the conflict-第41节

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ng　way　would　be　worse　than　silence。

Said　he：　　‘‘I　was　finishing　this　when　she　came。　　I'll　be　done　in　a　minute。　　Please　read　what　I've　written　and　tell　me　what　you　think。''

Selma　took　up　the　loose　sheets　of　manuscript　and　stood　reading　his　inaugural　of　the　new　New　Day。　　As　she　read　she　forgot　the　petty　matter　that　had　so　agitated　her　a　moment　before。　　This　salutatorythis　address　to　the　working　classthis　plan　of　a　campaign　to　take　Remsen　City　out　of　the　hands　of　its　exploiters　and　despoilers　and　make　it　a　city　fit　for　civilized　residence　and　worthy　of　its　population　of　intelligent；　progressive　workingmenthis　leading　editorial　for　the　first　number　was　Victor　Dorn　at　his　greatest　and　best。　　The　man　of　action　with　all　the　enthusiasm　of　a　dreamer。　　The　shrewd；　practical　politician　with　the　outlook　of　a　statesman。　　How　honest　and　impassioned　he　was；　yet　how　free　from　folly　and　cant。　　Several　times　as　she　read　Selma　lifted　her　eyes　to　look　at　him　in　generous；　worshipful　admiration。　　She　would　not　have　dared　let　him　see；　she　would　not　have　dared　speak　the　phrases　of　adoration　of　his　genius　that　crowded　to　her　lips。　　How　he　would　have　laughed　at　herhe　who　thought　about　himself　as　a　personality　not　at　all；　but　only　as　an　instrument。

‘‘Here's　the　rest　of　it；''　said　he；　throwing　himself　back　in　his　chair　and　relighting　his　pipe。

She　finished　a　moment　later；　said　as　she　laid　the　manuscript　on　the　table：　　‘‘That's　the　best　you've　ever　done。''

‘‘I　think　so；''　agreed　he。　　‘‘It　seems　to　me　I've　got　a　new　grip　on　things。　　I　needed　a　turn　such　as　your　friend　Davy　Hull　gave　me。　　Nothing　like　rivalry　to　spur　a　man　on。　　The　old　crowd　was　so　stupidcunning；　but　stupid。　　But　Hull　injects　a　new　element　into　the　struggle。　　To　beat　him　we've　got　to　use　our　best　brains。''

‘‘We've　got　to　attack　him；''　said　Selma。　　‘‘After　all；　he　is　the　enemy。　　We　can't　let　him　disarm　us　by　an　act　of　justice。''

‘‘No；　indeed；''　said　Victor。　　‘‘But　we'll　have　to　be　careful。　　Here's　what　I'm　going　to　carry　on　the　first　page。''

He　held　up　a　sheet　of　paper　on　which　he　had　written　with　a　view　to　effective　display　the　names　of　the　four　most　offensive　local　corporations　with　their　contribution25；000　eachto　the　campaign　fund　of　the　Citizens'　Alliance。　　‘‘Under　it；　in　big　type；''　proceeded　he；　‘‘we'll　carry　a　line　asking；　‘Is　the　Citizens'　Alliance　fooling　these　four　corporations　or　is　it　fooling　the　people？'　　I　think　that　will　be　more　effective　than　columns　of　attack。''

‘‘We　ought　to　get　that　out　on　wall…bills　and　dodgers；''　suggested　Selma；　‘‘and　deluge　the　town　with　it　once　or　twice　a　week　until　election。''

‘‘Splendid！''　exclaimed　Victor。　　‘‘I'll　make　a　practical　politician　of　you　yet。''

Colman　and　Harbinger　and　Jocelyn　and　several　others　of　the　League　leaders　came　in　one　at　a　time；　and　the　plan　of　campaign　was　developed　in　detail。　　But　the　force　they　chiefly　relied　upon　was　the　influence　of　their　twelve　hundred　men；　their　four　or　five　thousand　women　and　young　men　and　girls；　talking　every　day　and　evening；　each　man　or　woman　or　youth　with　those　with　whom　he　came　into　contact。　　This　‘‘army　of　education''　was　disciplined；　was　educated；　knew　just　what　arguments　to　use；　had　been　cautioned　against　disputes；　against　arousing　foolish　antagonisms。　　The　League　had　nothing　to　conceal；　no　object　to　gain　but　the　government　of　Remsen　City　by　and　for　its　citizenswell　paved；　well　lighted；　clean　streets；　sanitary　houses；　good　and　clean　street　car　service；　honest　gas；　pure　water；　plenty　of　good　schoolsthat　first　of　all。　　The　‘‘reform　crowd''the　Citizens'　Alliancelike　every　reform　party　of　the　past；　proposed　to　do　practically　the　same　things。　　But　the　League　met　this　with：　　‘‘Why　should　we　elect　an　upper　class　government　to　do　for　us　what　we　ought　to　do　for　ourselves？　　And　how　can　they　redeem　their　promises　when　they　are　tied　up　in　a　hundred　ways　to　the　very　people　who　have　been　robbing　and　cheating　us？''

There　were　to　be　issues　of　the　New　Day；　there　were　to　be　posters　and　dodgers；　public　meetings　in　halls；　in　squares；　on　street　corners。　　But　the　main　reliance　now　as　always　was　this　educated　‘‘army　of　education''　these　six　thousand　missionaries；　each　one　of　them　in　resolute　earnest　and　bent　upon　converting　his　neighbors　on　either　side；　and　across　the　street　as　well。　　A　large　part　of　the　time　the　leaders　could　spare　from　making　a　living　was　spent　in　working　at　this　army；　in　teaching　it　new　arguments　or　better　ways　of　presenting　old　arguments；　in　giving　the　enthusiasm；　in　talking　with　each　individual　soldier　of　it　and　raising　his　standard　of　efficiency。　　Nor　could　the　employers　of　these　soldiers　of　Victor　Dorn's　complain　that　they　shirked　their　work　for　politics。　　It　was　a　fact　that　could　not　be　denied　that　the　members　of　the　Workingmen's　League　were　far　and　away　the　best　workers　in　Remsen　City；　got　the　best　pay；　and　earned　it；　drank　less；　took　fewer　days　off　on　account　of　sickness。　　One　of　the　sneers　of　the　Kelly…House　gang　was　that　‘‘those　Dorn　cranks　think　they　are　aristocrats；　a　little　better　than　us　common；　ordinary　laboring　men。''　　And　the　sneer　was　not　without　effect。　　The　truth　was；　Dorn　and　his　associates　had　not　picked　out　the　best　of　the　working　class　and　drawn　it　into　the　League；　but　had　made　those　who　joined　the　League　better　workers；　better　family　men；　better　citizens。

‘‘We　are　saying　that　the　working　class　ought　to　run　things；''　Dorn　said　again　and　again　in　his　talks；　public　and　private。　　‘‘Then；　we've　got　to　show　the　community　that　we're　fit　to　run　things。　　That　is　why　the　League　expels　any　man　who　shirks　or　is　a　drunkard　or　a　crook　or　a　bad　husband　and　father。''

The　great　fight　of　the　Leaguethe　fight　that　was　keeping　it　from　powerwas　with　the　trades　unions；　which　were　run　by　secret　agents　of　the　Kelly…House　oligarchy。　　Kelly　and　the　Republican　party　rather　favored　‘‘open　shop''　or　‘‘scab''　laborthe　right　of　an　American　to　let　his　labor　to　whom　he　pleased　on　what　terms　he　pleased。　　The　Kelly　orators　waxed　almost　tearful　as　they　contemplated　the　outrage　of　any　interference　with　the　ancient　liberty　of　the　American　citizen。　　Kelly　disguised　as　House　was　a　hot　union　man。　　He　loathed　the　‘‘scab。''　　He　jeered　at　the　idea　that　a　laborer　ought　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　the　powerful　employer　who　could　dictate　his　own　terms；　which　the　laborers　might　not　refuse　under　stress　of　hunger。　　Thus　the　larger　part　of　the　‘‘free''　labor　in　Remsen　City　voted　with　Kellywas　bought　by　him　at　so　much　a　head。　　The　only　organization　it　had　was　under　the　Kelly　district　captains。　　Union　labor　was　almost　solidly　Democraticexcept　in　Presidential　elections；　when　it　usually　divided　on　the　tariff　question。

Although　almost　all　the　Leaguers　were　members　of　the　unions；　Kelly　and　House　saw　to　it　that　they　had　no　influence　in　union　councils。　　That　is；　until　recently　Kelly…House　had　been　able　to　accomplish　this。　　But　they　were　seeing　the　approaching　end　of　their　domination。　　The　‘‘army　of　education''　was　proving　too　powerful　for　them。　　And　they　felt　that　at　the　coming　election　the　decline　of　their　power　would　be　apparent　unless　something　drastic　were　done。

They　had　attempted　it　in　the　riot。　　The　riot　had　been　a　fizzlethanks　to　the　interposition　of　the　personal　ambition　of　the　until　then　despised　‘‘holy　boy；''　David　Hull。　　Kelly；　the　shrewd；　at　once　saw　the　mark　of　the　man　of　force。　　He　resolved　that　Hull　should　be　elected。　　He　had　intended　simply　to　use　him　to　elect　Hugo　Galland　judge　and　to　split　up　the　rest　of　the　tickets　in　such　a　way　that　some　Leaguers　and　some　reformers　would　get　in；　would　be　powerless；　would　bring　discredit　and　ridicule　upon　their　parties。　　But　Hull　was　a　man　who　could　be　useful；　his　cleverness　in　upsetting　the　plot　against　Dorn　and　turning　all　to　his　advantage　demonstrated　that。　　Therefore；　Hull　should　be　elected　and　passed　up　higher。　　It　did　not　enter　his　calculations　that　Hull　might　prove　refractory；　might　really　be　all　that　he　professed；　he　had　talked　with　Davy；　and　while　he　had　underestimated　his　intelligence；　he　knew　he　had　not　misjudged　his　character。　　He　knew　that　it　was　as　easy　to　‘‘deal''　with　the　Hull　stripe　of　honest；　high　minded　men　as　it　was　difficult　to　‘‘deal''　with　the　Victor　Dorn　stripe。　　Hull　he　called　a　‘‘sensible　fellow''；　Victor　Dorn　he　called　a　crank。　　Buthe　respected　Dorn；　while　Hull　he　held　in　much　such　esteem　as　he　held　his　cigar…holder　and　pocket　knife；　or　Tony　Rivers　and　Joe　House。

When　Victor　Dorn　had　first　begun　to　educate　and　organize　the　people　of　Remsen　City；　the　boss　industry　was　in　its　early　form。　　That　is；　Kelly　and　House　were　really　rivals　in　the　collecting　of　big　campaign　funds　by　various　forms　of　blackmail；　in　struggling　for　offices　for　themselves　and　their　followers；　in　levying　upon　vice　and　crime　through　the　police。　　In　these　ways　they　made　the　money；　the　lion's　share　of　which　naturally　fell　to　them　as　leaders；　as　organizers　of　plunder。　　But　that　stage　had　now　passed　in　Remsen　City　as　it　had　passed　elsewhere；　and　the　boss　industry　had　taken　a　form　far　more　difficult　to　combat。　　Kelly　and　House　no　longer　especially　cared　whether　Republican　party　or　Democratic　won。　　Their　businesstheir　source　of　revenuehad　ceased　to　be　through　carrying　elections；　had　become　a　matter　of　skill　in　keeping　the　people　more　or　less　evenly　divided　betwe