The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-05
THE SCAB
BY F. c. MACFARLANE
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\ corrRrasT. ,s,e. ny rna PEARSON rvaLiskisa co
John Martin came out of the Rock
port Foundry and Machine Shop, 8
the close of the day. and stood wait
] ing, q great. strapping, eagle-visaget
| giant of man. while the motle,
] stream of workers passed him. HI:
| fellow workers they were, four hun
! dred Of them in all, not one in twent.
of whom he could call by name. Joe
! Sturtevant. hullet-headed man whose
/ very red face was made redder still
| by the furnace glare, separated him
self from the throng and Joined the
first. Both men were iron molGers
1 and both belonged to that vanishing
American type still found scattered ii
our modern industrial melange like
raisins, In . pudding. They leapet
/ upon a car and fought their way tc
seats beside each other. As John set
tied himself comfortably with his
arms folded over the huge dinner
bucket In his lap, Joe remarked:
Il suppose you've heard we're going
ahead and organize the shops for fair
It's UP to you now. You'll have to
join our holders Local"
I'm no. going to-" retorted John.
with the solid speech OF a man who
has made up his mind you sign
away your liberties when you join the
union. It's un-Amertcan."
Joe's face kindled.
"Un-Amer.can." he snorted, "for the
oppressed to stand against the op-
pressors! Well. rather guess it
amt"
"Our employers are rot what you'd
call oppressors, replied John, In a
steady. unheated manner that was
characteristic of HIM
"oh. well. know they amt exactly
that" assented Joe, "but-well, they're
looking out for themselves, and we got
to look out for ourselves. We amt
getting our fair share. Say, John"
and Joe, in his earnestness. laid a
hand on his wrist, do you mind that
old gray horse that used to mix the
clay in David's brickyard down on the
creek here twenty years ago? They
tied bunch Of hay in front Of him.
and he used to chase round and round
all day trying to get to 1t. He never
did get there, but at night they gave
him good bait OF oats, and left him
hungry in the morning so he would
Go the stunt again. 1t saved hiring
boy to drive him. and 1t ground the
clay. They ground 1t on the belly of
tina. old gray horse. That's the way
II Is with uA We don't never get
enough, but we get nibble now and
then. enough to give us strength to
grind some more" Joe was becoming
excited. They're grindin' their mills
to-day on the bellies Of us poor devils
that works"
But" urged John, you sign away
your personal liberties when You Join
the union Somebody else can tell
you when to 80 to work. and when to
quit. and by golly! even how much to
work
Now, you stop right there" de-
ciared Joe emphatically. There's a
case IN point. See that glass factory
out there? Well, | was reading about
them this morning The fruit-jar mar
ket was all going to pieces. A lot Of
these factories went in together. This
one surrendered It's individual rights
II was only allowed to run so many
hours day. and 80 many weeks q
year. and TO produce so many jars.
but" and Joe paused for effect, with
his hand dramatically raised. they
got more money for them than when
they made more. There, now, Is the
principle. They surrendered, the pa
per said, some costly independence
for some profitable collective merchan-
dising It's that way with the union.
This liberty You give up is what is
necessary TO maintain the principle OF
collective bargaining"
"Ye-es," murmured John. non-com.
mittally. suspicious of such volubility.
He wes rising to leave the car when
an idea struck him and he turned to
Joe with a sarcastic smile: Some
bodys been filling you up pretty full.
haven't they?"
Joe's flushed face flushed redder and
there was belligerent light in his
eyes as he opened his mouth to an
swer. but there was no chance to sneak
further.
Jennie Martin met her husband at
the door. Their greeting was cordial
but characterized by that repression
which somehow breeds Itself into the
bone of working people.
"How's the boy today" he asked
eagerly.
Better his wife answered quietly.
Him and the baby are both asleep
now. The doctor brought an older
man with him to-day that he said was
specialist. They say the boy ought
to be up and around for the sake of his
general health. and tlr1Ss a kind of
harness we could get that would pro-
tect his leg while the muscles grew
back into place, and by the time he
was well other ways the leg would be
we'll, too"
Johns eyes lighted.
How much would It cost?v he
asked.
She answered solemnly:
"Thirty-five dollars"
The mans gaze dropped, and he
watched the play of the blue gas fame
about the kettle in silence.
The coffee was made. Bread In thick
slices was on the table, and steam
ing dish Of stew dotted thickly with
potatoes.
It's ready Jennie said simply. as
she folded back the table on a high
chair. Baby's awake, I hear him
talking-yOG wake TOMMY