Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-22

at Hope House, "The hour OF the PEG.
pie is at hand" lie himself, sometimes
alone, oftener with Gordon or Fal-
mouth, night after night addressed
great mass meetings held under the di-
rcction 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 adj
vertising Of Tommy Randall and his
methods. Chambers voice spoke
through an astonishing number of ed-
torials and other articles. exposing long
standing cases Of awful INCOMPETENCE
and fraud in the city government. Tho
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,
! Chambers and Falmouth hundreds Of
business men visited the tenement
houses and saw FOR the first time tho
horrors that were intensified by tho
machine. Hundreds OF them were TAX
on by Miss Andrews or Gordon to
| Tommy Randalrs double decker, which
had gone steadily up through all the
rising Of the storm, and the lawlessncss
of his acts was visible illustration Of
the whole situation. Miss Andrews
had written to Mrs. Captain George
Etlinsham telling her the situation.
and that old lady had replied: Use
| the first hundred thousand if necessary
I in carrying on the campaign and the
! second also. | will try to find some
moro if you only succeed in cleaning
| out Mr.. Thomas Randall"
So the settlement workers thanked
God and plunged into The thick of the
fight MS it grew in power. Cor 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 u
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 fattcnod in
the security of years of protection
i
and showed its 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 Randalls double decker, found
! : i.
up three stories and Il half
When Miss Andrews heard the -ioWS
she said: That incans that Tommy 5
in need of campaign funds. He has
spent fortune already. If that dumb.
bell is never tnished"-
I'VE will lot it stand as n monument
Of victory" aid Gordon.
Two evenings later Gordon. Ial-
mouth. &, amhcrs and Miss andrews
went together to n monster lass meet
ing. Ali four of them spoke. Hiss An
drcws was received with great dem
onstraton. When Chambers spoke. it
was noticeable that hundreds Of men
and women representing the wealth
and fashion OF the city were there. ara
that. although he uttered ,hc ost
scathing rcbuke OF ;llc selfish wealthy
people who stunned all civic RESPONSE
blity, %hey listened with positive adj
miratiou TO Il speech that was 4 torrent
of cIolueucc. Tor Chambers WAS an
aristocrat himself and could not be re-
pudiated by any Of thc city's most
cultured or refined circles. Mrs. Pen
rose was present that night with Lucia
and Archie. They all heard Miss An
drcws, with genuine surprise ut her
ability. Chambers provoked their APP
plauSc even while he nhEered them by
his prophets denunciution Of their
wicked Seldshncss. FalmOuth's speech
was IL cain but earnest appeal to the
conscience. and every nearer was more
honestly thoughtful for it. Then Cor
don rose.
lie had gained amazingly in the pow
or TO address q great crowd. lie sim
ply told the story of the tencmcuts out
of his own experience. IIc made M
plea; he uttered no denunciatiOn sim
ply told how childhood was tortured
and crushed and stihed and murdered
in the double dcckcrS. His story was
the story of childhood's rights. 1t
made tremendous impression. Mrs
Penrose bent her head, and her lips
whispered the ltany:
80 Lamb of God. who takpst away
the sins of the world, have mercy Upon
me-"
Lucia 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 fin
ished and sat down she observed Miss
Andrews. who was seated behind Cor
DON lean forward and ask him some
thing.
Then as the chairman of the meeting
was making some announcement for
another gathering Luelia saw Cham
hcrs and Falmouth suddenly rise and
60 over to Gordon Just as he sWayed
and would have fallen. The two friends
caught him and quickly carried him
off the stage. Miss Andrews followed
ihcm and the great audience began 4
so out.
Luella hesitatcd. Mrs. ronrose had
not seen anything, She had not been
looking.
Il think Mr.. Gordon was i'll, Luclla
said.
Shall we wait and Inquirer Mrs