Mower County transcript., 1903-09-23

RefOr m e1
By CHARLES IN. SHELDON
Author of I'm His Steps, . Robert .
n. "a Hardy's Seven Days. Etc.
COPYRIGHT, 1901, by Charles ". Sheldo,

awakening to some stern reality OF its
moral obligations. AS the young judge
had said that night when he appeared
at Hope House, THE hour of the peo-
pie is at hand" He himself, sometimes
alone, oftener with Gordon or Fal-
mouth, night after night addressed
great mass meetings held under the di-
rection Of church or temperance or mu-
nicipal reform bodies Falmouth and a
score of other ministers organized the
young people into campaign material.
The pulpit began to speak out. The pa
pers contained columns Of very free ad-
vertising of Tommy Randall and his
methods. Chambers voice spoke
through an astonishing number of edi-
torials and other articles exposing long
standing cases of awful incompetency
and fraud in the city government. The
storm of the peoples fury rose and
grew with every nights gathering, and
the storm center was literally the Wa
terside district. +.
. Under the leadership Of Gordon,
Cha mbers and Falmouth hundreds of
houses and saw for the first time the
horrors that were intensified by the
machine. Hundreds of them were TAX
en- by Miss Andrews or Gordon to
Tommy RandslIs double decker, which
had gone steadily up through all the
rising Of the storm, and the lawlessness
of his acts was visible illustration of
the whole situation. Miss Andrews
had written to Mrs. Captain George
Ettingham telling her the situation,
and that old lady had replied: use
the first hundred thousand if necessary
in carrying on the campaign and the
second also. will try to find some
more if you only succeed in cleaning
out Mr.. Thomas Randall"
So the settlement workers thanked
God and plunged into the thick of the
tight as it grew in power, for every
saloon interest, every gambling hell,
every house Of evil fame, fought for
it's miserable life. For once almost
like magic, to the astonishment of evil.
all the good of the city appeared to
be united, on it's knees praying, on it's
feet working. And as the campaign
drew near its climax every dark and
hideous viper that had fattened in
the security of years of protection
from the city crawled out of it's hole
and showed it's ugly and poisonous
front, rearing it against an assault
that for the first time in history was
really doing something to vindicate the
name Of the stern righteousness Of God
in men.
One morning John Gordon, going by
Tommy Randall's double decker, found
it deserted of workmen. 1t had gone
up three stories and a half.
When Miss Andrews heard the news,
she said: "rhat means that Tommy is
in need of campaign funds. He has
spent a fortune already. If that dumb
bell is never finished''-
1--WE will let it stand as a monument
of victory" said Gordon.
Two evenings later Gordon, Fal-
mouth, Chambers and Miss Andrews
went together to a monster mass meet
ing. All four of them spoke. Miss An
onstration. When Chambers spoke, it
was noticeable that hundreds Of men
and women representing the wealth
and fashion of the city were there, and
that, although he uttered the most
scathing rebuke Of the selfish wealthy
people who Stunned all civic RESPONSE
bility, they listened with positive ad-
miration to speech that was torrent
Of eloquence, for Chambers was an
aristocrat himself and could not be re-
pudiated by any of the city's most
cultured or refined circles. Mrs. Pen
rose was present that night with Luella
and Archie. They all heard Miss An
dreWs, with genuine surprise at her
ability. Chambers provoked their ap-
plause even While he angered them by
his prophets denunciation of their
wicked selfishness. Falmouth's speech
was calm but earnest appeal to the
conscience, and every hearer was more
honestly thoughtful for it. Then Cor
don rose. q
He had gained amazingly in the pow.
ci W iuufeSS Il great crowd. He SIM
ply told the story Of the tenements out
of his own experience He made no
plea; he uttered no denunciation; sim
ply told how childhood was tortured
and crushed and, stified and murd cred
in the double deckers. His story was
the story Of childhood's rights. q It
made tremendous impression. Mrs.
Penrose bent her head, and her lips
whispered the litany: 49, w. n
20 Lamb sof God, who takest away
the sins of the world, have mercy upon
me-" .,!Gl b l,.sEnsr9Iy- =. 44@ a :.|=s
Luella never took her eyes off John
Gordon's face. AS he drew near the
end she noted the extreme exhaustion
of his whole bearing. And as he I'm
ished and sat down she observed Miss
Andrews, who was seated behind Cor
don, lean forward and ask him some
thing. 5isf 5sy Y 4. a%9} H H
Then as the chairman Of the meeting
was making some announcements for
another gathering Luella saw Cham
bers and Falmouth suddenly rise and
80 over to Gordon just as he swayed