The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-07

present, 1 would have voted for MI
Marsten- But let US look into the mat
ter little closer. Who agitated tn
election OF our new secretary? l nov
come to difficult point, and l wan
to make myself perfectly clear and t.
speak with absolute justice. Say no il
Of the dead, is a noble motto, and
nave nothing but good to say of tina
nero, Braunt. Greater praise hath NJ
man than this, he gave his life to save
! others
There was tremendous cheering a
this, and it was some time before Glib
bonS could proceed. Marsten sat Silen
in his chair, with the helpless feeling
OF criminal in the dock. He felt tn,
chain of circumstance Tightening
around him.
''Braunt was a hero in death, and {
hero in life. He was frankly and hon
estly against US from the first, and h
! fought US with an uprightness that
wish Sartwen had emulated. He tool
no strike pay, and used Language
against us which l hope has been for
/ gotten, and which I know has beer
forgiven. There was nothing under
! hand in his opposition, and he broke
the back of the strike by hitting from
/ the shoulder when he had reached the
/ desperation of utter exhaustion But
while giving full credit to the splendid
set that throughout he was our stanch
opponent, and that it was he who
elected Mr.. Marsten secretary of this
union.
Now, gentlemen. 1 am a plain man,
who does not think himself any better
than the average. l do not look for
angels with wings among my fellow
workers. | look for plain, everyday
motives when trying to trace cause
from effect. 1t is not natural for d
man to beg for reduction of his screw
unless that man is angel, or unless
there is some hidden cause for his
doing so. We strike to increase our
wages, and I have never heard of a
deputation of Workingmen waiting on
an employer to ask for reduction Mr..
Marsten does what we know to be fnost
unusual and what we believe to be UNI
natural. What is his motive? Who is
going to make up the deficiency in his
salary? These are questions for you
to answer. | have have tried to state
nothing but facts, and no statement
l have made has been contradicted
The result is a chain of circumstantial
evidence that would convict a man in
any court in the land. Men have been
hanged on evidence less complete.
Gibbons sat down amid almost uni
versad applause. Marsten rose to his
feet slowly. He knew the meeting was
solidly against him and that he had to
bring it around in his favor or lose the
race before it began. There flashed
through his mind the sentence, TT is
not the capitalist who will defeat you,
but the men you are fighting for" He
remembered Braunt's utter lack of
faith in the rope of sand. Then he
spoke:
4 have listened attentively to what
has been said, and l have listened with
out interruption because I have sat
spellbOund by the cleverness of the
speech, admiring its force and logic,
and deeply regretting the fact that [
have not the eloquence and gifts of the
speaker who has just sat down. Two
things are at this moment uppermost
in my mind. First, that if some
stranger were in my place, and 1 were
sitting among you, l should believe
him guilty. Second, there has come
over me a feeling of sympathy with
any man who has been condemned on
evidence. 1 know now,
as [ never did before, that many poor
wretch has gone to an undeserved
death. Gibbons, you have throughout
referred to me as Mr.. Marsten. l dis
claim the Mr. as doubtless you do, so
1 shall call you plain Gibbons. Glib
bons, you have defeated me. The meet
ing 1 have called together is against me
and for you.
There were cries of dissent at this
"Oh. yes, it is 1 will prove it in a
minute by putting it to vote, if you
like"
Hold on" cried Gibbons; that is
not fair 1 shall protest against vote
being taken after such declaration
4 am going to take no unfair adj
vantage, and only spoke of a vote be-
cause my assertion seemed to be
doubted. Now, Gibbons. you asked me
several questions; I claim the right to
put a few to you, and 1 charge you to
answer as honestly as if you were on
path. Do you actually Believe that
am in the pay of Sartwell?"
Il didn't say So
do you believe I amp"
Yes, I do n
What object could sartwell have in
0uying me?'
"Oh, that's too self-evident. If he
controls you he controls the action of /
he union.
please explain how No action can |
De taken without a majority vote"
That's it, exactly. That's why you |
ire begging for our confidence and sup !
port so that when the time comes you /
an deliver to Sartwell what he pays
or
Il see. Did Sartwen ever offer to
,uy you?"
HE never did. He knew better
Did you ever offer to sell yourself to
;artwell?'
What's that? What do you mean?"
I'll put the question in another way.
did you write private letter to Sart-
yell a few days before the strike
nded?"
Gibbons rose to his feet in such evil
ent confusion that several of the
rowd laughed, and all were in a state
f intense excitement. This was the
ind of thing they liked. Marsten was
arrying the war into Africa.
What are you accusing me Off"
ried Gibbons.
Like yourself, am making no accu-
atoms. Did you send such a letter
r not?"
las leader of the strike I may"
mo, no. Answer yes or no."
Let me explain. I say"
First answer the question, Gibbons"
81 refuse to be coerced in this man
err 1 am willing to answer anything.
ut must be allowed to answer in my
wn way"
mo man is bound to incrininate
imself, Gibbons, as you remarked a |
lille ago. Since we cannot get an
nswer to that question, l will ask
mother. Will you give me permission
read your Sartwen letter to this
eeting?''
Gibbons was dumbfounded, and for :!
0t entirely in his agitation, that the
tier had been returned to him, re-
enlbering only that its contents were
ot for the general public. His atti-
lde was that of conscious guilt.
Read it, read iti' cried the crowd,
nd the shouts seemed to arouse Glib :