The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-11
Stories of an Inland State.

| park Wills did not live with John
| Wright, but he spent much of his time
| there.
Nell Everett learned soon that he was a
labor leader, an agftator with an organiza-
| ton behind him. She found references in
the newspapers to President Willis. Trou-
| bic was brewing on many Of the great
| railroad systems, and to Willis the news
| papers were always going for Information
| and from Willis the newspapers were al
| ways returning with information, and the
| reportorial deduction that trouble threaten
| ed and must soon break forth. Nell MOTTO
| ed that these published utterances of Oliver
| Willis. labor leader, were always delicateiy
mid, and doubted whether such a ran
| could head a great revolt.
| II vas not long before she had weighed
| Oily CT Willis mentally with great care. Elk.
uberant in animosity, verbose in declaIa-
| ton, he had become embitteTed by an un-
| satisfied ambition. He felt himself man
| Of absolute certainty of ultimate supremacy
| in his own country. Fortu;iy. the ghos,
| Of political advancement, which can not
| be grasped or fashioned by any man, how
| ever great. hac eiuded him, and he had
! felt the command to seek another path to
| rover The antagonistic refusal of the
Fortunes Of politics to elevate him, goaGcd
| him to overcome that barrier by seeking a
| lew road which would entirely ignore the
| old. In other words, if he could not keep
the old track to success, he would forge a
new one. How? By agitaJIon, by organic
ed complaint. There was no question thai
as his plan grew and his organization be-
came nearer human perfection and respon-
ded TO his master wish and command, he
felt at times, with deep emotional sincerity,
the business of his cause, the righteousness
of the complaint of his followers and the
overwhelming certainty of the triumph OF
Labor. But deeper than that and back Of
1t, was always the individual coveting Of
power, the sleepless demand within him
for a demonstration of undisputed supre-
macy He drank periodically and much
But coming out OF his intoxication he
would recover ground lost and with new
strength go on forging the chain which
should hold his country in captivity, sooner
or later, TO his sovereign will. Democracy
is not retrogression, except in this, that
ii swings society back to the age of indi-
v;dual proves when the superior man made
himself leader, maintained himself and
founded a dynasty. In a democracy every
man Is a monarch in his own belief and
Leeds only TO demonstrate his Leadership
over all others kings. Conservatism, which
is nationwide may eventually defeat the
desire. 1t had essayed its op:ate on Oliver
Willis: he had resisted and denounced con-
servat:sm. In short he would not permit
society to dictate him method for his am.
b.t;on when he had failed to master that
method.
Nell Everett soon encompassed this mans
mentality. But, try she would, she
could not master this former farmer, old
John Wright. BY little phrases dropped
from him, from over-anxious commenda-
tons and unspoken COMBINATIONS in the
old mans conversation with the labor lead
er. she came to know that this leader of dis
satisfied men was a puppet in this old
mans hands and that this great leader did
not have the acumen to detect Il.
They would sit together for hours talking
while she listened intently. She began to
understand Oliver Wills was perfecting his
organization: that he was securing absolute
domination over an executive board and
that that board was all-powerful; that he
was preparing 10 strike a great blow. She
grew TO admire his sleepless ambition his
intensely voiced championship of the poor
his untiring enmity to the rich, to him al
ways oppressors. But into the admiration
crept the flaw Of old John Wright's con-
tinuous stealthfui game, which she could
not understand. but, cleaning a little here
and little there, which convinced her that
the greater leader and champion was here,
behind these sharp eyes and wrinkled
cheeks.
She had lived in the house Of John Wright
Tow for a month. The labor leader had
been attracted to her, talked TO her OF mig
plans with candor, received her advice and
counsel with respect and admiration for her
superior mind. He had again become in
toxicated and she had nursed him back to
sobriety.
They were sitting in the plain, poorly car
peted room tonight and Willis was talking.
Everything" he said. SIS in readiness.
I have left nothing undone. Every man
understands his duty and knows what to
dc and when 10 do il. The organization Is
complete. II will strike an undivided. single
blow. The other labor organizations can
not withstand the sympathetic influence of
the success that viii be strikingly evident az
the first move. And you, Mr.. Wright,
when that time comes and success crowns
our efforts, will have the satisfaction of
knowing that no man in this country has
been a greater friend to the poor man than
yourself
John Wright, noting this raw acknow-
Judgement OF the many sums he had given
from his purse TO help the movement along.
and which was the secret OF Willis attach
meut for him. and despising the labor lead
er for the phrase, smiled and said:
But the final demand?''
l.
companies have met the cry OF starving
babies and wasted mothers with a reduc-
ton. We shall make final demand. OF
course. but know and you know IL will be
refused. I tell you I shall have the coun-
Try topsy-turvy within the month. We
shall succeed. The crowd focks to the
successful banner and take no note Of the
color or design. save that II is marked with
victory. Every labor organization in the
country IS waiting for breach in the ranks
OF accumulated and corporated wealth. We
VIII make the breach. The impetus % ac-
cretion 20 our ranks Will be so great, that
cur organization viii wipe out all others
and I Will be myself master Of the entire !
situation
Al that moment. John Wright could fnd |
in his own heart no greater passion than |
his contempt fo- this man. Later that |
night when Willis had gone. the former /
farmer turned 10 Neu and sad without fur |
Their explanation:
IF You would please authority. set NJ |
authority against g. Fight organization /
with organization ana examination re- l
mans. When ambitions clash. ambition |
survives. The world Is wrong. dead wrong /
and a. awry, and men can not change II.
r1ut a man can And when be comes he /
VIII not pull t.nselei title from the throne /