"You heard the voice of the membership. The Newsies of Lower Manhattan are now officially on strike. What next?" I asked the boys, and Crutchie raised a hand.
"Wouldn't a strike be more effective if someone in charge knew about it?" He asked, and a murmur of agreement rose throughout the crowd. Race looked at me, cracking his neck and his knuckles.
"It would be my deepest pleasure to tell Weasel and tha Delancey bruddas myself." He smirked. I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah? Alright, Racer. But who tells Pulitzer? Davey?" I asked, gesturing for him to answer. He sighed, caving.
"I don't know, I guess... Mr. President?" He offered, glancing up at Jack.
"That's right," Jack cried, "we do!" He turned to Davey, his voice a bit hushed. "What do we tell 'em?" Davey sighed again, looking between the two of us.
"The newspaper owners need to respect your rights as employees. They can't just change the rules when they feel like it." He told us. My brother looked back to the crowd of newsies before us.
"Pulitzer and Hearst gotta respect the rights of the workin' kids of this city. We do the work, so we get a say!" He yelled, and I could feel the energy beginning to build. Even Dave finally gave in, and grin spreading proudly across his face.
"We've got a union."
"Pulitzer and Hearst, they think we're nothin', are we nothin'?" Jack yelled.
"NO!" Came the violent reply.
"Pulitzer and Hearst, they think they got us, do they got us?" I cried.
"NO!"
"Even though we ain't got hats or badges, we're a union, just by sayin' so... and the world will know!" I screamed triumphantly.
"What's to stop some other kids comin' along to sell our papes?" Finch asked, and Albert pushed up his sleeves.
"Just let 'em try." He scowled, and Davey tried to interject, hoping to stop the violence.
"What's it gonna take to stop the wagons? Are we ready?" Jack asked the boys.
"YEAH!"
"What's it gonna take to stop the scabbers, can we do it?"
"YEAH!"
"We'll do what we gotta do until we break the will of 'mighty' Bill and Joe." I added, throwing air quotes around mighty.
"And the world will know! And the Journal, too!" Everyone chorused.
"Mr. Hearst and Pulitzer, do we have news for you!" Davey joined Jack and I at last.
"See the world don't know, but they're gonna pay! 'Stead'a hawkin' headlines we'll be makin' 'em today! And our ranks will grow..." Everyone yelled.
"And we'll kick their rear!" Crutchie exhibited a violent kicking motion, and I grinned at him proudly.
"And the world will know that we been here!" The attention was immediately turned back to my brother and I.
"When the circulation bell starts ringing, will we hear it?" He asked.
"NO!"
"What if the Delanceys come out swingin', WILL WE HEAR IT?" I screamed, swinging my bag wildly at the group.
"NO! When ya got a hundred voices singin', who can hear some lousy whistle blow? And the world will know! That this ain't no game, and we got a ton'a rotten fruit and perfect aim! So they gave their word, well it ain't worth beans! Soon they's gonna see what 'stop the presses' really means! And the old will weep.... and go back to sleep... and we've got no choice but to see it through-"
"And we found our voice!" Race screamed jubilantly, shooting me a wink.
"And I lost my shoe!" Chimed in Specs.
"And the world will-"
We raced towards the gate. Jack climbed the ladder to the chalkboard and etched STRIKE in bold letters, causing everyone to cheer. "Pulitzer may own the world, but he don't own us!" He cried, and the newsies all echoed his decree.
"Pulitzer may crack the whip, but he WON'T WHIP US!" I hollered sharply, the newsies again echoing my call.
"And the world will know we been keepin' score! Either they gives us our rights or we gives them a war. We been down too long, and we paid our dues-"
"And the things we do today will be tomorrow's news!" Crutchie yelled to everyone.
"And the die is cast, and the torch is passed! And a roar will rise from the streets below, and our ranks will grow and grow and grow, and so the world will feel the fire and fin'lly know!"
YOU ARE READING
The Boy Who Loved Cigars
Fiksi Penggemar"Oh whatever. You could do betta than me, anyway." Race told me. It looked like he was only half joking. "Higgins, don't you dare say that. I can only think of one guy better than you. It's my brudda, and I have to think he's the best guy alive. I o...
