Homer Greene

“ No military is just or fair, nor can be. They are under orders of politicians. Politicians are controlled by capitalists. Capitalists conspire to crush workers. So there; what would you?”
He threw out his hands with a gesture which meant that there could be no other conclusion.
“I haven’t got time to argue the matter with you to-night,” replied Hal. “But I don’t like to have you talk about our men as though they were a lot of thugs, nor our armory as though it were a nest of conspirators against the liberty of working-men. By the way, were you ever in our armory? ”

“ There can be no greater menace to the liberties of a people or to the peoples of the world than the spirit and practice of militarism. Look at Germany, dominated, burdened and brutalized by her military machine, and striving, with no indifferent success, at the cost of millions of lives and seas of blood, to put every nation in Europe under her boot and spur. I tell you, Joe, I’m not a good enough soldier, nor a good enough patriot, to take a commission in the National Guard. ”

“ His face was red with anger, and his eyes were flashing resentment. His wrath was kindled now not only against McCormack, but also against all those who, by their applause, had signified their approval of his words.
“I am surprised,” he said, “that remarks such as you have just heard should be greeted with applause by any member of this company. The man who seeks to discredit his comrades in arms, who charges them with being pawns of capital, prejudiced against the poor, willing to accept bribes; such a man should be hissed, not applauded. He has labeled himself. ”

“ Do we try to take what belongs to us? Come the hired assassins, police, constabulary, militia, federal troops. So! It is terrible! Yet, some day, some day the workers will come into their own!”
They had stopped on the bridge and stood leaning against the guard-rail, looking out through the twilight across the shadowed surface of the river to the hills that towered precipitately from the farther bank. As they stood there Ben Barriscale passed them by on his way to the armory. Attracted by the eagerness in Donatello’s voice, he slackened his pace for a moment to look and listen. ”

“ If the anticipation of this meeting had filled Hal’s heart with foreboding, the reality was no less fear-compelling. Mr. Barriscale’s presence was imposing, his manner was forbidding. Stern-eyed, square-jawed, formidable in every aspect, he bore the appearance of a man ready to crush any one who opposed his wish or refused to bend to his will. But when Hal replied his voice was firm and his speech was without hesitation. ”

“ As for Sarah Halpert, when she heard of it she ordered her car to be brought to the door, and she went at once to see Hal’s mother. She swept into the little house like a west wind, and caught her sister in her arms and kissed her twice.
“You’ve got a boy now,” she said, “that you can be proud of. He’s turned out to be a real McCormack after all. He’s got soldier blood in his veins.” ”

“ As for Sergeant Barriscale, there was no smile on his lips now. He stared at the tally sheet with incredulous eyes. The votes that he had confidently counted on had not been forthcoming. It was evident that some one, more than one indeed, had played traitor to him. Already the fires of anger were beginning to blaze up in his breast. Had he harbored resentment too soon? It might be; for the next three ballots were for him. On the sixty-fifth count he was one ahead. There were but two more ballots to be counted. ”

“ Men were singing, shouting, waving clubs, demanding justice for their fellow-workers, and the recognition of the rule of the proletariat. At the junction of every street and alley their members had been swelled by the angry and resentful Industrialists of Fairweather. The cordon of police that had attempted to block their way was swept down as though it had been a rope of straw. Now, five hundred strong, reckless and determined, they were bearing down on the center of the city’s industries. ”

“ You’re positively no good at all at soliciting votes for yourself.”
“I know. I don’t want to be elected as a result of soliciting votes for myself. I want to be elected on my merit as a soldier, or not at all.”
“Fiddlesticks! You haven’t the faintest conception of your duty to yourself. Why, Ben Barriscale is pulling every string he can get his fingers on. His father and his mother and his sister and his sweetheart are all out campaigning for him with bells on. Somebody’s got to do something for you, young man, or you’ll get left as sure as your name’s Halpert McCormack!” ”

“ Without waiting to hear the corporal’s protest he turned on his heel, strode down the hall, entered the waiting car, and directed that he be driven at once to the armory.
At nine o’clock that morning Company E returned from its skirmish with the mob. A belated squad of state constabulary had arrived and taken charge of the situation, and there was no longer any occasion for the Guardsmen to remain on duty. They marched up the main street, sturdy, dusty and triumphant, followed by an admiring and applauding crowd. And there was good reason for both admiration and applause. ”

“ But it’s democracy; and, so far, democracy has proved to be the best form of government that any peoples of the earth have ever lived under. I tell you, Donatello,” he was growing eager and emphatic now, “when Gabriel tried to cut down my flag that morning, a sudden reverence for the ‘Stars and Stripes’ took hold of me, and I would have dared anything to protect them. I am just as much of a humanitarian as I ever was. I am just as much in sympathy with the toiling masses of the world as ever. But since that moment I have felt that my first duty is to protect my own. ”

“ Captain Murray was in a quandary. He feared to throw the question of acceptance open to his men lest the proposed prize should become an apple of discord. He hesitated to decide the matter himself, lest he should be considered too autocratic. Moreover, while he felt that the company could not afford to reject a gift offered by a man of Mr. Barriscale’s prominence and peculiarity, he well knew that the spirit in which the offer had been made was not an entirely disinterested one, and that if the gift were accepted the public would draw its own conclusions. ”

“ Chick was a hanger-on of Company E. He had a decided leaning toward the military life, and hoped some day to be a member of the company. But poor Chick was under-sized, hump-backed, lop-shouldered, and hollow-chested. Moreover he had not that degree of mental alertness and stability necessary in an efficient soldier. So, although no one had ever had the heart, or heartlessness, to tell him so, every one but Chick knew that there was no possibility of his ever becoming an enlisted man in Company E. In the meantime, however, the company profited by his devotion to its interests. ”

“ He saw, among the visitors, leaning unconcernedly back in his chair, Hugo Donatello, socialist, radical, firebrand, slanderer of the government, insulter of the flag, defamer of the National Guard.
As one of these epithets after another came into his mind his anger rose. Ever since the incident at the flag-raising the fellow with his vicious weekly journal had been a thorn in the young man’s flesh. Why should such a person force his unwelcome presence on reputable citizens and loyal soldiers in this manner? ”

“ If Hal had thought to appease his comrade’s wrath by this explanation, he soon discovered his error. Barriscale was more violently angry than before.
“Who set you up,” he shouted, “as an instructor in the care of arms?”
McCormack was still calm.
“No one,” he replied. “I’ve simply studied my regulations, and Chick taught me, a week ago, how to remove rust.”
“Oh, Chick taught you, did he? Major-General Chick! No wonder you’ve made a bosom friend of him! It seems to be the height of your ambition to make boon companions of anarchists and fools!” ”

“ He used every possible argument against Sergeant McCormack’s promotion to the first lieutenancy that he or any of his supporters could think of. He denounced the patent unfairness of any one being permitted to jump two grades over the head of a present deserving superior officer. He characterized his opponent as a socialist, a radical, a dreamer, a pacifist, a nondescript citizen hesitating on the border of absolute disloyalty to his government in a time when virile patriotism was needed as never before. All the resources of political skill were resorted to to circumvent his rival. ”

“ He did not see the ugly side of his propaganda. He was not at heart a criminal, he was a dreamer. And he dreamed that if the principle of the solidarity of labor, the international brotherhood of all who toiled, the distribution of all wealth to those who earned it by their toil, could once be established in this inland city of America, the benefit and glory of it would spread from this as a center, across the continent, across the ocean to bring peace to war-torn Europe ”

“ If the cheer that had greeted McCormack’s ultimatum to the leader of the mob had been whole-souled and exuberant, the yell that came now from the throats of half a hundred khaki-clad enthusiasts was vociferous and overwhelming. At last they had a soldier and a patriot for a leader, and they wanted the world to know it.
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Barriscale alone was displeased and dissatisfied.
“It was a reckless thing to do,” he shouted. “Those fellows over there will see red now. Bayonets are no use. We’ve got to shoot into ’em or they’ll murder us. Look at ’em!” ”

“ And slowly, insidiously, but nevertheless effectually, under the tutelage of Donatello, the poison of radicalism, of internationalism as opposed to patriotism, of syndicalism as distinct from democracy, seeped into the boy’s mind and colored his thought and his purpose. His connection with the National Guard in these days was indeed the only anchor which held him safely to his moorings as a loyal citizen of a great republic. ”

“ Captain McCormack straightened up in his chair and looked his son in the eyes.
“I’ve heard you say,” he replied, “that when you reach the proper age you want to be a member of my company of the National Guard. Is that still true?”
“Why, yes; I think I’d like to be a soldier.”
[37]
“Well, a soldier must never be afraid to face whatever duty lies before him. His own comfort and safety must be a second consideration. He must always be brave enough to be fair and honorable. If he is not he has no business to be a soldier.” ”

“ In the days of our Civil War the drafted men were the bravest of our soldiers. If another war should compel us to raise a great army to defend our rights, the American conscript will be the pride of our country. By the same token it is no disparagement to these two young men of Fairweather to say that they have been involuntarily drawn into the service of their country, since they have performed their duties skilfully, willingly and zealously, like the good citizens that they are. ”

“ Now tell me; what was the trouble between you and Hal? First let me say, though, that he isn’t bad off at all. He’s coming out of it all right; a little dazed and mumbly [66] yet, but he’ll be all over it in a day or two. Now, what led up to that fight?”
“Why, he as much as called me a puppy, and I wouldn’t stand for it, that’s all.”
Ben threw back his shoulders and put on that determined look characteristic of the Barriscales.
“Of course you wouldn’t,” was Miss Halpert’s quick reply. “No self-respecting young man cares to be called a puppy. But how did he come to call you one?” ”

“ Brownell besieged him again and again.
“Hal,” he said, “you must be reasonable and accommodating and give us a chance at least to vote for you. If you don’t run Ben will have no opposition; and if he’s elected, heaven help us! there’ll be no living with him!”
“I’ve already told you,” replied McCormack, “that I want to do everything on earth I can for you, because you’ve been very good to me; but I can’t do that. I like the military life. In a way it’s splendid and thrilling. It’s the fascination of it that makes it dangerous. ”

“ When they drew up under the porte-cochère at the hospital, two orderlies came, lifted out the still unconscious boy, carried him in, and started with him down the corridor.
“Where are you taking him?” asked Ben.
“To the men’s ward,” was the reply. “I suppose he’s one of the rioters you’ve picked up.”
“Rioter!” Ben gazed at the orderly so fiercely that the young fellow almost lost his grip on the boy’s shoulders. “Rioter nothing! He’s General Chick. He’s a friend of mine. No men’s ward for him! He’s to have a private room, a special nurse, and the best the hospital affords.” ”

“ Hal McCormack, I’m ashamed of you and disgusted with you! There!”
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“But, Aunt Sarah,” protested Hal, “I don’t want the office; why should I fight for it? I don’t want to be a lieutenant, nor a major, nor a brigadier-general. I’m satisfied to be a second sergeant in the company, and a private in the army of the world’s workers for peace when my term of enlistment is out.”
“Now, stop that pacifist, socialistic nonsense! This is no time for it. The thing for you to do is to prove that you’ve got red blood in your veins, as you have. ”