The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1906-06-29
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+ Raymond glanced from Munro's wag-
gish lips to the frowning or troubled
! faces Of the other men and braced him.
self for trouble
"Out with it, Carter! What do you
want of me?"
Carter tidgeted on his chair. ''Well,
you see, it's this way, Rob: We held
a meeting today, and we decided that
In view Of the struggle that labor is
making here all the mines should either
shut down or put their men into the
ranks
"You have asked my men to join,
! haven't you?"
| Eyes"
| "What did they say?"
Munro Clipped in, 'They said, Go
to blazes.'"
Raymond smiled. "How impolite Of
them! Well, now, let me say once
again, Carter, am in sympathy with
your main objects. I think man
should be paid for every minute he
works, but don't believe in any meth
Cd Of forcing men who are working
and want to work into strike. can't
afford to go into any such organiza-
ton"
"You can't afford not to-" growled
| Brock.
His tone angered Raymond. "What
have you to say in this matter?"
"I'm a member of the executive COM
mittee."
"Since when?'
mo matter when. What say goes"
docs it? Well, you keep 4 civil
tongue in your jaws when speaking to
me-
| Brock rose. You'll close down to-
morrow or Wen close you down"
Raymond faced him. I'VE will not
close down, and you can't close us
down. Carter knows, and you know.
Jack, I've played fair in this l have
not believed in your methods. l stood
with I.arned, your own organizer.
against violence. If you can't convince
my men by argument you needn't come
to me to dragon them into your ranks.
What difference will my hands make
anyway?
Carter seized upon this. 1T will
make all the difference there is. There
are dozen of these small operators
holding out because you and Kelly do.
Your men are all strong men and
ought to be with. us. Besides, it weak
Ems our discipline 80 : .~-'
| Raymond interrupted. We've been
Ill over that before l am not concern
I'd with your discipline. have nc
Euarrel with my men. They are salts
fed with our present arrangement
You're going at this back end to. II
you would turn your attention to re
forming mining laws and crushing out
these speculative owners Of mining
lands, you would really be doing some
thing. but your assault on men who are
paying labor full wages weakens your
case"
Kelly opened the door and entered
while Raymond was speaking.
"What's the meaning Of all this?'
he asked.
| Raymond coldly replied, '"These men
have come to serve final notice on
US to discharge our nonunion men or
shut down"
"Not at allv' cried out Carter, who
feared Kelly 'All we ask is that you
RECOMMEND your men to join the I'M
! lon"--
Brock sprang to his feet again. "Oh,
rats! WHAT'S the use Dea t1ng around
the bush? We know that you fellers
are the backbone of the free miners
| association and that they would all
come i'll if you said so, and we need
you and your men. we want you to
head 'em our way"
Kelly smiled. "Ie'rc not asking
much. So far as I'm concerned. Car
ter, l don't believe word III you ana
your schoolboE, tomfool antics. From
the very start we've gone wrong. You
began by defending a lot Of drunken
blaggurds, and that queered We with
every decent man. Go back to camp,
| arrest Denver Dan, San Juan Jones.
Hob Smith and the rest Of tile bunch
and send them down to the valley as a
peace offering: then serve notice on
the men that blew up the led Star
that. they'll be hung tomorrow morn
ing BY that time III begin to believe
in you and your love for the honest
workinglhan.''
Carter, utterly unable to stem the
food Of Kelly's indignant speech, sat
with dropping head. He stammered,
''You-ydu're traitor to labor
81 am a traitor to nothing that is
good, but I am worn out and weary
with your yellin', cursin', gamblin'
drunken looms that assume to be work
men. 1 have more respect for the
weak little dagoes, for they do want
work and need it, but the buns that
fill the streets are sorry threat to a
decent man, let alone decent woman.
And here's Jack unro''-Kelly turned,
and the smile died out of the young
desperado's face-"he's chief of gang
of hoodlum cowboys and still pretends
to be keepin' the peace. If you want
to help the cause Of labor, Jack, me
boy, close the saloons while this strike
~