Round after round of applause greeted the speaker when he had finished, and in response to his appeal to them to organize, a branch of the union was formed, with Geordie Sinclair as its first president.  At the request of the meeting Smillie interviewed Black Jock next morning, and as a result Sinclair got started on the following day.

Smillie stayed overnight with Geordie.  They were certainly somewhat cramped for room, though Geordie had just lately got another apartment “broken through,” which gave them a room and kitchen.

The two men sat late into the night, discussing their hopes and plans, and the trade union movement generally.

“It’s a great work, Bob, you ha’e set yersel’, an’ it’ll mean thenklessness an’ opposition frae the very men you want maist to help,” said Sinclair as they talked.

“Ay, it will,” was the reply, spoken in a half dreamy tone, as if the speaker saw into the future.  “I ken what it’ll mean, but it must be done.  I have long had it in me to set myself this work, for no opposition ought to stand in the way of the uplifting of the workers.  I ...  It’s the system, Geordie!” he cried, as if bringing his mind back to the present.  “It is the system that is wrong.  It is immoral and evil in its foundations, and it forces the employers to do the things they do.  Competition compels them to do things they would not have to do if there were a cooperative system of industry.  Our people have to suffer for it all—­they pay the price in hunger, misery and suffering.”

“Ay,” said Geordie, “that’s true, Bob.  But what a lang time it’ll tak’ afore the workers will realize what you are oot for.  They’ll look on your work wi’ suspicion, and a wheen o’ them’ll even oppose you.”

“Ay,” was the reply, “I know that.  It will mean the slow building up of our own county first, bit by bit, organizing, now here, now there, and fighting the other class interests all the time.  It will divide our energies and retard our work, and the greatest fight will be to get our own people to recognize what is wanted and how to get it.  Then through the county we’ll have to work to consolidate the whole of Scotland; from that to work in the English and Welsh miners, while at the same time seeking to permeate other branches of industrial workers with our ideas.  And then, when we have got that length, and raised the mental vision of our people, and strengthened their moral outlook, we can appeal to the workers of other lands to join us in bringing about the time when we’ll be able to regard each other, not as enemies, but as members of one great Humanity, working for each other’s welfare as we work for our own.”

“That’s it, Bob,” agreed Geordie, completely carried away with Smillie’s enthusiasm.  “That’s it, Bob.  If we can only get them to see hoo’ simple and easy it a’ is ...  Oh, they maun be made to see it that way!” he burst out.  “We’ll work nicht an’ day but in the end we’ll get them to see it that way yet.”