communication which from moral, legal, political, and humanitarian
points of view was unanswerable. It was nearly two o'clock when the
last official letter was signed.

The door was opened by the messenger. Quincy expected Maude to enter,
but it was Mr. Acton, the energetic opponent of the "peaceful
picketing" law.

"I heard, Mr. Governor, that you were here, and I thought it only
fair to inform you that we shall apply for injunctions just the same
as if that bill you signed had not become a law, and, in that way,
test its constitutionality."

"You have a legal right to do that," said the governor, "but I
question your moral right."

"How so?" asked Mr. Acton.

"Supposing I had applied for an injunction to prevent you and a score
of others from trying to influence me to veto the bill?"

"That would have been foolish. No judge would have granted it."

"And why not?" said the governor sternly. "Were not all of you
engaged in 'peaceful picketing'? Why should not the working man have
the same right to persuade his fellows that you exerted to influence
me?"

Mr. Acton had not exhausted his argument: "But the probable
destruction of property and possible loss of life?"