St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-09-06

his new rule of conduct could hav'
made possible his message and its effect
He spoke on the subject of satisfaction
with life. what caused it, what its rea
sources were. He had the great goo(
sense IN this first appearance not to rec
ognize the men as a class distinct from
himself. He did not use the tern
"workingmen'' and did not say a wore
to suggest any difference between theil
lives and his own.
The men were pleased. A good many
of them shook hands with him before
going down to their work, and Henry
Maxwell. telling it all to his wife wher
he reached home, said that in al
his life had he known the delight hi
then felt in having a handshake from 6
man of physical labor. The day marked
an important one in his Christian ex'
perience, more important than he knew.
1t was the beginning of a fellowship be-
tween him and the working world. II
was the first plank laid down to hell
bridge the chasm between the church
and labor in Raymond.
Alexander Powers went back to his
desk that afternoon much pleased with
his plan and seeing much help in it fol
the men. He knew where he could gel
some good tables from an abandoned
eating house at one of the stations down
the road, and he saw how the coffee ar
rangement could be made a very at
tractive feature. The men had respond
ed ever better than he anticipated, and
the whole thing could not help being a
great benefit to them.
He took up the routine of his work
with a glow of satisfaction. After all,
he wanted to do as Jesus would, he said
to himself.
1t was nearly a o'clock when he
opened one of the company's long envel-
opes which he supposed contained or
ders for the purchasing of stores. He
ran over the first page of typewriter
matter in his usual quick, businesslike
name before he saw that he was read
ing what was not intended for his Office,
but for the superintendent of the freight
department.
He turned over a page mechanically,
not meaning to read what was not adj
dressed to him, but before he knew it
he was in possession of evidence which
conclusively proved that the company
was engaged in a systematic violation
of the interstate commerce laws of the
United States. 1t was as distinct and
unequivocal breaking of law as if a pri-
vate citizen should enter a house and
rob the inmates. The discrimination
shown in rebates was in total contempt
of all the statutes. Under the laws of
the state it was also a distinct violation
of certain provisions recently passed by
the legislature to prevent railroad
trusts. There was no question that he
held in his hand evidence sufficient to
convict the company of willful, intelli-
gent violation of the law of the COM
mission and the law of the state also.
He dropped the papers on his desk as
if they were poison, and instantly the
question flashed across his mind, "What
would Jesus DOR He tried to shut the
question out. He tried to reason with
himself by saying it was none of his
business. He had supposed in a more or
less indefinite way, as did nearly all of
the officers of the company, that this
had been going IN right along in nearly
all the roads. He was not in a position,
owing to his place in the shops, to prove
anything direct, and he had regarded it
all as a matter which did not concern
him at all. The papers now before him
revealed the entire affair. They had
through some carelessness in the address
come into his hands. What business of
his was it? If he saw a man entering
his neighbours house to steal, would it
not be his duty to inform the officers of
the law2 Was a railroad company such
a different thing? Was it under a diff
ferent rule of conduct, so that it could
rob the public and defy law and be I'M
disturbed because it was such a great
organization? What would Jesus do?
Then there was his family. OF course
if he took any steps to inform the COM
mission it would mean the loss of his
position. His wife and daughters had
always enjoyed luxury and a good place
in society. If he came out against this
lawlessness as a witness, it would drag
him into courts, his motives would be
misunderstood, and the whole thing
would end in his disgrace and the loss
of his position. Surely, it was none of
his business. He could easily get the
papers back to the freight department
and no one be the wiser. Let the iniquity
go on. Let the law be defed. What was
it to him. TIe would work out his plans
for lettering the conditions just about
him. What more could q man do in
this railroad business, where there was
so much going ON anyway that made il
impossible to live by the Christian
standard2 But what would Jesus do il
he knew the factsY That was the ques-
ton that confronted Alexander Powers
as the day wore into evening.
The lights in the Office had beer
turned on. The whir Of the great en-.
CINE and the crash of the planer in the
big shop continued until 8 O'Clock.
Then the whistle blew, the engines
slowed down, and the men dropped
their tools and ran for the blockhouse.
Alexander Powers heard the familiar
click, click, of the blocks as the mer
filed pass the window Of the %blockhous,
just outside, He said to his clerks
.'Im not going inst vet. have some