The labor unions of Indiana proceeded to meet and resolve. They resolved in such violent and vicious language that no partisan press could be found willing to print the resolutions. Long afterward I learned that I was shadowed for six months by Secret Service men in the fear that I might be assaulted by some over-zealous union man. Of this I was not aware at the time, or I should have taken steps to have prevented it. Whether I am a Presbyterian or a fatalist I do not know, but I do know that if I am to be shot, I will never be hanged.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Extreme rhetoric by labor unions caused fear and surveillance, yet the speaker maintained a fatalistic courage.
- In plain terms
- Violent union language led to secret surveillance, but the speaker remained unafraid.
- What can you take from it?
- Fearful environments often arise from extreme rhetoric.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should one respond to threats from organized groups?
Another view
Fatalism might discourage proactive safety measures.
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