Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-23

@l Mott by the authorities, and in trial which came of afterward fhe case was dismissed on the ground Of, insufficient evidence to convict An n matter of fact, there had been gre4t provocation on both sides, but the 1ry ing of the troops was always con9fd1 cred by the miners as not warranted by the facts. They always spoke of the killing of the two men as "mur der" and looked upon the acquittaI oE the officer who gave the command td fire as an outrage and . clear miscar< riage of justice. ;s So ended that memorable night Stuart went home at last, feeling that the problem was no nearer solution, 90 far as the strike was concerned, and agitated as never before by the great rising within him of emotions and thoughts heretofore entirely unknown to him. The sight of the conflict these. men were making for few cents more day for labor, which meant the risk of life every 24 hours, was sight that grew more and more significant to him as he watched the struggle unfold He could not see the end. He dared not anticipate the final result.
 As the days went by the situation re- mained practically the same. The eff feet of sending troops down the range had so far shown the mine owners that they had really a very ugly chance to take in forcing new labor into the mines. The few men who had gone on from Champion to De Mott had gradu- ally been persuaded to go back, or they drlfted away in search of work else where, as the owners put off getting more men. In reality the owners dreaded more than anything else the flooding and ruining of the mines in case the attempt to put new men in was successful. Besides all this, the price of ore was rapidly rising, and many Of the owners had great Quanti- ties of ore in the stock piles, and it was believed by many that there was no great desire on the part of the owners to start in again so long as such large quantities of ore were already at the top. It was thought that even if the strike continued until spring the own CTS would be able to realize large prof its on lapsed contracts and on this ac- count would really be the gaiLers by not operating the mines. Meanwhile
 
 miners were finding 1t more and more difficult to get credit at the stores. Many of the merchants refused to trusk the men any longer. There was g. prospect of some ugly scenes of suffer- ing in Champion unle $ matters chang ed decidedly in fortnight.
 It was at this time that Stuart first really thought of his great wealth with reference to its use in improving the condition of affairs in Champion. He had gone down to see Eric, who was able to be about the house now, anG while there Andrew had come in. The three had drifted into a discussion of ways and means to relieve the distress that was apparent already among the families of the miners.
 T cannot help feeling that~this strike Is all wrong, Eric," said Stuart, con- tinuing the conversation as it had started from the standpoint of the min- CTS. 'I am in receipt of letters every day from my agents in Cleveland be- seeching me to come in with the other owners on their refusal to grant the men their demand of $2 day. They. say in every letter they do not see in case of a break in the union how I ann going to manage affairs if the men hold me to my original decision of giving $3 a day.
 'What will you doc:'' 2,.csl
 ''Time enough ';.."' strfr Does the union :.'.-.' -s" ing?'
 Not yet I,E! |
 Eric sighed. ''i ;.!-. .-.... = ion of the strike @.id ;.... :,->-:-.> ---'.. have seen a different vision Of 1l.2 fti- ture since my injury and especially. since the night in the square" "Do you mean that you are mora hopeful or less so over the final re, sult?' asked Andrew.
 Eric was silent and very thoughtful before he replied.
 T don't expect to see it in my Ife- time; mean the triumph of right and brotherhood, and I will tell you whys The love of money is as old as civiltzas ton. I do not know of a stronger or more enduring passion. It reaches down into the very basis of all human struggle and is the handspring of every civilized mans life. Why, even the church is .honeycombed with the love of money! And the more I study tha problem the more I believe that notht ing short of q very convulsion of naturd will ever tear away the clinging, grasp ing hand of civilization on its eternal clutch of gold the love of wealth, the cause of all the selfishness of the mod4 ern world as we know it.'' { ''There is no question about moneY being at the bottom of most of tha
 
 "But it's use has sometimes proved a4 blessing. very often think could bej q better man if could pay off all mQI debts and buy all the roses want. :Yes, you would then get to be as self ish as the rest of us," smiled Stuart3 He came back to the topic first started ''How can we do anything in the pres-ii | ent emergency? Here is a practical 1 condition. I don't know that it helpA much to discuss how the men got into3