The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1895-06-29
NEIHART. MONTANA. JUNE 20, 1895.

HilShtY nefaluS OF clNlllZatlOn, ana
already were possessed of two of the
best weeklies in the state. They
had raised a sum of money, almost
colossal, to purchase right ofway
for railroad into the village. They
had celebrated with commendable
zeal every event in their career
which made for the good of the com
munity. They had Incorporated;
they had secured water system
which was nulli secundus. Their
streets were we'll lighted and on
every hand was an air of evident
prosperity.
Men had come and men had gone,
but there still remained major por-
tion of the old timers, who, it matters
not what phase of fortune or mis-
fortune they faced, always stood up
for the town of their choice against
the evil purposes of all corners.
Heroes in many municipal conflict,
strong in purpose, true in heart, they
clung together with the tenacity of
Swiss at Sempach or Spartans at
Thermopyla.
What did they think of the com
pany store? They had combatted
every other evil that had beset the
town. Corporate greed was their
worst, almost their only, enemy, In
various shapes they had stamped
upon it, and had generally been vic
torious. Now, this same greed, fired
by the selfshness of humanity, pres
ented another problem for Jayville.
She was to become a company town,
"one man" town, home of bosses
and masters on the one hand, and
understrappers, beggars and poems
on the other. There would be
company store, company boarding
house, a company this and that, and
all who worked at the mine belong
ing to this particular company were
to be coerced into trading at these
institutions. 1t meant in one sense
the reduction of wages. For what
right has an employer to dictate to
the employe as to how he shall use
his earnings? Is not the miners
money his own after he has earned
it? Or shall the employer hold
string upon the wages of his men?
These men, whom people had
dubbed jays, saw all this and more.
They saw that, once the system
fastened itself upon the town, it
would become a parasite, cancer of
prodigious growth, sapping the pop
ular independence, which is the life
blood of every town. An indepen-
dent man would not stay in such
place.
The citizens of this town, seeing
the threatened evil, met together.
They discussed the situation from
every side. They met, not as an
organized body, but as men, endowed
by natural as we'll as as by human
law with the inalienable right to
meet and to discuss issues. Notice,
if you will, that word "inalienable."
If right is thus qualified, who has
power to take it away? Certainly
no "soop' can touch the case. 1t
is said that Jayville met together to
talk upon matters of grave moment.
They did not question the right of
any man to do business on open,
fair, businesslike methods. But they
had only one voice regarding the
methods of company store. Other
towns may have such Institutions;
this town would not. As to the
best style of combat they were not
agreed. But that fight must be
waged they were unanimous. For
said they, the company store is a
stupendous evil. If the mine cannot
run without the profits of the store,
it were better that the mine should
close. For by this mine alone the
town was not built. There were
other mines whose owners would
"follow suit if only the venture
proved successful. Jayville was not
a tone man." nor s'two- man" town.
She was everybody's town, and her
people were only too eager to enter
conflict where right sat only upon
one side, and justice knew no middle
ground. A fight must follow.
] forgot to mention that there was
labor union in that town. 1t was
not baby of weeks growth, but
had for more than five years CON