Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-02-06

men were packed Into the open space
surrounded by the town buildings.
Stuart remained looking out from the
Doctors Office window. The whole
scene was before him. He could hear
as well. Since that first day when he
had come home from his European trip
he had seen the miners together in this
way several times. but today he was
impressed more than ever with the APP
pearance of the men, with their rude,
misspelled banners, with their music
made entirely by men out Of the mines
who had trained themselves with great
patience to play lrarch tunes. More
than all, he was struck with the faces
of the men-the stolid, dull, but deter
mined look that most of them wore.
He was impressed with their general
appearance as human beings making a
fight for few more cents q day. And
with all the rest he could not help feel
ing that the men regarded him as an
arlstocrat removed froM them by his
whole life, SO different from theirs,
and unable from their point Of view to
sympathize with or understand them.
And yet" Stuart said to himself.
with sigh, II would almost exchange
places with nearly any one Of them. ]
mean that am not where can use
what was born into as would like to
Use it."
The bands stopped playing. and q
miner went up into the stand. This
time it was not Eric. The men all un-
covered their heads. It was very quiet.
The people Of Champion stood looking
OH from the sidewalks, the church
steps, the railroad depot platform and
the store and Office windows. The man
| in the stand lifted up his face and Of
fered short prayer.
20 God, grant us blessing today -
| we go to our place of meeting. Be
| with us there in our council together.
Grant that we may be led to do the
right. Keep US all from trespass OF sin
or drunkenness. And when we have
ended our strife here below, may we
all. master and men, meet In heaven.
We ask it for Jesus sake. Amen"
Stuart heard every word ct the pray
4 er from where he sat. There was
something indescribably sad to him
in the whole scene The miners put on
their hats, and the bands at once
struck up lively tune. The men be
gan to move out into the main street
forming double line or column foul
abreast. Ybe bands marched each ons
In front Of section OK division OF thu
line Of march. The men at . sigma
shouldered their sticks, and. accustom
ed by this time to the marching, the,
presented military appearance q
they swung past the church and int
the road leading over to the parl
where they now held daily mestin,
at noon. .
| Stuart watched for Eric and as b
came by called to him from the win
dow:
"I'll drive over. My horse and bugg,
are here"
Eric waved his hand and went b,
without replying. Stuart came down
and. after the columns Of men hA,
passed he drove along at q little din
lance behind them.
All the way over he was debatin
with himself what he would say.
was the first time he had really me
the men. A great many Of them di
not know what the feeling Of the ney
mine owner was. They supposed thu
Ross Duncan's son was like the Il
Their. Others among them had know
him as q child and boy and liked hin
He was favorite in the town. Man
} a rough, reckless. stolid Dane an
. Cornishman had admired the lad VIII
had been SO fearless in going mp an
, down the shafts. There was o. goo
! deal Of favorable comment among th
men In line over his coming out toda,
So when he finally came into the par
and was met by committee there an
escorted up into the pavilion where tn
Ispeakers went he faced great crow
that was in the humor to give him fai
Iplay ut least. A thousand more me
Ihad come in from the other ranges
and an audience of over 5000 va
Ipacked deep all about the pavilion.
Stuart could not remember afterwar
all that was said that day by himse
!. or the men. Eric had spoken bried,
and then in behalf of the union 50 n
: Gently formed he said that he had Il
= Ipleasure Of introducing the owner {
. the Champion mines, who would Q,
dress the meeting.
Stuart had never spoken in publ
? except on few occasions in collel
rhetoricals. He was no orator, and I
4 knew 1t. And yet as he rose to spea
to this outdoor gathering in positie
y that might have tried many expel
!, enced speakers ,he felt sense Of reli
k and certain pleasure.
He began at once with a statement
I. his willingness to grant the men the
scale of wages.
= "If I understand the situation"
: said, "the demand made by the CO..
tract miners Is for SO a day on accoul
Of the danger of the work and becauI
the companies have been paying on
$3.50 for more than a year now. b
lieve the companies ought to pay tn,
price. 1 might as well say that
not believe you have taken the rig
course to get what you want. I cam
sympathize with this strike. do syI
pathize with your demand for 81
day"
"How about the rest Of the comp
nies?" asked a voice.
aye, that's 1t. How about the low
range? What's the mind on that point
said another.
81 cannot answer for them. I Q
here today to speak for myself. II Z
/ men who are employed In the Chal
pion mines will come back at any tin
now, will give them what they al
n for.'
This statement was greeted wi