Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-04-11
Strong, about getting you to come
down to olr hi Il some evening nex1

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SOiIlG ySNGulH$5s llGNL
.Week and give us q talk On some sub
ject connected with the signs Of shv
tines. s. .%...s. =
Il II come IL yuI tilifsS y t.ssn {, /, q liS
I good in that way replied pliilip, hest
tating q little.s s@ 5s 5. 5-..>- S.
ginning to take to you, and while they
Won't ccme up to church they will
turn out to hear you down there r
h"All right. When do you want me
/ 20 Gomez "a
"Say next Tuesday. You know where
the hall is 49, f.. n, ~.
Philip nodded. Ee had been by it in
his walks through tllat part Of Milton
The spokesman for the worl:lnen e.
pressed his thanks and arose to so, but
Philip asked him to stay Ii few mo-
ments. He wanted to know at first
hand what the mans representative
fellows would do If the church should
at any time decide to act after Philips
plan. a
well. to tell the truth. Mr.. Strong.
don't believe very many of them
would join any church"
THAT is not the question. Would
they feel the church any more there
than where it is now?"
Yes, ! honestly think they would.
They would come out to dear YOU"
''Welf, that would be something, to
be sure replied Philip. smiling. But
as to-, the wisdom of the plau-how
does it strike you on the wholey'
Il would like to see it done. / don t
believe | shall. though,
why"
Your church won't agree to it,
''Maybe they Will in time"
Il hope they will. And let NE tell
you. Mr.. Strong. even if you succeeded
In getting your church and people to
come into the tenement district you
would find plenty OF people there who
wouldn't go-to hear YOU
Il suppose that is so. But, oh, that
we might do something" Philip clasp
ed his hands over his knee and gazed
earnestly at the man opposite. The
man returned the gaze almost as ear
nestly. 1t was the personitica ton of
the church confronting the laboring
man. each in certain way asking the
other, What will the church do?''
And it was noticeable fact that the
minister's look revealed more doubt
and anxiety than the other mans look,
which contained more or less Of indif-
ference and distrust. Philip sighed,
and his visitor soon after took his
leave.
So it came about that Philip Strong
plunged into work which from the
time he stepped into the dingy little
hall and faced the crowd peculiar to it
had a growing influence on all his
strange. career, grew in strangeness
rapidly as days came on.
He was invited again and again to
address the men in that part of Milton.
They were almost all of them mill en-
ployees. They lad Il simple organization
for debate and sdiscussion of questions
OF the day; Gradually the crowds in
creased as Philip continued to come
and developed series of talks on
Christian socialism. There was stand
ing room only. He was beginning to
know number Of the men, and a
strong affection was growing up in
their hearts for him.
That was just before the time the
trouble at the mills broke out. He had
just come back from the hall where he
had now been going every Thursday
rSvoC xyy1>~ Il l,o1
his favorite theme-"rhe Meaning and
Responsibility Of Power Both Finan
cial and Mental" He had treated the
subject from the Christian point OF
view entirely. He had several times
reused his rude audience to enthusiasm
Moved by his theme and his surround
ings, he had denounced, with even more
than usual vigor, those men Of ease
and wealth who did nothing with their
money to help their brothers. He had
mentioned, as he went along, what
great responsibility any great power
puts on man and had dealt in broad
way with the whole subject of power
in men as thing to be used and al
ways used for the common good.
He did not recall his exact state
mems. but feltf little uneasy as he
walked home, for fear he might posi-
bly, have influenced his particular au
dience against the rich as a class. He
had not intended anything of the kind
but had vague idea that possibly he
ought to have guarded some words OF
sentences more carefully.
He had gone up into his study to fin
ish some work when the bell rang
sharply. and he came down to open the
door just as Mrs. Strong came in from
the other room, where she had beer
giving directions to the girl, who haG
gone up stairs through the kitchen.
The minister and his wife opened the
door together, and one of the neigh
bors rushed into the hall so excited he
could hardly speak.
ooh, Mr.. Strong, won't you go right
down to Mr. Winter S house? You
have more influence with those me1
than any one around here"
"What .menY2
'"rhe men who are going to kill hin
if some one doesn't stop itv'
.'What!' cried Philip, turning pale
not from feai, but from self reproach
to think he might have made a. mis-
take. "Who is trying to kill him-tht
mill men?' .~>-.:.- :
Eyes! No! l do not, cannot tell
But he is in great danger, and you ar
the only man in this town who cal
| helm to save him Gomez 'E#.-.A