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the business； while as a worker I could only make the union wages that all the fellows were getting。 This gave me an idea that has since become the dominating purpose of my life。 Handicraft is the basis of the best schooling。 By working with my hands as well as with my head I learned the actual cost of production of every kind of plate they put out。 This was something that I could not have learned from books。 Without such knowledge the business would have to be run partly on guesswork。 With a thorough knowledge of the production end of the business I became a valuable man。 The way was open for me to get out of the labor field and into the field of management。
But here is where my natural feeling of fraternity stepped in。 I liked to be among the men。 I felt at home there。 I was only twenty…two； and salesmanship was a field I had never tried； except for a season when I sold Mark Twain's book； Following the Equator。 There were plenty of men who had the knack of selling。 My natural gift； if I had any； was to smooth the path for working men and help them solve their problems。 I had learned that labor was the first step on the road to knowledge。 It was the foundation of all true knowledge。 I wanted to help the fellows take the next step。 That step would be to learn how labor can enrich itself and do away with strikes and unemployment。 That is a question that still fascinates me。 I did not care to dodge it and become a manufacturer。 I am the kind of fellow who； when he takes hold of a question； never lets go。 The picture of Comrade Bannerman shaking his fist at the trainload of 〃plutes〃 lingered with me。 I still heard the voice of the knock…kneed reformer who envied my husky limbs。 The cry for bloody revolution was already in the air。 When would the mob be started and what would it do？ When Comrade Bannerman had robbed the rich and piled their corpses in a Caesar's column； would not the knock…kneed uplifter break my legs in making all men equal？ These men were moved by envy and they lusted for blood。 I faced the problem with a thirst for accurate knowledge； and my passion was not for bloodshed but for brotherhood。
CHAPTER XXXVII
FREE AND UNLIMITED COINAGE
It was during the panic in 1894 that the strike vote was defeated。 We worked on until the first of July； 1896； when our agreement expired。 By that time the tin mill was on its feet。 The town of Elwood had grown from a country cross…roads to a city of the first class。 As president of the union； I had steadily gained concessions for the workers。 We were getting paid every two weeks。 It is not practical to pay oftener in the tin trade。 A man's work has to be measured and weighed； and the plate he rolls on Saturday can not be cut and measured in time for him to get his pay for it that week。 For the pay envelope is handed to him Saturday noon； and his Saturday's rolling will not go through the cutter until Monday。 He can not be paid for it until it is in shape to be measured。 So we were satisfied to be paid twice a month。
But the mill was now making big profits and we demanded a raise in pay。 The mill owners countered by refusing to 〃recognize〃 the union。 They would deal with the men only as individuals。 A strike was called； and the union won。 We recovered our raise in pay and signed a new contract。 The strike was off in September after two long months of idleness； and within a few days after the dust had settled we smelt the fireworks of political oratory。 I am telling it now as it appeared to me then； and of course I beg the indulgence of those concerned。
Bryan； the bearcat of the Nebraska ranches； had roared with his ears back； and the land was in a tumult。 〃Coin's Financial School〃 had already taught the people that the 〃gold…bugs〃 owned the country and that the people could save themselves from eternal serfdom only by changing the color of their money。 Bryan told the westerners that the East was the 〃enemy's country〃 and that the gold standard was a game by which the East was robbing the West； and the only way the people of the West could save themselves was to move East and clip bonds or else change the color of the money！
This is the way it looked to me as a working man； and I hope my good friend Bryan will pardon me for writing of his 〃great paramount issue〃 in a joking way。 For after all it was a joke； a harmless jokebecause we didn't adopt it。 I got excited by the threatened 〃remedy〃 and went into politics。 While the tin trade was on strike； crazy propagandists from everywhere poured into Elwood and began teaching the men bi…metalism； communism； bolshevism and anarchy。 A communist propagandist is like a disease germ； he doesn't belong in healthy bodies。 If he gets in he can't increase and is soon thrown out again。 But let a strike weaken the body of workers； and the germs swarm in and start their scarlet fever。
As soon as the strike was won； I threw myself into the task of combatting the rising tide of class hatred led by Bryan； representing agrarians in a fight against bankers and industrialists。 I was chairman of the mill workers' Sound Money Club。 Bryan was running for president on a platform declaring that the laboring man should 〃not be crucified upon a cross of gold。〃 No laboring man wanted to be。 I was on the same side of the fence with Bryan when it came to the crucifixion question； but on the opposite side of the fence regarding the gold question。 Of course I knew little about finance； and could not answer the Nebraskan。 But had he advocated the free and unlimited coinage of pig…iron I could have talked him into a gasping hysteria。 For； we mill fellows figured that this was exactly what Bryan's money theory amounted to。 His farmer friends had borrowed gold money from the bankers； spent it in drought years plowing land that produced nothing； and then found themselves unable to pay it back。 They wanted to call silver and paper cash and pay the debt with this new kind of money。 He wanted a money system by which a farmer could borrow money to put in his crop； then having failed to raise a crop （I have mentioned the great drought years） could yet pay back the money。 But no farming nation can suffer great crop losses without being set back financially and starved to where it hurts。 You've got to figure God's laws into your human calculations。
〃Bryan might as well try to dodge the hungry days by advocating the free and unlimited coinage of tomato cans；〃 is the way one of the fellows put it； 〃then every man could borrow a dollar and buy a can of tomatoes。 After eating the tomatoes he could coin the can into a dollar and buy another can of tomatoes。 And so on until he got too old to eat； and then he could use the last dollar from the tin can in paying back the banker。〃 Schemes like that are all right for orators and agitators who make their living with words。 But farmers and iron workers know what it is that turns clods into corn and what makes the iron wheels that bear it to market。 It is muscle applied with the favor of God。
Without labor； no crops。 Without rain； no crops。 It was world…wide crop failures that finally brought the lean years of the nineties。 The return of big crops was already reviving the sick world。 It rejected the radicals' 〃remedy〃 and next year it was well。 Had we taken that wrong medicine in the dark it would have killed us。 Thirty years later Russia let them shoot that medicine into her arm and it paralyzed her。 The rain falls upon her fields and the soil is rich； but it brings forth no harvest and the people starve。
Russia has had famines before； but they were acts of God。 The rain failed and there was no harvest。 Their present famine is an act of man。 Labor ceased。 And the ensuing hunger was man's own fault。 Nations that think labor is a curse； and adopt schemes to avoid labor； must perish for their folly。
In 1896 we came within an inch of adopting financial bolshevism。 This taught me that a people are poorly schooled who can not tell the good from the bad。 The wise heads knew what was good for the country。 Hard work and good crops would cure our ills。 But millions voted for a poison that would have destroyed us。 From that time on I dreamed of a new kind of school； not the kind we had that turned out men to grope blindly between good and folly。 But a school based on the fundamental facts of life and labor； the need of food and housing； and the sweating skill that brings man most of his blessings。 A school from which no man could come out ignorant。 That school should teach the eternal facts； and he that denied the facts would then be known for a fool or a rogueand not be thought a Messiah。
I love sentiment； and I believe in God。 And I believe that facts are God's glorious handiwork。 〃Ye shall know the truth； and the truth will set you free。〃 The man who shuns realities because they belittle him is on the wrong road； he is hopelessly lost from the beginning。
CHAPTER XXX VIII
THE EDITOR GETS MY GOAT
Madison county； Indiana； was a Democratic stronghold outside the mill towns； and a few farming townships。 Free silver orators were telling the farmers that under a gold standard no factory could run。 The farmers could see the smoke of the tin mills which had built a great city just beyond their corn…fields。 The s