Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-11-02

bUt utDItSSlOil liuu DcCUn6 per
manent 1t had been a reasonably
successful practice.
Patent medicine I'm California
and discreet blackmail in Pitts
burgh, with smaller but still
profitable plunges into new
thought and spiritualism as he
moved from state to state. He
created the market, moulded
it into a specific, crying need,
then sold it to the highest bid
der.
You had gallstones or cancer
or rheumatism or were barren.
You heard Cy speak or read one
of his tracts and you knew what
would cure you, 'Mahatma's
Vishnu Compound-Herbs from
the Health and Peace Giving
Banks of the Shalimar." And be-
cause you believed Cy's words
you bought, at luxury price,
from the turbaned Mahatma as
he sat cross-legged on a near-Or-
iental rug on a dais OF your
towns best hall. While Cy Wood
stock stayed in the rear of the
dimly lighted hall and counted
you. You were the market.
II RACKET
In Pittsburg Cy had published
a radical weekly tabloid. The tab
loid hated vice, corruption and
immoral conduct and was mildly
socialistic when news" was
scarce. He'd carefully report an
instance of outraged social JUS
t.ice-a civic leader caught in a
gambling den, q banker who had
seduced the wife OF one Of his
poorly paid employees. Cy made
reasonably sure OF his facts ara
then sold the article to the best
market. Sometimes 1t was the
civic head or banker. Sometimes
the tablold's subscribers. But he
concentrated on placing" the
article with the banker or civic
leader. 1t paid better that way
and should have helped keep
the tabloid nourished to continue
its campaign for Christian Social
ism, if Cy hadn't been run out
of town for oyerplaying his hand.
III. RECALL
He started west just as the
textile strike swung into its third
week. Travelling light, he rolled
into Silk-Tex City on the same
train with the state militia. Silk
Tex City's Mayor Hanson had
asked for the troops to break
the strike because, he said, Il
don't know which side is In the
right, but the citizens have elect
ed me to protect their peace
and property and I'll protect any
honest worker who wants to
enter the mills and enjoy his Am.
erican right of earning living
The citizens" whose property
and peace he was protecting
were the mill owners. And it was
true they had elected him. They
were better church-gOers than
the strikers and rewarded Mayor
Hanson with shares of stock
each Christmas for his protection
of property and peace and the
right to work.
After the strike was sold out,
the troops and company gun
men called off and the workers
had buried their dead, a con-
siderable proportion of the COM
munity was indignant enough
with the mayor to recall him. So
Cy jumped into the recall drive
with all his ring generalship and
promotional ability, and soon led
the fight. Nobody asked him
questions or accused him of butt
ing in where he wasn't wanted.
The citizens were all glad to turn
the job over to real organizer
who could put in full time and
asked nothing in return but car
fare and a place to sleep.
Within three weeks Cy had
nearly enough signatures col
lected to put across the recall
election, the way he kept public
sentiment at fever pitch. The
mill owners weren't worried, they
had just as good a candidate to
elect in Hanson's place, If he
really were recalled. But Mayor
Hanson was badly frightened.
Then Cy made him personal call
in the dead of night.
"Mr. Hanson" Cy began alb
ruptly as they were closeted in
the mayors sound proof library,
you're as good as recalled. But
your successor won't be any less
reactionary than you. He's sold
out to the mill owners just as
you did.
Il also feel that if you're al
lowed to stay in office you won't
make the same mistakes again.
You're reactionary, Mr.. Hanson,
but you're no fool Your living de-
ponds on holding this office just
as mine depends on solving the
depression in my small way"
How much?" Hanson hoarsely
interrupted. How much do you