Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-11-11

Eric at once raised his voice. Men.
Mr. Duncan wants TO say a word
again. | am sure you will give him a
careful hearing"
Ave. that we VII"
Hes no bad for a m~illionairer
Give him a chance. He doesn't often
have it," shouted a voice with a touch
of irony in it,
Stuar took advantage of the lull that
followed these and other shouts 10
speak as be had never thought of doing
when he came to the park. He believ-
ed that the result of the mems action
would be exceedingly important for
themselves and himself He had never
had such a great desire to explain his
own attitude toward the whole prob
lem of labor and capital as it affected
him.
1t is not possible to describe his
speech. Eric thought at the time that
it was the best speech be had ever
heard from a moneyed man. At times
it was impaSsioned. then quiet and con-
v~ersational. 1t is doubtful if very
many of the miners understood it as
Stuart meant. He was in reality vOic-
ing ii policy for the men of money
which he afterward followed out with
some changes.
This much he made clear to the men:
He sympathiZed with their demands
for larger wages. while he could not
agree with their methods. and he would
do all in his power to give them their
just demands as far as he was at liber-
ty to act independently. He told them
he was going to Cleveland the next day
to confer wi<s the other min
and would use all his influence to get
the others to agree to the rise in wages.
He repeated his offer to treat with the
thousand or more men employed in the
Champion mines at any time they
chose to return. AS he closed he made
an appeal to the men to use reason and
spoke of the religious influence that so
far had prevailed for the good of the
community.
There ran through the whole Of Stu
arts speech this second time a passion
ate desire to be understood as a man
before men. He had never before had
such q longing to be understood; neither
had he ever felt thegap between himself
and the men to be so wide and deep.
AS has been said, it is doubtful if parts
of his speech were understood at all by
the men.
AS soon as he finished there was a
great uproar Of applause and shouts.
Eric himself could not restore quiet.
The committee politely asked Stuart
to leave the park while the union went
into a conference over his proposals.
Stuart was glad to get away. He felt
exhausted with his unusual effort.
1t was 3 o'clock in the afternoon
when Eric came to the house with the
news of the decision reached by the
miners union. Stuart at Once saw by
his face that the situation vas serious.
1.-The men voted by a large majority
not to go back to work till all could go
back on the same terms-that is, they
demanded that all the mine owners rec
ognize the union and make terms with
it for all the men,"
"Do. you mean that the men who
work in the Champion mines refuse to
accept my offer of the wages they de-
mand?"
"Yes-that is, the Champion miners
will not go back until the other owners
make the same terms you make and
make them to the union"
(Which means simply that this strike
is a deadlock replied Stuart decided
ly, "for 1 know the men at Cleveland,
and they will never agree to any such
terms"
The miners will not agree to any 9TH
err" Eric spoke quietly, but sadly.
[To BE Continued