the iron puddler-第29章

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I　opened　and　read　aloud　the　various　bids；　including　that　of　the　big　boss；　Jeff　Rowley；　adding　that　Jeff's　bid　had　been　filed　too　late　to　be　legal。

〃You　lie！〃　he　screamed。　〃You're　a　Welsh　liar；　and　I'll　kill　you　for　this！〃　The　threat　was　heard　by　the　council　and　the　citizens。　But　the　man　seemed　so　terrible　that　no　one　dared　reprimand　him。

A　few　moments　later　the　city　attorney　sent　down　to　the　clerk's　office　for　some　blanks。　Jeff　was　waiting　behind　a　corner　of　the　hall。　He　hit　me　a　blow　in　the　neck　that　knocked　me　four　yards。　It　was　the　〃rabbit　blow〃　and　he　expected　it　to　break　my　neck。　The　hard　muscles　that　the　puddling　furnace　put　there　saved　my　life。　I　sprang　up；　and　he　came　after　me　again。　I　seized　the　big　fellow　by　the　ankles　and　threw　him　down。　Then　I　battered　his　head　against　the　floor　until　I　was　satisfied　that　he　could　do　me　no　more　harm。　He　went　home　and　took　to　his　bed。

He　announced　that　when　he　got　out　he　would　charge　me　with　assault。　I　went　before　the　mayor　and　offered　to　plead　guilty　to　such　a　charge。　The　mayor　protested　against　it。　He　said　I　had　done　the　right　thing　in　protecting　the　honor　of　the　city；　and　that　the　citizens　would　not　permit　my　action　to　cost　me　money。　The　local　banker　took　up　a　collection　to　pay　my　fine　in　case　a　fine　should　be　assessed　against　me。

My　salary　as　city　clerk　was　forty　dollars　a　month。　My　wages　in　the　tin　mill　were　seven　dollars　a　day。　A　week　in　the　mill　would　have　brought　me　more　than　a　month's　pay　in　the　city　office。　But　I　hoped　the　clerkship　would　lead　to　something　better。

One　incident　that　happened　while　I　was　city　clerk　I　have　already　related。　The　city　attorney　almost　sent　a　man　to　jail　because　he　couldn't　understand　the　lawyer's　questions。　I　put　the　lawyer's　language　into　simpler　words；　and　the　man　then　understood　and　quickly　cleared　himself　of　the　charge　against　him。　At　another　time；　the　mill　owners　petitioned　for　the　vacation　of　an　alley　because　they　wanted　to　build　a　railroad　switch　there　to　give　access　to　a　loading…out　station　of　the　mill。

〃I　suppose；〃　their　representative　told　me；　〃that　since　this　would　be　a　favor　to　the　mill；　and　you　were　opposed　by　the　mill　owners；　you　will　hand　it　to　us　in　this　matter。〃

〃Why　should　I？〃　I　asked。　〃Don't　you　think　you　ought　to　have　this　alley？〃

〃Certainly　we　do；　or　we　wouldn't　have　asked　for　it。〃

〃Do　you　think　the　city　needs　the　alley　worse　than　you　do？〃

〃No。　It　is　an　alley　only　on　paper。　There　are　no　residences　there　and　nobody　needs　the　alley　but　us。〃

〃But　you　think　because　I　am　a　labor　man　and　you　are　a　mill　owner；　and　you　and　I　have　had　many　hot　fights　over　wage　questions；　that　I　will　fight　you　on　this　just　for　spite？〃

〃Such　things　have　been　done。〃

〃Well；　I　am　not　spiteful。　Many　a　time　I　have　made　the　men　mad　at　me　by　being　fair　to　you。　Spite　and　malice　should　have　no　place　in　dealings　between　employer　and　employee。　If　you　had　a　chance；　would　you　give　the　men　a　dirty　deal　just　for　spite？〃

〃We're　business　men；〃　he　said。　〃And　we　never　act　through　malice；　but　we　often　expect　it　from　the　other　side。〃

〃Well；　don't　expect　it　from　me。　As　a　city　official　my　whole　duty　is　to　the　city。　If　we　give　you　that　railroad　switch　it　will　help　the　mill　and　can't　hurt　the　city。　Without　your　mills　there　would　be　no　city　here；　and　all　the　alleys　would　be　vacated；　with　grass　growing　in　them。　If　I　took　advantage　of　my　city　job　to　oppress　your　mill　business；　I　would　be　two　kinds　of　a　scoundrel；　a　public　scoundrel　and　a　private　one。　I　favor　the　vacation　of　the　alley　and　when　the　council　meets　next　Wednesday　I　am　sure　they　will　do　this　for　you。〃



CHAPTER　XLII

THE　EVERLASTING　MORALIZER


I　played　the　game　fair　throughout　my　term　of　office。　I　hate　dishonesty　instinctively。　I　like　the　approval　of　my　own　conscience　and　the　approval　of　men。　This　is　egotism；　of　course。　I　claim　nothing　else　for　it。　I　am　no　prophet。　I　do　not　claim　to　be　inspired。　The　weaknesses　that　all　flesh　is　heir　to；　I　am　not　immune　from。　I　write　this　story　not　to　vindicate　my　own　wit　nor　to　point　out　new　paths　for　human　thought　to　follow。　I　am　a　follower　of　the　old　trails；　an　endorser　of　the　old　maxims。　I　merely　add　my　voice　to　the　thousands　who　have　testified　before　me　that　the　old　truths　are　the　only　truths；　and　they　are　all　the　guidance　that　we　need。　I　am　an　educator　of　the　young；　not　an　astounder　of　the　old；　and　it　is　for　the　boys　and　girls　who　read　my　book　that　I　thus　point　the　morals　that　life's　tale　has　taught　me。

Had　I　proved　unfaithful　in　my　first　office　I　could　not　have　gone　to　higher　offices。　My　opponents　would　have　〃had　something　on　me。〃　As　secretary　of　labor；　I　am　called　on　to　settle　strikes　and　to　adjust　disputes　between　employers　and　employee。　I　could　do　nothing　if　either　side　distrusted　me。　But　since　both　sides　believe　me　to　be　honest；　they　get　right　down　to　brass　tacks　and　discuss　the　cases　on　their　merits　only。　Sometimes　the　employees　ask　too　much；　sometimes　the　employers。　When　either　side　goes　too　far　I　feel　free　to　oppose　it。

I　approach　each　problem　not　only　from　the　economic　but　from　the　human　angle。　I　took　my　guidance　from　the　words　of　President　Harding；　when　he　said：


〃The　human　element　comes　first。　I　want　the　employers　to　understand　the　hopes　and　yearnings　of　the　workers；　and　I　want　the　wage　earners　to　understand　the　burdens　and　anxieties　of　the　wage　payers；　and　all　of　them　must　understand　their　obligations　to　the　people　and　to　the　republic。　Out　of　this　understanding　will　come　social　justice　which　is　so　essential　to　the　highest　human　happiness。〃


The　Labor　Department　has　been　able　to　settle；　after　candid　argument；　thousands　of　disputes　saving　millions　of　dollars　for　workers　and　employers　and　relieving　the　public　from　the　great　loss　and　inconvenience　that　comes　with　strikes　and　industrial　war。　I　have　but　one　aim；　and　that　is　justice。　I　know　but　one　policy；　and　that　is　honesty。　I　am　slow　to　reach　decisions。　I　must　hear　both　sides。　I　want　the　facts；　and　all　the　facts。　When　all　the　facts　are　in　my　mind　the　arguing　ends；　the　judgment　begins。　I　judge　by　conscience　and　am　guided　by　the　Golden　Rule。　Decision　comes；　and　it　is　as　nearly　right　as　God　has　given　me　power　to　see　the　right。

Out　of　four　thousand　disputes　handled　by　the　Department；　three　thousand　six　hundred　were　settled。　These　directly　involved　approximately　three　and　one…half　million　workers　and　indirectly　many　others。　At　first　seventy　per　cent。　of　the　cases　were　strikes　before　conciliation　was　requested。　Now；　in　a　majority　of　the　cases　presented；　strikes　and　lockouts　are　prevented　or　speedily　adjusted　through　our　efforts。

This　was　due　to　perfect　candor　in　talking。　Honest　opinions　were　honestly　set　forth。　Both　sides　took　confidence　in　each　other；　and　both　sides　accepted　my　suggestions；　believing　them　sincere　and　fair。　And　so　I　say　to　the　young　men　that　honesty　is　the　best　policy　because　it　is　the　only　policy　that　wins。　The　communists　tell　the　young　that　honesty　is　not　the　best　policy。　They　say　that　the　rich　man　teaches　the　poor　to　be　honest　so　that　the　rich　can　do　all　the　stealing。　They　say　that　the　moral　code　is　〃dope〃　given　by　the　strong　to　paralyze　the　weak　and　keep　them　down。　It　is　not　so。　Honesty　is　the　power　that　lifts　men　and　nations　up　to　greatness。　It　is　a　law　of　nature　just　as　surely　as　gravity　is　a　natural　law。　But　one　is　physical　nature　and　the　other　moral　nature。　A　fool　can　see　that　physical　laws　are　eternal　and　unbreakable。　The　wise　can　see　that　the　moral　law　is　just　as　powerful　and　as　everlasting。

Had　I　not　won　the　people's　confidence　while　I　was　city　clerk　of　Elwood；　Indiana；　my　public　career　would　have　ended　there。　But　after　four　years　in　that　office　I　aspired　to　be　county　recorder。　The　employers　who　once　had　feared　that　I　would　be　unfair；　now　said；　〃Davis　is　the　man　for　the　job；〃　and　so　I　got　their　vote　as　well　as　the　vote　of　the　workers；　and　I　was　elected　to　that　higher　office　by　a　great　majority。



CHAPTER　XLIII

FROM　TIN　WORKER　TO　SMALL　CAPITALIST


During　my　term　as　county　recorder　at　Anderson；　Indiana；　I　saved　money。　I　was　unmarried　and　had　no　dissipations　but　books；　and　books　cost　little。　I　had　lent　money　to　several　fellows　who　wanted　to　get　a　business　education。　By　the　year　1906；　or　ten　years　after　I　quit　the　mill；　the