Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-02-13

could go home and not come bau
any more. He'd have people in his
shop that did what he told them.
The other girls knew Molly's hard
fight, and were fond of her. They
wouldn't see her abused in that way
When Molly was told to=go they
wouldn't stand for it. They told Mr.
Skinner so. They, too, were tired OF
his impositions, and they weren't go
ing to have Molly suffer for them all
Molly felt badly that she had gotten
them all into trouble, but they told
her 1t would have come SOONER OF
later. We've got to take a stand, ;
said Lottie, ION what we will take
and, what we won't take from Mr.
Skinner"
Before they broke up in great ex-
element, they decided to meet that
night at Molly's house and talk the
matter over.
nerve broke down for a minute, the
strain had been so great. But then
she remembered that she had started
the fight; she had made herself a
leader, and she must be strong and
fight on. So she Immediately set to
work to make clear in her own mind
what she would tell the girls that
night =
That night, when the girls met she
asked them to let her tell them what
she thought. What does the boss
mean when he says I am the owner
of my shop?'" she began in thought.
full voice. What is his shop and whe
: is he? Girls, do you think he means
us when he says my shop? l have
an awful feeling that he does. But
he has no right to own us; any more
than we have to own him. We're not
| like his machines. He can't move us
around and do anything he likes, with
US. II we, want to we move ourselves
we don't have to wait for him.
And he can't measureNus and cut
us up like he does his goods. When
one piece of goods is all made I'D
there's more to be had but when
we're gone we're gone for good and
all.
"His scissors and his tables and
boxes and shelves and all those
things are his, and nobody is asking
for them. But he is not making my
living for me; it's my own hands and
feet that are doing the sewing The
machines are his, but I am not one
of them. only work them.
There's things that are his and
things that are mine and yours, and
he's got to learn that and we've got
to make him learn it.
You've been great to come down
with me. Let's stick it out now, and
if we show him that we mean bust
ness Well get what is coming to
u.s."
The girls decided to keep UP the
strike, and when the boss came to
them they would tell him just where
they stood. They saw it clearly now
and they would stick to that. They
might lose their jobs, all of them
but then, the thing they wanted was
worth fighting for and with Molly
as leader they had good hopes, And,
then, some one had to take a stand.
They were going to be rebels prepar-
ed to suffer in orde.- to gain their
point.
They decided to join the union and
get other girls to see their view and
act with them.
Before leaving the house they ar
ranged for some girls to be outside
the shop all day, from early morning,
so they could see what was going on.
They would take turns at this, four
at a time, Molly asked them to come
to her rooms in the morning, SO they
would hear what was going on at. the
shop.
1t was the next day and the girls
were hanging around at Molly's wait
ing for news. The first pickets had
not come back yet, nor did Mr.. Skin
ner have an advertisement in the
Newspaper, for workers. So far there
seemed to be no trouble, but they
were ready for it any minute.
Lottie, impatient to know what 9TH
er shops were doing, had gone to the