The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-06-08

question OF wage scale or hours, 1t
simply %revolves around Mr.. Chittenden.
Surprising he joins the union, what will
you give him to dor" Bennington's
voice was that of a man who wishes to
know all sides of the question.
Wen, he'll have to learn where they
all started from"
Mr.: Chittenden. are you willing to
JOIN the union?" Bennington smiled
as he piled this question.
Not I! My word, I'd as lief starve
as become a union man. and under
such a master"
Then out he goes said Morrissy,
recovering his turbulence.
You are mistaken. I am master
here. Mr.. Chittenden Will remain on
the pay roll"
Then in 10 minutes the men will
walk out on my orders" Morrissy
made a gesture toward his watch.
Don't bother about the time. Mr..
Morrissy. Well spend the 10 minutes
in he molding room"
Morrissy turne pale.
Oh, we shan't come to f%istcuffs, Mr..
Morrissy. I am a gentleman, and you
are not. Not a world" as Morrissy
clenched his fists. "Mr. Shipley," said
Bennington to n of the committee,
will you get all the men together? /
have a few words to say to them be-
fore this 10 minutes Is up. / want to
give the men a fair show"
You can have 20 minutes, my Eng
1sh-bred gentleman" snarlea Morris
sy. I'm kind Of anxious myself to hear
what you've got to say
The committee went out solemnly.
Morrissy was next to the last to 20
down h stairs. Bennington followed
closely behind him.
Some day I'll get a good chance at
you, Mr.. Morrissy. / shall see to 1t that
the law will be found to fit your case"
Look here, you can't talk to me that
way, Bennington"
Cant I? I'll proceed. In the first
place, you're a s%coundrel. You've al
ways harbored a grudge against my
father, and this seems to be your
chance. l should be willing to walt 10
years to call you a thief and a black
guard in public. But 1 say to you now,
privately, you are both a thief and a
blackguard."
Morrissy stepped back. red in the
face.
Bennington laughed sinisterIy. He
could crush the life out of this fabby
ruff1an with one arm, easily.
Nothing more was said, and the way
to the great molding room was
traversed silently. Shipley sent u
orders, and in a few minutes the men
congregated to hear what the boss had
to say.
Bennington mounted a pile Of molds
and raised his hand.
Men, you have no grievance" he
said. This man Chittenden, the al
legged cause of u striking, takes no
food or pay from your mouths or. your
pockets; he interferes with you In no
manner whatever. The continuance he
Is trying to complete will not limit the
output, but will triple it, necessitating
the employment Of more men. But
your leader says that the present out-
put is wholly sufficient, and you are
taking his word for it. Mr.. Chittenden
represents progress, but you have taken
1t into your heads that you will have
none Of it. He refuses ito join the
union. and I refuse to discharge hin
on that ground. I do not say that this
shall not be a union shop; I say that
] shall employ whom 1 will for any
purpose I see fit. 1t is o u say, so say
it; u is the power; use it. . =
Patience, just a little longer. / have
shown much Of it during the past
year"
The men swayed restlessly.
Men, If o go out this day, not one
of o will ever find employment here
again. My sense Of justice is large,
and nothing but that shall dictate to
me. l shall employ and discharge
whom I will; no man or organization of
men shall say to me that this or that
snail be done here. I am master, but
perhaps you will understand this too
late. Stay or go; that is as you please.
If you stay, nothing more will be said
on my part; If you gos Well, /
shall tear down these walls and sell the
machinery for scrap iron!"
He stood erect, his chin aggressive
and his mouth stern.
We'll, which Is 1t to be?" he de-
manded.
We'll go out, Mr.. Bennington. and
what's more" said Morrissy, well see
that nobody else comes ill.,"
He lighted a cigar, showed his hands
into his trousers pockets and walked
insolently toward the exit. The major
ity of the men We're grinning. Tear
down this place? 1t vas preposterous.
Why, no ma had ever done a thing
like that. 1t was to cut off ones nose
to spite ones face. 1t was a case of
bluff, pure and simple. So they began
filing out In twos and threes, their
blouses and dinner pals tucked under
their arms.
Bennington jumped down from his
impromptu platform and closed the
ponderous doors. Then he hurried to
clerks what had happened. He re-
turned to his private office. He ar
ranged his papers m~ethodically. closed
the desk, n sat down. His gaze wan
dered to the blue hills and rolling pas
lures, and his eyes sparkled: but he
oeSn IA IGN Aa1oSu II, dIlu
presently his eye became dr. ana
hard.
You and your actress and her
lover" he murmured softly. My God.
I am very unhappy"
Mr.. Franklyn Haldene went to the
club. while his wife took a sheet Of
writing paper and began to write a let
ter. Half an hour went by before she
completed her work with any degree of
satisfaction. She then DOL a pair of
shears and shipped the crest from the
sheet and sealed 1t in a government en-
yelocc. Next size threw d light wrap
over her shoulders and stole down to
the first letter box, where She deposited
the trife. She returned to the house,
feeling that a great responsibility had
been shifted from hers to another's
shoulders. Indeed, she would have gone
to any lengths to save Patty a life of
misery. Poor Mrs. Bennington, with
her grey hairs; 1t would break her
heart when she found out. She
Strengthened her shoulders and pressed
her lips firmly and contemplated a
duty, painfully but vigorously per-
formed. She cast the scraps of paper
into the CRATE and applied a match. II