The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-11

with breaking voice
The dropping lids opened and stead
led themselves for a moment, while a
glance Of intelligence and recognition
that would be the fathers last and
dearest memory Of his baby boy passed
between them. But it was only for
an instant, and as the lids dropped
again, John saw mist come from the
outer corners OF the eyes and gradu-
ally suifuse the pupils. The doctor
had touched the wax-like wrist for a
moment and stood aside helpless. As.
the eyes closed John looked into the
young mans sympathetic face, and
read the verdict.
Little Wiggler was dead
Somehow presently, John, feeling
that 1t was SO cruelty unnecessary, this
sacrifice OF the life of the innocent.
light-hearted, affsctionate child, was
sitting on the bed with the baby in his
arms and trying to coax it back to life.
while Jennie knelt on the floor with
her face in the baby's gown and
crooned over it broker-heartedly.
Two days after this a great gaunt
figure of man in shop clothes APP
peared In the Office of the Rockport
Foundry and Machine Company.
Clerks looked at him wonderingly, but
his face was forbidding one, and
there was. moreover, high light on
it, as of one who knew whittier he was
going. He had passed through the
outer Offices, had run the gauntlet OF
the high desks in the accounting de-
partment, and landed by chance in the
rooms of the secretary of the Com
pany.
A clerk spoke to him,
Looking for the Assistant Superin-
| tendent. aren't you?"
What gulped the man absently
and nearly walked over the clerk as
he espied sort of anteroom. and be-
yond that door that bore the word
President"
One side of this anteroom was a
smaller room with young woman
sitting before typewriter, and beeidc
the young woman q man stood, with
some papers in his hand. and one foot
in a chair. debating. He was heavy
shouldered, double chinned. with
bleached out hair and gray eyes that
were bright and glistening.
The strangers hand was almost on
the knob of the door marked "Preal-
dent" when stalwart darby inter-
posed himself.
You CANT see the President he
remarked, politely but decisiveiy.
So help me God, will see HIM"
came the answer in a voice 30 deep
that 1t seemed to originate in the lower
levels OF soul that had sounded the
depths of human feeling.
The man In the little room at the
side had ceased his dictation with the
appearance OF the stranger, and now
walked out and accosted him
II am Mr.. Collins" he said frankly.
You wish to see me? Walk I'M
He threw open the door Of the Pres
ident's Office and followed In after his
visitor, closing the door again before
the surprised negro, the whites OF
whose eyes were rolling in astonish-
ment.
My names Martin" the stranger
began instantly.
Don't care what your name is"
said the President brusniy but not I'M
kindly. You're one of the strikers.
| remember seeing your face about
the works. I'm glad Of the oppor-
tunity to tell you a few things. You
men have made fools Of yourselves
long enough. Yes, don't fare up now;
that's all there is to It. Foolisnness
and ignorance explain this strike.
We've never made any distinction be-
tween a union man and non-union
| man. Now yor come in, and organize
all the shops, and demand a higher
scale OF wages, recognition Of the union
shop committees and all that sort
OF thing, practically taking our works
out of our hands and into yours. Now
! that's all there is to it. 1t Amt a
! question of hours with us. 1t amt a
question of wages. It's question OF
! control Of our business. now and al
ways. You are fighting for to-day. We
are fighting for all the future. If your
union wins this fight, it'll fight again
/ and again and again. We employers
; al feel the same way about IT. Might
as well kill the business at once as to
choke 1t to death one year at time.
That's the fight on our side-Martin,
did you say Your name was?"
Martin tried to speak. He had come
to say something himself, not to listen:
1 bur this forceful person. with his clear.
crisp. snappy words and his cockgure
manner. with an eye that transaxea
him and made him mute, was doing
the talking.
That's the fight" the President
went on. I'VE manufacturers are
standing together All our re
sources are pledged to the winning of
1t, because IL you win 1t our resources
amount 10 nothing"
There was no logic In this. and John
knew 1t. But the man was apparently
accustomed to sway by the force OF
will rather than by the power of logic
and at the same time the molder's own
prearranged arguments seemed to melt
away before this mind which appeared
! to give OF force like lump OF radium.
John was sitting and feeling humble
and foriorn and helpless. Mechanically
he was turning his hat in his hand,
and just now the crepe bow freshly
! put on came uppermost, bringing
prominently to his mind the thing
which had really in these two days
never actually left his thoughts for a
moment that dull, sore pang that lay
upon his heart like living coal.
You can't hold out against our re.
/ sources" the President concluded en-
phatically: you can't hold QUIT"