Also Hal was interested in his attitude towards the weaknesses of working-people. The “inertia” of the poor, which caused so many people to despair for them--their cowardice and instability--these were things about which Hal had heard all his life. “You can’t help them,” people would say. “They’re dirty and lazy, they drink and shirk, they betray each other. They’ve always been like that.” The idea would be summed up in a formula: “You can’t change human nature!” Even Mary Burke, herself one of the working-class, spoke of the workers in this angry and scornful way. But Olson had faith in their manhood, and went ahead to awaken and teach them. To his mind the path was clear and straight. “They must be taught the lesson of solidarity. As individuals, they’re helpless in the power of the great corporations; but if they stand together, if they sell their labour as a unit--then they really count for something.” He paused, and looked at the other inquiringly. “How do you feel about unions?” Hal answered, “They’re one of the things I want to find out about. You hear this and that--there’s so much prejudice on each side. I want to help the under dog, but I want to be sure of the right way.” “What other way is there?” And Olson paused. “To appeal to the tender hearts of the owners?” “Not exactly; but mightn’t one appeal to the world in general--to public opinion? I was brought up an American, and learned to believe in my country. I can’t think but there’s some way to get justice. Maybe if the men were to go into politics--” “Politics?” cried Olson. “My God! How long have you been in this place?” “Only a couple of months.” “Well, stay till November, and see what they do with the ballot-boxes in these camps!” “I can imagine, of course--” “No, you can’t. Any more than you could imagine the graft and the misery!” “But if the men should take to voting together--” “How _can_ they take to voting together--when any one who mentions the idea goes down the canyon? Why, you can’t even get naturalisation papers, unless you’re a company man; they won’t register you, unless the boss gives you an O. K. How are you going to make a start, unless you have a union?” It sounded reasonable, Hal had to admit; but he thought of the stories he had heard about “walking delegates,” all the dreadful consequences of “union domination.” He had not meant to go in for unionism! Olson was continuing. “We’ve had laws passed, a whole raft of laws about coal-mining--the eight-hour law, the anti-scrip law, the company-store law, the mine-sprinkling law, the check-weighman law. What difference has it made in North Valley that there are such laws on the statute-books? Would you ever even know about them?” “Ah, now!” said Hal. “If you put it that way--if your movement is to have the law enforced--I’m with you!”