PRAG. I know this, that capital is power. What is the workmen"s vote against it? against your newspapers and your system? America, she will not be free until your money power is broken. You don"t like kings and emperors, no,--you say to us workmens, you are not patriots, you are traitors if you do not work and fight to win this war for democracy against kings. Are we fools that we should worry about kings? Kings will fall of themselves. Now you can put me in jail.
GEORGE. I don"t want to put you in jail, G.o.d knows! How would you manage it?
PRAG. Why does not the employer say to his workmens, "This is our war, yours and mines. Here is my contract, here is my profits, we will have no secrets, we will work together and talk together and win the war together to make the world brighter for our childrens." Und then we workmens say, "Yes, we will work night and day so hard as we can, because we are free mens."
(A fanatical gleams comes into his eyes.)
But your employer, he don"t say that,--no. He says, "This is my contract, this is my shop, and if you join the unions to get your freedoms you cannot work with me, you are traitors!"
(He rises to a frenzy of exaltation.)
After this there will be another war, and the capitalists will be swept away like the kings!
(He pauses; GEORGE is silent.)
Und now I go away, and maybe my wife she die before I get to the shipyard at Newcastle.
(He goes slowly out, upper right, and GEORGE does not attempt to stay him. Enter ASHER, lower right.)
ASHER. I"ve just called up the Department in Washington and given them a piece of my mind--told "em they"d have to conscript labour. d.a.m.n these unions, making all this trouble, and especially today, when you"re going off. I haven"t had a chance to talk to you. Well, you know that I"m proud of you, my boy. Your grandfather went off to the Civil War when he was just about your age.
GEORGE. And he knew what he was going to fight for.
ASHER. What?
GEORGE. I thought I knew, this morning. Now I"m not so sure.
ASHER. You say that, when Germany intended to come over here and crush us, when she got through with the Allies.
GEORGE. No, it"s not so simple as that, dad, it"s bigger than that.
ASHER. Who"s been talking to you? Jonathan Pindar? I wish to G.o.d he"d never come to Foxon Falls! I might have known what his opinions would be, with his inheritance. (Reproachfully.) I didn"t suppose you could be so easily influenced by sentimentalism, George, I"d hoped you"d got over that.
GEORGE. Are you sure it"s sentimentalism, dad? Dr. Jonathan didn"t say much, but I"ll admit he started me thinking. I"ve begun to realize a few things--
ASHER. What things?
GEORGE (glancing at the clock on the mantel). I haven"t got time to tell you,--I"m afraid I couldn"t make it clear, anyway,--it isn"t clear in my own mind yet. But,--go slow with this labour business, dad, there"s dynamite in it.
ASHER. Dynamite?
GEORGE. Human dynamite. They"re full of it,--we"re full of it, too, I guess. They"re not so different from you and me, though I"ll admit that many of them are ignorant, prejudiced and bitter. But this row isn"t just the result of restlessness and discontent,--that"s the smoke, but the fire"s there, too. I"ve heard enough this morning to be convinced that they"re struggling for something fundamental, that has to do with human progress,--the issue behind the war. It"s obscured now, in the smoke. Now if that"s so you can"t ignore it, dad, you can"t suppress it, the only thing to do is to sit down with them and try to understand it.
If they"ve got a case, if the union has come to stay, recognize it and deal with it.
ASHER. You--you, my son, are not advising me to recognize the union! To give our employees a voice in our private affairs!
GEORGE (courageously). But is the war our private affair, dad? Hasn"t it changed things already?
(ASHER makes a gesture of pain, of repudiation. GEORGE approaches him appealingly.)
Dad, you know how much we"ve always been to each other, I"d hate to have any misunderstanding between us,--especially today. I"ve always accepted your judgment. But I"m over twenty one, I"m going to fight this war, I"ve got to make up my own mind about it.
ASHER (extending his arms and putting his hands on GEORGE"S shoulders).
Something"s upset you today, my boy,--you don"t know what you"re saying.
When you get over there and take command of your men you"ll see things in a truer proportion.
GEORGE. No, I can"t leave it this way, dad. I"ve come to feel this thing, it"s got hold of me now, I shan"t change. And I"ll be thinking of it over there, all the time, if we don"t talk it out.
ASHER. For G.o.d"s sake, George, don"t speak of it again,--don"t think of it! There"s no sacrifice I wouldn"t make for you, in reason, but you"re asking me to go against my life-long convictions. As your father, I forbid you to entertain such ideas--(he breaks off, choking). Don"t speak of them, don"t think of them!
(TIMOTHY FARRELL Steps inside the doorway, upper right, followed by BERT, and after a few moments by DR. JONATHAN.)
TIMOTHY. Excuse me sir, but you asked me to be letting you know if I heard anything. There"s a meeting called for tonight, and they"ll strike on Monday morning. It"s certain I am, from the way the men are talking,--unless ye"d agree to meet the committee this afternoon and come to an understanding like.
ASHER. Let them strike. If they burned down the shops this afternoon, I wouldn"t stop them! (He waves TIMOTHY Off.) My boy is leaving for France, and I"m going to New York with him.
TIMOTHY (with a sudden flaring up of sympathy). It"s meself has a boy going, too, Mr. Pindar. And maybe it"s almost the last I"ll be seeing of him, this noon hour. Just a word with ye, before it"s too late, sir.
ASHER (suppressing him). No, let them strike!
(He turns to hide his emotion and then rushes out of the door, lower right. GEORGE and BERT come forward and stand with TIMOTHY, silent after ASHER"s dramatic exit; when TIMOTHY perceives DR. JONATHAN.)
TIMOTHY. Did you see my Minnie, doctor? She went to your house.
DR. JONATHAN. I met her on the street just now, and left her with Mrs.
Prag.
GEORGE. Prag"s wife! You"ve been to see her?
DR. JONATHAN. Yes. Her condition is serious. She needs a nurse, and Minnie volunteered.
TIMOTHY. My Minnie, is it? Then she won"t be going back to Newcastle.
DR. JONATHAN (looking at GEORGE). She won"t be going back to Newcastle.
TIMOTHY. That"s Minnie! (he turns to GEORGE). Well, goodbye, Mr.
George,--I"ll say G.o.d bless you again. (He looks at BERT.) You"ll be fighting over there, the pair of you, for freedom. Have an eye on him, Sir, if you can,--give him some good advice.
GEORGE (his hand on BERT"S shoulder). Bert can take care of himself, I guess. I"ll be needing the advice!
(He shakes hands with TIMOTHY.)
CURTAIN.
ACT II