The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-12-06

Iater An atmosphere OF nuSineSSllke
haste pervaded New Chelsea. The price
Of real estate promptly advanced. vi
sions of expansion. of prosperity. filled
the eye.
Cranshawe one day explained to
John why he and his Deer township
neighbors had capltulated.
1--WE got to take what we can git It
takes lot O. money to develop coal
lands. Hampden has tan we haiD't.
We found he'd got all the right o.
buy our coal. he couldn't "a shipped,
'ceptin' over Hampdens right o way.
| don't like to be held up, but it's my
only chance to leave anything fer my
children"
II hope It will all turn ont for the
best" said John. fearing-he hardly
knew why-that II might not so turn
out.
Seems like" said Cranshawe, "the
feller with money has the whip hand
over the feller with something to sell
or develop Trouble is. even when we
change 1t, hopln' that some day it'll
give us chanct to make money the
same way"
"Oh. nor John protested. I'D hate
to believe that l can't believe it.
Men aren't all Of the dog g-eat-dog spe-
cies'
We'll" said RI little ashamed. 81
don't know as 1 believe It myself
Guess Pm little peevish over bein'
outbargained by Steve Hampden. |
WISH" he added thouRhtfully. you
could be lawyer fer the company. It
looks like us farmers won't have much
say In the business. I'd like to have
some one on the inside who could tell
us what's goin' on"
mo chance of that, Ri Hampden
doesn't think much of me-" He did not
tell Cranshawe why he had lost the
capitalists favor.
The net result Of his qulxotism, he
thought with some bitterness, was to
win Hampden's hostility and to put
himself out of the way of protecting
his farmer friends.
And late in October occurred his par
tvs rally.
It was necessary to marshal the
badly shaken party hosts. For into
Benton county had marched a young
man who, in single opposition speech,
broke through the defenses so pains.
taBingly reared by Jeremy Applegate
and his fellow soldiers. None other
than Jerry Brent A big, rawboned
homely fellow, uncouth in manner and
sometimes in grammar, but with a
crude, passionate eloquence that al.
ways carried his audience with him.
He had been a coal miner, q labor
organizer, and had, after struggle
so common that description stales
been admitted to the practice of law.
In all the thirty-five years of his life
the charge of material dishonesty had
never been raised against him; he was
still poor. And he was counted a ris
ing man in the opposition party, not
with the connivance of his party
bosses, however. They considered hin
radical, unsafe and-cardinh crime
in an honest and unmanageable youne
man-ambitious. Respectable people
sneered at his "antics." 1t was sait
that his eyes were fxed on the next
nomination for governor. Even will
this suspicion ranking in their mind:
the bosses dared not-so popular wa!
portunity to speak during the cam
paign.
John, an inconspicuous listener
heard Brent's Benton county speech
1t troubled him. 1t seemed to hin
unanswerable. Brent, 1t was true
dealt in terms of suspicion. not o
facts, but it was a suspicion tina
found a swift echo in the hearts Of hi
audience. He frankly said as much.
1--WE don't govern this state" salt
Brent zone man, Murchell, picks on
our officers and tells 'em what to d,
, while in office. You people don't gov
ern Benton county. One man. jim
! Sheehan, Murchelrs tool, chooses you
commissioners, your treasurers. you
sheriffs, your district attorneys" JohI
WINGED. "And it's wrong, my God! It.
wrongw the orator cried passionately
ut would be wrong, even If thes
men were honest And I blame yo
for it. You haven't the right to shov
your responsibility on other men
shoulders, and they haven't the rigb
to take the power"
The mans hot, rough eloquenc
found a lodgment where least expecte
in Johns heart, already sensitzed b
his own discoveries and questioning
Jerry Brent was right
The oldest inhabitant could not r.
member when the old party had bee
so vigorously attacked To stem tn
tide of revolt-John felt 1t strongly
his canvass-au old time rally was
be held in the square. Sheehan II
strI1ctad John 40 IN tha mart which th