The San Francisco call., 1896-03-16
Keeps Himself in Hand and
So Controls His Fol.
lowers.
DOES NOT FAVOR STRIKES.
viii Give His Attention to the Prob.
lem of Child Labor When the
Strike Is Over.

hand and SO controls his followers.
That is the impression the young labor
agitator makes upon the inquisitive
stranger. The eye wanders from the
slight figure in its neat, gray business
suit, to the youthful face with its keen.
bright eyes and its deferential smile, and
back again to the spotless white four-in-
hand, and is pleased. He is well but not
extensively groomed. Probably he dresses
with the nice exactness with which he
lays on the final stroke of the brush on
completed building. and having performed
that office carefully, he is as utterly obliv-
1ous of his garb the remainder of the day
as though 1t were of the tabled skins of
wild beasts. That is lesson Robert Nc
Ivor can teach some of his financial "bet-
ters."
His features are sharp. Perhaps his an
tagonists might call him hatchet- faced,
but they are strong features, and his large
nose has that curve that reminds US of an
eagles beak. He has reddish hair, mus
tache and complexion, and eyes that are
brown or blue according to his emotions.
When he talked of the wrongs of the poor
and the need of remedy for those wrongs
his eyes grew dark and threatening and
listener could feel the power of the man.
When he waxed diplon. attic and said he
did not favor strikes they were keen and
gray, and when he dealt in commonplaces
there were blue lights in them.
There is nothing exceptional about his
appearance. We pass fifty men OF his
type on the streets every day. Nothing
exceptional until you watch him in CONVEX
l1l -
mime you recognize the element OF leader
ship. There is a quiet force about him
that acts as magnet TO the detached ideas
and theories and plans OF others. Such a
man is loadstone.
He is convincing, though unimpassioned
in discussion. He never loses sight of the
single purpose in view. Extraneous and
TO him unimportant objections he dis
misses with mild ''I care not pin for
that" and the objector looks uneasy and
dissatisfied, but cannot take exception to
the even-toned reply. There is something
compelling even in the low voice and
measured tones of the leader of the
strikers.
He is never needlessly argumentative
nor loquacious. He has confidence in
himself and his cause and inspires it in
his co-lahorers. The diplomacy, intelli-
gence and force that have won his present
prominence have put him in the front in
other battles between the two powers of
society. Those qualities combined with
his tenacity of purpose will continue to
serve him. He will be a labor leader all
his life and will die with his social-reform
boots on.
He stepped from the hall on Mission
street, where a conference of unionists was
being held, to talk for few minutes on
the novel theme of himself instead of his
cause. cloud of battle and cigar smoke
ard the sound of jarring voices rolled out
after him, but he was in no wise disturbed.
Politeness and a modest disinclination to
talk of self had short struggle, but the
gentler quality won.
He talked of his Scotch parentago, of his
coming of family OF painters, of his leav-
ing school for work at an early age, of his
residence in Ireland during the home rule
agitation with which, oung as he was, be
was identlfied), of his share in the Trafal-
gar-square strike for free speech, and of
his aid in preparing the way for the Lon
don dock strike.
Il am always to be found at the radical
end, you may depend upon that" he said,
smiling slightly.
There was q call for McIvor. "Come as
soon as you can," whispered the messen-
ger, and a low-toned colloquy followed.
Meanwhile the voices in the next room
grew louder. The chief grew restive for
the fray, and. promising to return when
there was a lull, sought the scene of the
contest. The vocal storm died away and
the calm voice was heard again stilling the
tempest. Then its owner returned.
He resumed in a methodical way the
story that had been interrupted. He
came to this country nine years ago, when
he was a youth of "a. He had worked in
New York, Mexico and San Francisco, al
ways at his trade as painter.
Three months ago he was elected walk
ing delegate of the Painters Union. This
was the Office of adiuster of claims be-
tween employer and employe. an office
that pays $12 week to reimburse him in
part for the loss of wages sustained by his
attention to its duties.
Ibid you precipitate this striker" was
question which he skillfully evaded by
general statement.
II do not favor strikes except when they
become q necessity. When employers
will paw no attention to the needs of the
employees those employees must be with
drawn Tor time to create an opportunity
for a conference. 1 regard strike in the
light of making an opportunity for an
agreement by relieving the workers for
brief time. would regret it if this strike
should extend further; or, yes, if violence
followed. At any rate, if strikes last long
suffering for the families of the workmen
is sure to follow.
sI believe in settling all differences by
an appeal to the ballot box as arbiter.
Therefore / am in favor of working.
mems party"
The courage of the man showed in his
glowing face as he talked, still in those
even tones, of the wretchedness of poverty.
1--WE must make the workingman's en-
yironments more nearly what they should
be. We must take his children from the
streets and educate them. We must do it
by law.
1.-The strike will soon be settled, and
satisfactorily So" he said. "After that,