The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-02-08
Sinclair

that Prospect Hill field-more mon
ey was spent in drilling than was
ever taken out in oil"
Eyes, of course" said Bunny.
1--WE seen derricks there with plat
forms actually touching"
Each one racing to get the oil,
and spending more than he makes
isn't that picture of capitalism?
And then the warl You remember
how we heard the racket, and ran
to the window, and there was one
fellow hitting the next fellow in the
nose, and the whole roomful mill
ing about, shouting and trying to
stop the fight, or to get into it!'
Zone said, you dirty, lying yell
low skunk!' And the other said,
Take that, you white livered
puppy!'"
Son, that was little oil warl
And year or two later the big
enc broke out, and if there's any,
thing you don't understand about
it, all you need is to think about
what happened in my aunt's home.
And remember, they were fighting
for chance to exploit the oil
workers, to divide the wealth the
oil workers We're going to produce;
in their crazy greed they killed or
injured seventy-three per cent of
all the men they put to work on
Prospect Hill-thats government
statistics also! And don't you see
how that's the world war exactly
The workers doing the fighting,
and the bankers getting the bondsp
VI
So many things to talk about!
Bunny told the story of Eli, con-
corning which Paul had heard no
rumor. The latter said it was easy
to understand, because Eli always
had been a chaser after women.
It was one reason Paul had been
so repealed by his brothers preach
ing. 81 wouldn't mind his having
his girl, he said, "only he denies
my right to my girl. He breaches
a silly ideal of asceticism, and then
goes off secretly and does what he
pleases."
Here was an opportunity Tor
which Bunny had been seeking. He
took a sudden plunge. paul, there's
something l want to tell you. For
the past three years I've been liv-
ing with a moving picture actress"
II know" said Paul; ruth told
me-"
"Ruth!"
eyes, she saw something about
it in the papers" And Their read
ing his friends thought, Paul add
ed, Ruth has had to learn that the
world is the way it is, and not the
way she'd like it to be-"
what do you think about such
things, Paul?"
swell, son, it's question of how
you feel about the girl. If you
really love her, and she loves you,
why, 1 suppose it's all right. Are
you happy?"
eve were at first; we still are,
part of the time. The trouble Is,
she hates the radical movement.
She doesn't really understand it,
Of course"
Paul answered, "Some people
hate the radical movement because
they don't understand it, and some
because they do" After Bunny had
had time to digest that, he went
on, "Either you'll have to change
your ideas, or you'll have a break
with the girl. That's something
I'm sure about--you can't have
happiness in love unless it's built
on harmony of ideas. Otherwise
you quarrel all the time-or at
least, you're bored"
"Have you ever lived with wo-
man, Paul."
"There was a girl / was very
much attracted to in Angel City,
and l could have had her, / guess.
But is was couple of years ago,
when saw that ! was going Boil
shevik, and / knew she wouldn't
stand for it, so what was the use?
You get yourself tangled up in a
lot of emotions, and waste the time
you need for work."
give often wondered about you
and such things You used to think
the way Eli talks. when we first
met"
Paul laughed. "I'd hardly keep
my Christian superstitions when 1
became a Communist organizer.
No, son; what l think is, find a
woman you really love, and that
wants to share your work, and that
you mean to stick by; then you
can love her, you don't need any
priest to give you permission. Some
day | suppose I'll meet woman
coiorade--I taink about it "A good
deal, of course-I'm no wooden
post. But I'll have to wait and see
what happens at my trial. I'd be
little use to a girl if I've got to
spend twenty years in Leavenworth
or Atlantai"