke. As the clouds curled up
wards to the ceiling the tint of his
thoughts became less roseate-a feel
ing of unrest possessed him. Ally's
broken health and Cohen's brutality
ranked in his mind. and for the first
time in his life he found himself wan
dering whether Windy" Atkins, the
demagogue of the yard. was not right
after all in his denunciation of capital
lists and his forid portrayal of the
wrongs of labor. 1t did seem cruel
that fairly-educated, well-behaved
girl like Ally should be wearing herself
out for bare subsistence
Then. there was that little trouble
down at the yard-not worth making a
fuss about, certainly not to be men
toned to Nell-perhaps. after all, he
ought to have taken more interest in it
and attended the meeting at OBrien's
saloon tonight. Hanged. if he didn't
think it would be good thing to 90
and talk the matter over with that
editOr-fellow. Grey, if he should chance
to be in his room.
He found our hero up to his ewes in
study, but cordially glad to see him.
u read that paper of yours, which
Col Gilchrist tossed into the waste
basket and see many good points in it
perhaps too conservative for these
critical times, but that is a good fault"
well, SIR" Harland answered, Il
cont know, after all, that I'm right.
1t does seem hard that there should be
so much suffering in this land of plenty,
that one man should be rolling in
riches and another equally industrious
for l take no account of loafers-
should hardly be able to keep the wolf
from the door"
1T does, indeed, Grey responded, de-
cisively, thinking of his own attenuated
and inability to secure en-
ployment. 1T is a hard problem to
solve, and" He paused and blushed
scarlet. I'm trying to master it.
Don't think that l ever hope to be the |
apostle of the New Civilization, but l |
may be one of its pioneers"
Harland gazed at him with open
mouthed wonder.
Concentration of wealth led to the |
French revolution. class privileges, and |
unequal taxes. How is it in America? |
Big concerns backed by huge capital |
crush the life out of small tradesmen, |
who must become servants or starve. |
We have law enough, but no justice. |
Who cares for the law who has money |
and influence sufficient TO defy it? Our |
tax administration is a disgrace 20 civ |
iliZation, and"
still it's a pretty good country to
live in, Mr.. Grey"
Eyes, as long as your OK is not gored. |
If you could shut your eyes to the mis- |
cry of thousands in this city of Chicago,
you might think it a charming place to /
dwell in"
'And what are you going to do about
it?"
MASS labor against capital"
by trades unions?-
<'Yes. BY concentrated action. BY /
the power of the ballot box"
Talking of trades unions, 1 want /
your advice as to a case in point"
Proceed"
eve had two men IN our yard who |
have scamped their work and. as the |
saying goes, 'sassed the boss who 4
gave them the sack. Now, there's F..
some kind of fuss about the matter /
and some of the men are attending a |
tonight to talk the matter /
over. l don't suppose it will amount .
to much, but I'm lend of uneasy, and
that's why l came upstairs"
''Oh, that is all nonsense. The work
ingmen of this country are too intelli- |
gent to make a mountain of such a
molehill as that. Iwouldn't worry about
it if were you"
Nevertheless, just as Harland that
night was going to bed, a tap came to
the door. and a fellow workman beck
Oned him outside.
I've been to the meeting, George,
and thought I'd drop in and tell you
how things went"
You might have saved yourself the
Harland laughed. Il know
how things went, just as though I'd
been there. Windy Atkins made a
screed on the bloated lumber lords,
there was a good deal of beer con-
sumed. and then Fred Sawyer and a
few old hands just sat down on the sill
" performance.
''You are wrong. George" was the
reply. The only man who spoke
at length was the walking delegate
from New York, and"
"Who in thunder's hep" Harland
asked fercely. What can a New
Yorker know about our local quarrels?
And what did he say?"
"Ordered Us az OF: on a strike scithOlt
IN hours notice.
CHAPTER x
A wOMANS WORD.
<'From plague, pestilence and famine,
from battle and murder and from sudden