Had I been at home nothing would have induced me to yield to this unfair attempt to extort.
Up to this point all had been right enough.

The policy I had pursued in cases of difference with our men was that of patiently waiting, reasoning with them, and showing them that their demands were unfair; but never attempting to employ new men in their places--never.

The superintendent of Homestead, however, was assured by the three thousand men who were not concerned in the dispute that they could run the works, and were anxious to rid themselves of the two hundred and eighteen men who had banded themselves into a union and into which they had hitherto refused to admit those in other departments--only the "heaters" and "rollers" of steel being eligible.
My partners were misled by this superintendent, who was himself misled.

He had not had great experience in such affairs, having recently been promoted from a subordinate position.

The unjust demands of the few union men, and the opinion of the three thousand non-union men that they were unjust, very naturally led him into thinking there would be no trouble and that the workmen would do as they had promised.