the iron puddler-第20节

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〃The　bosses　own　you　body　and　soul。　They　regard　you　as　slaves。　Your　work　makes　them　rich　and　yet　they　won't　pay　for　your　work。　While　they　are　piling　up　profits　you　go　around　without　a　nickel　in　your　jeans。　At　the　end　of　the　week　you　want　your　pay。　Why　don't　they　give　it　to　you？　Because　they　would　sooner　borrow　money　without　interest　from　you　than　go　to　the　bank　and　pay　eight　per　cent。　for　it。　You　men　are　their　bankers　and　don't　know　it。　You　could　have　your　money　in　the　bank　instead　of　in　their　pocketsit　would　be　drawing　interest　for　you　instead　of　drawing　interest　for　them！　The　interest　on　the　wages　of　you　men　is　five　hundred　sixty　dollars　a　month。　No　wonder　they　hold　your　pay　for　a　month　and　put　that　five　hundred　and　sixty　dollars　in　their　pockets。　But　those　wages　are　yours　as　fast　as　you　earn　them。　The　interest　on　your　money　belongs　to　you。　That　five　hundred　and　sixty　dollars　a　month　belongs　in　your　pockets。　But　it　will　go　into　the　bosses'　pockets　as　long　as　you　are　willing　to　be　robbed。　You　have　rights；　but　they　trample　on　them　when　you　will　not　fight　for　your　rights。　Are　you　mice　or　men？〃

When　it　was　put　that　way　they　answered　that　they　were　men。　The　strike　was　〃sold〃　to　them　before　the　meeting；　without　their　having　had　a　chance　to　state　their　side　of　it。　I　felt　that　this　was　wrong。　There　are　lynch　verdicts　in　this　world　as　well　as　verdicts　of　justice。　When　men　have　a　chance　to　make　up　their　own　minds　their　verdict　is　always　just。　But　here　a　little　group　who　knew　what　they　wanted　had　stampeded　the　minds　of　the　men；　and　a　verdict　won　that　way　is　like　a　mob　verdict。

I　decided　to　get　up　and　speak；　although　it　was　really　too　late。　It　seemed　to　me　like　calling　a　doctor　after　the　patient　is　dead。　〃Men；〃　I　said；　〃I'm　a　newcomer　here　and　I　never　made　a　speech　in　my　life。　I　wouldn't　try　to　now；　only　I've　been　asked　to　by　othersby　somebody　that's　been　here　a　long　time。　He　thinks　there　ought　to　be　a　little　more　said　before　we　ballot。　It's　a　hot　day　and　I　don't　want　to　keep　you　here　if　you　don't　want　to　listen　to　me。　What　I've　got　to　say　probably　don't　amount　to　much。〃

〃Go　ahead；〃　somebody　said。

〃We've　decided　to　strike；　and　I　don't　know　how　it　will　turn　out。　I've　been　out　of　work　for　several　months　and　you　fellows　haven't；　so　I　can　tell　you　what　it's　like。　The　country　is　thronging　with　idle　men。　If　we　lose　this　strike　we　can　roam　all　over　the　country　before　we　find　another　job。　I　came　all　the　way　here　from　Alabama；　where　they　drove　a　bunch　of　iron　workers　into　the　peonage　camps；　and　I　was　glad　to　get　out　alive。　Conditions　are　awful　bad　in　this　country　and　I　have　been　trying　to　study　'em。　Money　is　scarcer　now　than　it's　ever　been　before。　They　tell　us　that　the　bosses　are　keeping　our　wages　in　their　pockets。　That's　a　mistake。　They　haven't　got　anything　in　their　pockets。　They've　mortgaged　their　homes　and　pledged　everything　they　own。　They're　having　a　devil　of　a　time　to　rake　up　the　money　every　month　to　meet　the　pay…roll　when　it's　due。　They　aren't　taking　in　the　money　as　fast　as　they're　paying　it　out。　Their　salesmen　are　on　the　road　trying　to　sell　tin　plate；　but　the　tinners　are　so　hard　up　that　few　of　them　can　buy。

〃I　believe　we　ought　to　get　our　pay　every　week；　but　how　can　we　get　it　if　the　boss　hasn't　got　it？　We've　got　to　look　at　this　thing　in　the　light　of　facts。　The　facts　are　that　we　have　our　jobs　and　are　sure　of　our　pay　once　a　month。　There　are　a　million　men　who　would　like　to　have　what　we　have。　Those　men　will　swarm　in　and　take　our　jobs。　You　can't　stop　them。　A　hungry　man　can't　be　stopped　by　the　cry　of　'scab。'　You　all　know　that　there　are　so　many　union　men　now　idle　that　we　have　to　pass　around　our　jobs　to　keep　the　men　in　this　town　from　starving。　When　word　goes　out　that　we　have　struck；　you'll　see　the　workers　swarm　in　here　like　locusts。　They'll　be　glad　to　take　their　pay　by　the　month。　What's　the　use　of　a　strike　that　hasn't　got　a　chance　to　win？　We　joined　the　union　to　make　our　jobs　secure　and　to　get　good　pay。　We're　getting　good　pay。　Our　jobs　are　secure　unless　we　lose　them　in　this　strike。

〃I　don't　believe　we've　looked　at　both　sides　of　the　case。　I　don't　believe　the　boys　really　want　this　strike。　The　demand　for　it　originated　outside　our　ranks。　Who　started　it？　Wasn't　it　started　by　fellows　who　want　us　to　get　our　pay　quicker　so　they　can　get　it　quicker？　They're　the　ones　that　worked　up　this　strike。　They　tell　us　that　the　bosses　are　robbing　us　because　they　hold　our　pay　till　the　end　of　the　month。　They　say　we　ought　to　have　it　in　the　bank。　They　know　we　wouldn't　put　it　in　the　bank。　You　know　we　wouldn't　put　it　in　the　bank。　We　don't　want　to　put　it　in　the　bank；　and　you　bet　your　boots　they　don't　want　us　to　put　it　in　the　bank。　They're　liars　when　they　say　they're　boosting　for　the　banks。　They're　boosting　for　their　own　pockets。

〃But　we've　really　got　our　money　in　a　bankor　what's　good　as　a　bank。　The　mill　keeps　our　money　for　us　just　the　way　a　bank　would。　No　bank　in　town　pays　interest　on　checking　accounts；　you　know　that。　Then　why　take　our　money　out　of　the　mill　office　and　put　it　in　a　bank？　It's　just　as　safe　in　the　mill　office。　And　you've　got　the　right　to　draw　on　it　if　you　really　need　money　in　the　middle　of　the　month。　Only　in　case　of　death　or　accident　does　a　man　need　money　in　the　middle　of　the　month。　And　he　can　go　to　the　pay　window　and　get　it　when　he　needs　it。　The　doctor　doesn't　send　his　bill　till　the　end　of　the　month。　The　landlord　doesn't　collect　the　rent　till　the　end　of　the　month。　The　grocer　and　butcher　let　you　run　a　bill　till　the　end　of　the　month。　Some　of　us　are　really　better　off　getting　our　pay　at　the　end　of　the　month。　For　it's　all　there　for　us　and　we　can　pay　our　bills　promptly　and　hold　up　our　heads　as　men。　If　we　didn't　leave　our　money　in　the　office　until　the　end　of　the　month；　we　might　blow　it　in　at　a　bar；　and　when　the　wife　wanted　money　to　pay　the　rent　and　food　bill　we　would　have　to　tell　her　we　were　broke　and　she　would　have　to　hang　her　head。　When　the　landlord　and　butcher　came　for　the　money　she　would　have　to　try　to　stand　them　off。　Do　we　want　to　let　the　rent　go　unpaid　until　the　landlord　cusses　us　out？　Is　that　what　we　are　striking　for？　If　the　landlord　and　butcher　are　willing　to　wait　till　we　draw　our　pay；　we　ought　to　be　willing　too。　Isn't　it　better　to　wait　a　month　for　pay　than　to　wait　a　year？　I'm　right　here　to　tell　you　that　after　this　strike　we'll　wait　for　our　pay　until　hell　freezes　over　and　the　devil　goes　skating。

〃Let　us　make　no　mistake。　We　are　calling　this　strike　not　of　our　own　free　will；　but　were　shoved　into　it　by　a　lot　of　slick　talkers　that　are　in　business　and　are　not　workers。　They　have　hoodwinked　us。　They　have　made　fools　of　us。　A　speaker　asked　are　we　mice　or　men。　I　ask　them　are　they　rats　or　men。　I　want　these　rats　to　come　out　of　their　holes　and　stand　upon　this　floor。　Who　was　the　first　man　that　suggested　this　strike？　I　want　to　see　the　color　of　his　hair。　Stand　up；　if　he's　in　the　hall。　If　he　isn't　here；　why　isn't　he？〃

No　one　answered。

〃If　this　strike　was　called　by　outsiders；〃　I　cried；　〃why　don't　the　outsiders　do　the　striking？　Whose　jobs　will　be　lost　in　this　strikeour　jobs　or　the　outsiders'　jobs？　If　the　man　who　started　this　strike　has　a　job　that　won't　be　lost　in　the　strike；　then　I　claim　that　we　have　made　a　bad　mistake。　And　if　we're　making　a　mistake；　men；　what　are　we　going　to　do　about　it？〃

I　sat　down；　exhausted　by　the　first　attempt　at　public　pleading　I　had　ever　made。　Everything　grew　dark　about　me；　and　I　knew　that　I　had　done　my　best　and　that　I　was　through。　I　was　quite　young；　and　I　went　to　pieces　like　an　untrained　runner　who　had　overdone　himself。

The　men　were　talking　to　one　another；　and　somebody　moved　that　the　meeting　take　a　recess　until　after　supper。　It　would　give　time　to　think　it　over　and　find　out　what　the　men　really　thought　about　the　strike　proposition。



CHAPTER　XXXII

LOGIC　WINS　IN　THE　STRETCH


At　seven　o'clock　we　met　again　and　several　men　made　short　talks　opposing　the　strike。　Each　fellow；　when　he　got　up；　seemed　to　have　a　lot　of　ideas；　but　when　he　tried　to　express　them　he　grew　confused；　and　after　stammering　a　while　he　could　only　put　forth　the　bare　opinion；　〃I　don't　think　we　ought　to　strike。〃　This　meeting　was　quite　different　from　the　other　one。　Here　every　man　was　thinking　for　himself　but　nobody　could　say　anything。　In　the　previous　meeting　the　speakers　had　talked　passionately；　and　the　rest　had　been　swept　along　with　them　as　a　unit。　In　other　words；　the　first　session　had　become　group…minded　instead　of　individual…　minded。　It　is　like　the　difference　between　a　stampede　and　a　deliberative　body。　The　second　meeting　was　calmly　deliberative　and　it　finally　voted　a　reconsideration；　and　the　strike　resolution　was　overwhelmingly　defeated。

If　this　were　a　novel；　it　would　be　fine　to　record　in　this　chapter　that　the　young　orator　who　at　the　last　moment　turned　the　tide　and　saved　the　day　became　the　hero　of　the　union　and　was　unanimously　elected　president。　That's　the　way　these　things　go　in　fiction。　And　that　is　exactly　what　happened。　In　due　time　I　found　myself　at　the　head　of　the　Local；　and　nearly　every　man　had　voted　for　me。　I　started　negotiations　for　more　frequent　paydays；　and　a　few　months　later　we　were　being　paid　on　the　first　and　fifteenth　of　the　month。　Life　is　indeed　dramatic；at　least　it　has　seemed　so　to　me。　Some　men　say　that　life　has　no　meaning；　that　men　are　the　playth