Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-02-27

fore.
"Aiy brothers, in the name of God
; and his dear Son, our Saviour, remem-
Der what you are and as you value
heaven do no wrong today"
The miners heard, and for moment
the silence was unbroken. 1t was ons
of those moments which prove men to
be equal or wanting to an emergency.
And Stuart in that brief time grew in
strength and experience. He was in
the open space before Andrew or any
one else moved and standing by the
woman, the leveled guns now touching
them both. The minute Stuart leaped
into the space between the troops and
the miners the woman turned and
knelt by the side Of the wounded Off
Ger. Stuart was conscious Of the fact
that men were carrying the body out of
the ranks and that the young woman
was behind them, following. All that
he felt rather than saw as he stood
there.
"N1en," he said. praying in his heart
for wisdom to say just the right word,
'listen to me moment. Every man
who strikes lawless blow here today
strikes at the cause of labor. II you
want to set it back and destroy your
own best good, now is your opportuni-
ty. 1t will be the act of madmen to do
it. In Gods name, in the name Of the
law and of your best interests beg Of
you to use reason. For the sake of
Eric, who loves you If ever man did, let
these men go their ways and abide the
results as law fearing, God fearing
menu
There was stir all through the
crowd while Stuart spoke. Then the
silence was broken by cries here and
there by men who had helped Eric in
the organization Of the union.
Hes right! Mr.. Duncan tells TRUTH
Lets keep law! We be fools other
wise"
"Aye, we's fools a'ready!"
"Better for us to get men to go
back!
This last cry was caught up by large
numbers, and the mob fairly swarmed
around the coaches containing the new
men. During the events just described
they had remained inside, but the win
dows were alive with heads thrust out
to see what was going on.
Stuart felt that the immediate dan
ger of collision was over. There were
however, still any number Of chances
for an outbreak. The troops lowered
their guns, but remained on guard.
The scene around the coaches now
assumed an intensely pathetic charac-
ter. With 1t all there was IN element
Of danger and the stirring of the tickle
wild beast in the mob.
Now, boys" pleaded an old miner,
standing close up by one of the coach
es, you doesn't want to take bread
out of us mouths up here, does your
Come! Say you'll go back and leave us
to fight 1t out with the masters. We
make to win il let alone.'
aye, that we will! said another
eagerly. 1.-THE owners is losing on
contracts every day now. Give US a
chance. What have we done to you
that you should come up here to take
away our wages?"
We've got families, too." replied a
gruff voice from one Of the windows.
''And no work for over a month and
women and babies crying at home.
What would you have us doY'
This was hard question to answer,
and no one tried it, but hundreds Of
voices were beseeching the newcomers
to go back and leave the mine owners
| to struggle with their old men.
At last one of the miners, a middle
aged man who had helped to organize
the union and next to Eric was as in
fluential as any one in Champion, Sc
| cured hearing. He mounted one of
the switch blocks, and the men anx-
iously listened.
"Tell you what the union will do.
We agree to pay the fares Of every
man here back to his home and some
thing over II you go back on the next
train"
AYE, that's the thingv' yelled hun
dred voices. AS matter Of fact the
union, numbering now nearly 5000 men,
was In position to do this, and in the
desperate fight it was making it could
afford to wiring every possible cent
from Its members rather than give way
to the influx of new hands. Once the
mines opened up their chances Of
bringing the owners to terms would be
gone forever. Besides, there was nc
telling what events might occur If once
public sympathy was large enough to
enlist other workingmen with them.
The appeals now made to the men in
the coaches were frantic. Miners climb
ed up on the platforms and squeezed
inside the cars to argue with the men.
1t was scene Of peculiar interest, one
great swarm of hard listed and hard
faced men begging another crowd of
| the same kind to keep from exercising
the natural desire to work for home
and children. Surely what was first
| pronounced as curse on our first par
ents has now become a double curse
when work is the object of such a
strange contest.
1t would perhaps be difficult to tell
how far the strangers were influenced
by their sympathy for the miners or
whether the sight of 1000 men carry
ing walking sticks the size Of mans
arm had its weight in bringing them to
decision. There were about 500 men
I'll all. AT last about 400 Of them said
they would go back on the condition
that the union do as 1t agreed.
They came out Of the coaches and
were received with a tremendous burst
of cheers and shouts. The remaining
men. who for one reason and another
refused to go back. were saluted with
Kisses. jeers. threats and abuse. but no
violence was offered. The miners felt
jubilant over the result of their appeal
and were disposed to ridicule the hand
full of men now left.
LET 'em go on, boys! What can the
miners do with such handful of
greenies"
"Aye, let 'em go! They don't know
enough to get out of the way of blast
nohow!"
"Let the men at De Mott treat 'em.
They's two to our one down there"
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