The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-04-09
The Black Sheep.

Half an hour later Gus Anderson
walked into the pool hall of Erickson
and johnson. He asked the man behind
the cigar ease to point out the stranger
which the other did. He then walked
over to Jack and introduced himself
as the county sheriff. He told him
that he had come to see why he did
not obey the court IS order to leave the
town. To which the boy replied that
the court had no power to issue such
an order seeing that his term was not
yet expired and he was not the re-
cipient of executive clemency, or other
legal process estting aside the CON-
mitment order of the court.
Anderson soon discovered that he
could not bluff the hoy with legal
phraseology. A trick which he had
often played on the farmer. So he
simply settled down into what was
ostensibly pleasant conversation, but
which was in realty an endeavor on
his part TO learn who and what the
kid was. In this he succeeded fairly
well. The boy told him that he was
reared in the counthem part of the
state and that he was enjoying his first
experience in working in the harvest
away from home. He also told him
that what they did at Anamoose they
did ut Westfield, and that it was his
purpose to help organize the harvest
workers in such way as to make the
fax PAYERS pastime of arresting and
fining men rather IN expensive
luxury. He told him that instead of
scattering the workers would come
back to the same towns and that the
farmers would pay increased wages
5nd reduce production for the incon-
yeniences the workers had suffered on
account of their greed. This of course
greatly interested the solid citizen. He
urged the boy to 90 back home and
help his father cultivate the farm.
He warned the boy that thore was
nothing to be gained by sacrificing
ones self for bunch of worthless
buns. "You belong to u.s. he averred
and pointed out to the boy that any
effort to organize havest hands was
treason to his own people. He pointed
out that the farmers life was hard
enough as it was, with the burden of
taxes, interest and crop uncertainty;
that if the workers were organized it
would mean shorter hours, higher
wages, and more costly food, all of
which the farmers couldn't stand and
they would go broke with the result
that the workers would have no job.
He endeavored to show him that orga-
nizing the harvest workers would de-
strov the harvest business and cause
every field to over grow with grass.
This argument would have ap-
Ipcaled to Jack as logical two months
before but not now. He pointed out
TO Mr.. Anderson that bread was
social necessity. That there was vast
difference between what the farmer
got for wheat and what the consumer
paid for bread. That this difference
went into the pockets of mortgage
holding bankers, elevator owners, rail
roads, commission men, millers, whole
out that by the collective ownership of
alnd where the farmer could get as
much as he needed for the payment of
government tax, would eliminate the
mortgage holder; that what the mort
gage holder now got could 60 to the
harvest hands and help him to i've
as befitted human being. He point
ed out that the commission mon and
the board Of trade could be eliminated
and the money which they drew out
of the wheat business could go to the
farmer and the farm worker. He then
reviewed the over capitalization Of
railroads as well as of miller and
elevator companies and convinced An
derson that here too was tremendous
source Of waste which might 90 to
useful labor. And he finished it all
by making prediction that the work
ers and tenant farmers of the state
would some day rise against all these
grating agencies and sweep them out
of existence.
Anderson listened to him with an
indulgent smile upon his face. "Some
dream kid, some dream. Dime novels
have spoiled many youth. I'm con.
vinced that you re not a bad sort of
a guy and I'm going to be good to
you. My daughter told me that you
was broke. Now IN going to get you
bed and pay for your meals at the
hotel. And give you back what tie
judge fined you, if you'll promise me
to 60 home on the first train out"
To this Jack replied that as
citizen of the state he could not be
exiled. That he was going to stay in
Anamoose, in Jail or out until his
partners were released. And that even
then they might buy out Judge Duffy's
blind pig and become respective citi.
zens.
Anderson now came right down to
business. He asked him how much he
would take to leave town to which
the replied that there were certain
unbuyable things, such as loyalty to
friends, to principles and access to
the hearts Of others.
"You're quite right kid. I thought
that every man had his price much or
little, but have run up against IL
the last few days. There arc unbuy.
able things. And the hell Of it is the
things we want most we cannot buy.
Continued next week)