“Another grievance of the men, and one in which they should have the sympathy of the entire community, is their objection to working with the manager's father, who came here recently from the East and has since been employed in the shops. It has been learned that he is an ex-convict who was sentenced for a long term of imprisonment in June, 1875, for the murder of Thomas Sharp, at Burton, Massachusetts.
“He was only recently set at liberty, and the men are natural-ly incensed and indignant at having to work with him. Still another grievance is the new schedule of wages.
“A committee representing every department in the shops and possessing the fullest authority, met last night at the Odd Fellows' Hall on South Main Street, but their deliberations were secret. A well-authenticated rumor has it, however, that the most complete harmony prevailed, and that the employés are pledged to drastic measures unless they get fair treatment from the company.”
Ryder tacked a moral to this, and the moral was that labor required a champion to protect it from the soulless greed and grinding tyranny of the great corporations which had sprung into existence under the fostering wing of corrupt legislation. Of course “the Picturesque Statesman from Old Hanover” was the Hercules who was prepared to right these wrongs of honest industry, and to curb the power of Cornish, whose vampire lusts fattened on the sweat of the toiler, and especially the toiler at Antioch.
A copy of the paper was evidently sent the “Picturesque Statesman,” who had just commenced his canvass, for in its very next issue the Herald was able to print a telegram in which he “heartily endorsed the sentiments embodied in the Herald's ringing editorial on the situation at Antioch,” and declared himself a unit with his fellow-citizens of whatever party in their heroic struggle for a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. He also expressed himself as honored by their confidence, as, indeed, he might well have been.
Dan digested the Herald's report along with his breakfast. Half an hour later, when he reached the office, he found McClintock waiting for him.
“The men want to see you, Mr. Oakley. They were going to send their committee in here, but I told 'em you'd come out to them.”
“All right. It's just as well you did.” And Oakley followed him from the office.
“Did you read the Herald's yap this morning?” Inquired the master-mechanic.
“Yes,” said Dan, “I did. It was rather funny, Wasn't it?”