76 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



have an undoubted right to do so. A man is 

 not a slave, to be made to work against his will ; 

 but, on the other hand, is he not a slave if he is 

 forced to quit against his will ? Freedom of 

 action in personal matters is a right which wise 

 men have fought for and for which wise men 

 will always fight. Do you find it in the union ? 

 What shall I do when you quit work ? How 

 long are you going to stay out ? What will 

 become of my interests while you are following 

 the lead of your bell-wethers ? Shall my work 

 stop because you have been called out for a holi- 

 day ? Shall the weeds grow over these walls 

 and my lumber rot while you sit idly by ? Not 

 by a long sight ! You have a perfect right to 

 quit work, and I have a perfect right to continue. 

 " The rights which we claim for ourselves we 

 must grant to others. One man certainly has as 

 defensible a right to work as another man has to 

 be idle. In the legitimate exercise of personal 

 freedom there is no effort at coercion, and in this 

 case there shall be none. If you choose to quit, 

 you will do so without let or hindrance from me ; 

 but if you quit, others will take your places 

 without let or hindrance from you. You will 

 be paid in full to-night. When you leave, you 

 must take your tools with you, that there may be 

 no excuse for coming back. When you leave 

 the place, the incident will be closed so far as 

 you and I are concerned, and it will not be 

 opened unless I find some of you trying to inter- 



