"That sounds like capitalists," Flora said with a frown. A moment later, she brightened. "It also sounds like a political opportunity for us. If the factory owners keep doing things like that-and they probably will-they'll radicalize the workers, and they'll do a better job of it than we ever could."

"I happen to know we've urged the strikers to stay as peaceful as they can, unless the bosses turn goons loose on them or their state governments or the U.S. government move troops against them," Blackford said.

"Good." Flora nodded. Blackford couldn't see that, either, but she didn't care. Something he'd said touched off another thought. "Has Roosevelt made any statement about this yet?"

"One of the wire reports quotes him as calling the factory owners a pack of greedy fools," the Congressman from Dakota said, "but it doesn't say he'll do anything to make them stop playing games with people's lives "

"That sounds like him," Flora said. "He talks about a square deal for the workers, but he doesn't deliver. He delivered a war."

"He delivered a victory," Hosea Blackford corrected. "The country was starved for one. The country's been starved for one for more than fifty years. You may not like that, but you can't stick your head in the sand and pretend it isn't so."

"I don't intend to do any such thing," Flora said sharply. "The people were starved for a victory I've seen as much, even with my own brother. But after a while they'll discover they have the victory and they're still starved and still maimed and still orphaned. And they'll remember Teddy Roosevelt delivered that, too."

Blackford's silence was thoughtful. After a few seconds, he said, "You may very well be right." He did his best to hold down the excitement in his voice, but she heard it. "If you are right, that would give us a fighting chance in the elections of 1918, and maybe even in 1920. A lot of people now are afraid we'll be so badly swamped, the Democrats will have everything their own way everywhere."