The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-07-16
general manager had declared should
win the trick.

claimed earnestly, yet look at yon-
der man in the far corner of the
room and save some of your ready
sympathy for him. Up to within a
year ago he was an expert machinist
in the plaintiffs brass foundry, earn
ing $25 a week by the skill of his
hands. Look at him now-one hand
gone and one foot MANNED for life.
And whose fault was that? All, if
you could have but attended the in
dlgnatfOn meeting of the employees
after the accident, you need not have
asked? Time and again the machine
that MANNED him had been declared
unsafe, and yet our worthy plaintiff
would do naught. And after the ac-
cident, did he render aid to his in
jured employe? Not much! Through a
technicality he escaped the payment
of heavy damages at the first trial,
and while the poor and helpless suf-
ferer was endeavoring to raise funds
for second suit, he sold out and
came west
"And yet another point let me
bring out" continued Archer heated
ly, while the attention of all was
equally divided between his speech
and the faces of the two cripples;
whereas the plaintiff has been in
jured, and not without carelessness
on his part at that, yet his earning
capacity has not in the least been i'm.
paired. He can clip just as many cou.
pons; he can be a director in Just as
many mining enterprises; he can or
game just as many new land inn
prOvement associations; in a word his
head, by which alone he earns his
livelihood, has not in the least been
impaired.
Now turn your eyes to the other
poor fellow. Scarce year ago he
earned $25 week by the skill of his
hands. A month ago he wandered
into my otfice-penniless, health shat
tered, family scattered, and without
the wherewithal to ply his accus-
toned trade-his right hand. He
wanted my advice about instituting a
suit on new grounds. And mean
WHILE" he continued, impressively, as
he saw the jury casting off its lethar-
gy, land meanwhile this traction
company, this soulless corporation,
as so many delight to call it, has kept
him from starvation by giving him
job as. switchman at it's Halstead
street car sheds. where he can earn
boys wages of a dollar day. And
this the company did before he en-
tered into the present case.
"And yet this plaintiff, who has
never considered the Golden Rule I'M
til he himself desired to profit by its
teachings,-this plaintiff, who would
not so much as lift a finger to save
a fellow man from starvation. how
ever much he himself was respon-
sible-this plaintiff has the unmiti-
gated effrontery to appear before
you all, and to try to win his case by
winning your sympathy. If such a
quality is the much Wanted Justice
of our city" his eyes swept the
jury, the witnesses, and last of all
the gallery-"My God!" he cried, and
staggered back.
Amid the confusion, a young wo-
man left the gallery unobserved
"The defense will rest its case" he
concluded with forced calm
The lawyer was seated at his desk.
A verdict in favor of the defendant
company had been rendered two
hours before, and already an official
looking document enclosed in a ma
nilla envelope had been forwarded to
him from the general managers Of
fee. He lacked heart even to tear it
| open from the enclosure.
A messenger entered, the bearer of
dainty white envelope. Mechani-
cally he receipted for it.
"And in her handwriting. Can it
be-" But his fingers which had been
brushing across the envelope, encoun-
tered hard little lump in the mid
die.
'The engagement ring" he muir
INJURED inaudibly. But come now"
he added half aloud with pitiable
attempt at briskness, ''if the sweets
are still lacking, let's nave look at
the bread and butter"
He tore open the MANILA envelope.
The first thing that met his gaze was
check, the size of which made him
| feel dizzy. Then a letter from the
general manager fell out.
"My dear Archer" the manager
had begun in his off-hand way, "Your
dramatic finale was certainly what
won those jurors-I told you they
like a free show. Why, man, your
acting was so real, could fairly see
you turn white as a ghost. :.
The position of junior attorney with
our company is yours for the ask
ing"
Archer threw the envelope and con-
tents aside and gazed longingly at
the little white missive. And then he
opened it.
"My Dear Jack-I fear I should
have returned this ring without a
word had not dad happened in just as
| was calling a messenger. He says
he admires your cool nerve in using
such tactics against him and if he can
forgive you, I suppose I can, too. He