After the secretary had announced that everybody was present and paid up to the minute, the chairman, Mr. Bindzel, opened the meeting and asked the organizer to explain the cry of distress. "Mr. Chairman and brothers," the organizer began, "we must reorganize or we go to pieces. Already the Hinshel Company employs two non-union pretzel painters. If we don't reorganize they will break our Union. We must uphold the rights of labor or the heel of capitalism will crush us----" He spoke well into the night and urged them with tears in his eyes and a proper catch in the voice to stand by the flag of their class. The silence was very impressive when the organizer finished and sat down to wipe his perspiring face. No one spoke a word. The chairman did not want to break the silence. He felt the greatness of the moment. Finally brother Kessler said: "Mr. Chairman!" "Brother Kessler has the floor." Brother Kessler, of the Galician group, seldom took the floor. So everybody was astonished that he of all others should want to speak. "Mr. Chairman and Brothers.... Mr. Chairman. Of course, we want to reorganize, but we don't know how to do it." "Well said! Go ahead Brother Kessler!" several voices were heard at once. Kessler took heart. "We are Pretzel Painters. We are proud of our Union, are strong for our Union, and we want to protect it. Let Brother Kirshen, our organizer, tell us how." "Sure, Kessler is right. Let Brother Kirshen tell us how," came voices from everywhere. "Order, please!" the chairman called. "This is an important meeting. On it depends the battle between Labor and Capital. Order, please. Brother Kirshen has the floor." Brother Kirshen, aglow from his recent triumph, took the centre of the platform. "The first thing to do to reorganize our Union is to elect new officers. I make therefore a motion that we elect new officers." "Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman," several called out. "That's a political trick," called out the Roumanian group in one voice. "Order, please!" yelled the chairman. The heavy gavel came down upon the table. Everybody was soon seated. "I make an amendment to the motion," Kessler said. "Sit down, Brother Kessler, we must proceed regularly. The Pretzel-Painters' Union has a constitution. We will proceed according to its constitution. The constitution of the Pretzel-Painters' Union says that when a motion is put before the house, it is first voted upon before any amendments are discussed. Does anybody want to speak on the motion?" "Then, I propose that the motion be voted upon without debates because it is late and they will soon put out the lights in the house," said Kessler. "Politics, politics," the Portuguese group cried. "Traitor, traitor," came from another group. But when Kessler's proposal was voted upon he had a majority. The Russian group voted with him. And so it happened that the nineteen officers of the Pretzel-Painters' Union were shifted around.