“The petition to the Selectmen, which Byron circulated, asking for an evening session of town-meeting, was a perfectly respectful one, was it not?�
“If you mean respectful to the Selectmen,—yes; if you mean respectful to us,—no!�
“How so?�
“We, who own the town, ought to say what its taxes should be. Our employees, who pay only poll taxes, should not vote taxes for us to pay. If the appropriations for town expenses were made at an evening session, as they are in some Massachusetts towns, our workmen could vote, and load us down with taxes. Under Massachusetts law, mill-hands can remain away from their work only two hours. This law does not apply to town-meeting, but we give our workmen the benefit of it. Our workmen can come and vote for town-officers by secret ballot, and get back to the mills within the two hours. After they are safely away from town-meeting, and at work again, we pass the appropriations.�
“You don’t believe in popular government, then?�
“I don’t believe that a man who pays only two dollars tax, should be the equal of one who pays ten thousand dollars taxes, when it comes to voting appropriations.�
“But what would become of popular government, and of our free institutions, if your ideas prevailed?�
“I don’t know and I don’t care. You have about as much sense as a hen, Eva, when it comes to business.�
“Have I? Very well. I have about as much influence as a hen, if you please, in the management of the Baldwin Mills, although my father left me a two-million-dollar interest in these mills. Now, Zechariah, I have been a mere cipher in this business long enough. There is a New York gentleman who will gladly pay me every dollar my interest in the Baldwin Mills is worth. He will not be a cipher in the concern as I have been, and he has opinions of his own as to the rights of workingmen. He will not see his employees’ interests trodden under foot without uttering a protest which will be heard, not only throughout the State, but throughout the Nation.
“I give you fair warning. One week from to-day, unless you and David make a fair division of the property with me, I shall deed my interest in the Baldwin Mills to the New Yorker. Don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning. You will have a partner, if I sell out, who will be able to protect both himself and his workmen. We’ll see whether I have as much sense as a hen in this business.�