The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-03-13

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"By the grace OF God. Mr.. Gordon,
want to be as near the center of it as
1 can get, and nothing would please me
more than TO have your company"
Gordon tingled all over. He arose
and put out his hand. The Judge took
IL. Neither said a word, but from that
minute the two men were knit to each
other.
They sat late that night around the
library table. the most enthusiastic, in
terested and I'm some ways the most
unselfish group Of men and women in
that city. Gordon and Chambers laid
out plan OF campaign. 1t included the
use of every moral and Christian force
in the city. And the message they were
TO bring TO the people was the message
of murdered childhood, the double
decker for a background, the political
boss necessary result of politics that
lived on its spoils and cared no more
for humanity's loss and ruin than any
machine cares for the dust that whirls
through its mechanism, to be blown out
| over the wsrld or trod under foot to
rise and be swept again into the rush
OF the wheels that with metallic heart
lessness grind on, doing the will Of
their maker, but caring for no mans
soul.
1t seemed to them all during the
weeks that followed that the city was
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 d.
rection of church or temperance or mu-
nicipal reform bodies. Falmouth and
, score of othes 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 I'm the city government. The
storm of the peoples fury rose and
grew with every nights gathering, and
1 lnC Ntulti was tht w u
| terside district.
Under the leadership Of Gordon,
Chambers and Falmouth hundreds of
business men visited the tenement
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 Randalrs double decker, which
had gone steadily up through all the
rising of the storm, and the lawlessness
Of his acts was a visible illustration of
the whole situation. Miss Andrews
had written to Mrs. Captain George
Effingham telling her the situation.
and that old lady had replied: Use
the first hundred thousand IL necessary
in carrying ON the campaign and the
second also. will try to find some
more II you only succeed in cleaning
out Mr.. Thomas Randall"
So the settlement workers thanked
God and plunged into the thick Of the
fight as it grew In power, for every
saloon interest. every gambling hell,
every house of evil fame. fought for
its miserable life. For once almost
like magic. to the astonishment OF evil,
all the good of the city appeared to
be united. on its knees praying, on Its
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 its hole
and showed its ugly and poisonous
front, rearing IL 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. fount
it deserted of workmen. 1t had gon,
up three stories and half.
When Miss Andrews heard the news
she said: THAT means that Tommy Il
in need of campaign funds He ha!
: spent fortune already. II that dumb
bell is never finished
, I'VE will let It stand as a monumen
: of victory" said Gordon.
Two evenings later Gordon, Fal
, | mouth. Chambers and Miss Andrew
! | went together to a monster mass meet
t ing All four of them spoke. Miss An
drews was received with a great dem
: onstration. When Chambers spoke,
: was noticeable that hundreds of mel
: and women representing the wealtl
and fashion OF the city were there. ant
, that. although he uttered the mos
tcathing rebuke of the selfish wealth.
people who Stunned all civic responsl
/ thnv 1iStnnn1 with nnsftiya ul
miration TO n speech that was a torren
of eloquence, for Chambers was a
aristocrat himself and could not be re
!, pudiated by any of the city's mos
cultured or refined circles. Mrs. Per
rose was present that night with Luell
and Archie. They all heard Miss Ar
/ drews, with genuine surprise at he
ability. Chambers provoked their al
8 plause even while he angered them b.
, his prophets denuncintion Of thei
/. wicked selfishness. Falmouth's speec
was a calm but earnes- appeal TO tn
!. conscience, and every hearer was NOR
4 honestly thoughtful for it. Then Col
don rose.
l. He had gained amazingly in the pow
er to address great crowd. He sin
d ply told the story of the tenements OF
lie of his own experience. He made II
d plea; he uttered no denunciation; sin
A. ply told how childhood was torture
D. and crushed and stifed and murdere
N In the double deckers. His story WI
ID the story OF childhood's rights.
ID made a tremendous impression. Mr.
II Penrose bent her head. and her lii
i'd whispered the litany:
m 80 Lamb of God. who takest ava
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