Why, what you want ’em to do, Hank?—it’s politics.

 

HANK. Oh. I didn’t unstan’. Dat’s diffunt. Well, den, what’s de politics?

 

ALECK. Hit’s to have everybody git along ’dout work.

 

HANK. [Turned to stone in the act of spitting on his hands.] Git—along—widout—WORK? Why work is de nobles’ thing in dis worl’—I never hear sich dam foolishness!

 

ALECK. Dat’s jist what I say! De very words! You shet a man off fum workin’, s’I, en what’s de good er dat man? he ain’t no good, s’I.

 

HANK. Right you is. Hit’s de work dat make him healthy, hit’s de work dat keep him soun’. Ef a man’s too ornery to work en yearn his honest livin’, let him go en lay down en die, dern him, dem’s my senterments.

 

ALECK. Mine too,—wid de bark on. Why Hank, ef I didn’t work for my livin’ I’d feel dat low down dat I couldn’t look nobody in de face. But de Anerkis he say—

 

HANK. Dat’s it, dat’s it—what do de Anerkis say, Elleck?

 

ALECK. He say dey’s too much wealth stribited aroun’ mongst de yuther folks, en he gwyneter have some of it; en he ain’t gwyne work no mo’, nuther.

 

HANK. Well, ef dat don’t beat me! He gwyneter have some of it; how he gwyneter git it?

 

ALECK. Say he gwyneter take it.

 

HANK. Good lan’! Foce?

 

ALECK. Dat’s what he say; gwyne take it by foce.

 

HANK. Socialis’ want some too?

 

ALECK. Deed he do.

 

HANK. How he gwyne git it?

 

ALECK. ’Suasion.

 

HANK. How ’suasion?

 

ALECK. ’Leck all de Socialis’ gang to Congress en pass laws en divide up all de lan’ en truck mongst everybody so nobody ain’t bleeged to work no mo’.

 

HANK. Looky here, Elleck, hit make me sick; clah to goodness hit make me sick. What is dis worl’ a comin’ to, when de mos’ honorables’ thing in it—which is work—is gitt’n disrespectable?

 

ALECK. Dat’s de talk! When a man—when a hones’ hard-workin’ man—

 

[Discussion interrupted by the employers, who appear suddenly and put in a word.]

 

EMPLOYERS. If you two loafers can’t find anything better to do than lean on your tools and yell all day and disturb everybody, shoulder your shovels and pack out of this!

 

PROFESSOR MAHAFFY ON EQUALITY

 

THE EQUALITY OF MAN.

[PROF. MAHAFFY OF DUBLIN AT CHAUTAUQUA.]

 

 

In the preamble of your great declaration of rights appears, I believe, the statement that all men are equal in the sight of God.