Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-03-22
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We have rights. The company hrough
us here What did we give our none
I for? Desert landf What good is thi
! land without wnterf We bought wa
: ter. Give us back the money view
: put in-thatS what were asking for
We won't be scared ont OF our rights.
! There was Il growing accompani
ment from the back rows, hprdng to
gether.
order cried Babcock, thumpn,
! his gavcI. Let Mr.. Black have In,
floor"
! Binck had not stopped Wildly hi.
! hands cut the air. His speech, thousl
hpitched, had a prepared sound
1 It worked toward Il climax. He gave
| Individual instances of ruin. Grace
Willard Grace, his crop gone, his place
cut in two. lIollister and Wilson OF
the PaIo Verde. the ranch scream
Ing horror Scores of others" He
would not mention his own case; and
then he itemized his miSfortumes. Par
IRISH, his place secured beyond all fl-
ture usefulness. What had they come
into the valley for2 Who had urged
themf There were pledges Of the D.
r.. wafer pledges. That was all those
ruined men We're pleading, the redemp-
tion Of those pledges. Individual ruin
what did II mean? A curtailing of lux
urieS, Of personal Indulgence. Il tell
YOU. il means food bread, potatoes ;
milk for the babies; or starvation"
Black had touched the deep note.
This was the answer. This was what
they wanted to say.
YOU ask Us to help YOU, It's, we who
are taxed already To our breaking
point. You say your company won't
60 any further. What does that help
mean to YOU? Poverty? \ few thou
sands, II million 10 the q. f., cor
poration what does Il loss mean to
themF Poverty? | tell you, no. \
smaller dividend. maybe, to whom
Yes, to whom? To the men who live
in Fifth avenue, whose wives are
dragged about in limousineS. With
draw their suits? Help Furaday, and
ruin hnen like Parrish? Men of the
valley, what is your answer TO Fara-
davr"
The crowd was on It's feet swaying
and pushing, The air was fetid with
brea!hs. Wilson'S crswd had forgotten
IFS lorgnetteS NO" yelled the ranch
erS. 1--WE say, no."
A boy made his way FROM the wings
n yellow envelope in his hand
BAbc0ck waved him on To Marshall
The audience was crying itself hoarSe.
HabcnCk lost control OF the meeting
in that minute of turning. Hollister.
Of the falo Verde, was striving TO be
heard BaLcock'S hammer sounded in
vain. But Marshall's eye had caught
a spark from the yellow sheet. He
sprang forward throwing the dispatch
toward MacLean, His excitement
caught the eye Of the crowd. "Thc
river" There was sudden hush
THE rivers Qua again :" a groan
swept through the hoHse, there was a
~ = '''N ''''''t' ~ NV '''' -
MarShalrS voice halted them MEN
Of the valley" The audience, Swayed
again, listened. Hear me. The riv-
er'S running away again down Wonder.
This is Il message from Rickard. It's
broken through the ieycc. It's started
for the valley. Now, who's going to
stop it? Can YOU? Where's your
force. your equipment? Who can rush
TO that call but the company YOU are
bounding? gave You Faraday's mes
sage. His hands on the table. Not
another cent from him unless you
withdraw those suits Nuu say yn1i
have given me your answer, Blacks
answer. Now the river plays Il trick. .
1t calls your bluff. Shall we stop the .
river, men of the valley? We can. /
VIII YOU withdraw your suits? You
can. What is your answer now, In
pcral valley"
The scene broke into bedlam. Men /
jumped to their chairs, to the velvet /.
rim of. the boxes all talking. scream
Ing, scsticuIating at once. The yellow .
Dragon was never So fearfully visual /
lied out of the chaos of mems voices .
came a woman'S Shrek, For Gods |
sake save our homes" II pitched the .
panic note. Save the valley. Stop
the river"
MarShalFs Indian eyes We're reading
that mass of scared faces rs though it .
were Il sheet of typed paper. Barton"
he called through the din. "Wheres
Barton?'
Two men lifted Barton'S puny fig
are upon their shoulders. His vibrant
voice rolled above the shouting "Thc
valley withdraws its suits against the
Then the company" yelled Mar.
'halps Oratory, ''the company with
draws the river from the valley"
'andemonum was loose. There were
'heers, and the sound of women sob
ling. Barton was carried ont on the
shoulders of his henchmen. Black led
| crowd out, haranguing to the street.
On the street, Marshall fell back to
'lacIean. THAT was Il neat trick the /
liver threw III our hands" His voice
lad dropped from oratory; the de-
fire was gone from the black
yes. ITS only a break in the levee.
D