The Washington herald., 1911-01-08

cheating lying. little grocerymen. play the
straight rules of the game. and don't have to lie
cheat break my word
Dede hailed with relief the change in the
ton and at the same time the opportunity speak
her mind.
In ancient Greece" she began pedantically. n
man was judged good citizen who built houses.
planted trees"- She Sid not complete the quota
ton but drew the conclusion hurredly. How
many houses have you built: How many trees have
you planted:'
He shook his head non-committa!ly, for he had
not graSped the drift Of the argument.
Well. she went on, two winters ago you cor
nercd coal'--
Just l"caIy.'' he -rinned reminiscently: Just
locally. And / took advantage of the shortage
and the strike in British Columbia
But you didn't dig any of that coal yourself
of money. That was your business. You made
the poor people pay more for their coal You played
fair, you said but you put your hands down into
all their pockets and took their money away from
them. i know; l burn CRATE fire in my sitting
room at Berkeley. And instead Of $11 ton for
of 81 could stand it: but there were thousands or
the very poor who could not stand it. You might
call it legal gambling, but to me it was downright
robbery
Daylight was not abashed. This was no revela ton
to him. He remembered the old woman who made
wine in the SOnoma hills and the millions ike ner
who were made to be robbed.
Now look here Miss Mason. you've got me there
slightly, grant. But you've seen me in business a
long time now, and you know don't make a practice
of raiding the poor people after the big fellows
They're my meat. They rob the poor, and l rob
them. That coal deal was an accident wash :
the poor people in that, but after the big fel
lows and got them, too. The poor people happened
to get in the way and got hurt. that was all
Don't you See,'' he went on, "the whole game Is
gamble? Everybody CANDLES in one way or an
other. The farmer CANDLES against the weather
and the market on his crops SO does tne oni'e% q,
States Steel Corporation. The business OF lotS OF
is straight robbery Of the poor people. But I've
never made that my business You know that I've
always gone after the robbers
Il missed my point" she admitted Wait min
ute"
And for a spacGthey rode in silence 40.
Il see it more Clearly than state it, but ITS
something like this. There is legitimate work, ana
there's work that-wel, that isn't legitimate. Ihe
farmer works the soil and produces grain he
making something that Is good for humanity he
actually, in way. creates something the grain tnat
will fill the mouths Of the hungry"
And then the railroads and market riggers and the
rest proceed to rob him of that same grain,' Day
light broke in.
Dede smiled and held up her hand.
Wait a minute. You'll make me lose my point. 1t
doesn't hurt If they rob him Of all of it that he
starves to death. The point is that the wheat he
grew is still in the world 1t exists Don't you see?
The farmer created something say tons Of wheat
and those ten tons exist. The railroads haul the
wheat to market to the mouths will eat it. This
also is legitimate It's like some one bringing you
glass Of water or taking cinder out Of your eye.
Something has been done In way been created just
like the wheat"
But the railroads rob like Sam Scratch" Daylight
objected.
'Then the work they do is partly legitimate and
partly not. Now we come to you. You don't create
anything. Nothing xists when -Ou're done with
You didn't haul it to market You didn't deliver It
Don't you see? That's what meant by planting the
trees and building the houses. You haven't planted
one tree nor built single house."
I never guessed there was a woman In the world
could talk business like that" b murmured admir-