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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2978679" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Fifty-eight, “The Racial Question”, Wednesday, May 31st, 1882, 6:00 A.M.Minerva awakens at dawn to discover that she has spent the entire night in her own bed and not in the grove with Nanuet. She sighs, rolls over and places her feet on the cold floor, her mind already focused on the day ahead. She lights her candles and recounts her blessings: her friends, her home, the love of Nanuet and the boy Nakomo... And asks for the strength and wisdom to get through the day.  At a quarter to 7:00 she is dressed and running out the door. She hurries over to Jake's house and knocks loudly.At the town hall, Burton Lumley begins the meeting a few minutes before 7:00, stating that he has a few Merchant's Association matters to discuss. He says, "I have some membership changes to let you know about. First item, the Palace Saloon has temporarily transferred its Merchant's Association vote from Mr. Evan Adair to Mr. Bob Scull. Second, I would like to welcome three new member of the Association Attorney Eliahu Upton, whose business is now officially to be known as 'Upton's Counting House and Brokerage', Third, mustanger and long-time town resident Mogollon Hays has added a 'Tack and Harness Shop' onto his corral on the hill east of town and has joined our group, and our finally, I would like to welcome new member, Dan Madson of 'Madson's Hardware and Taxidermy Service'. He lost his business last week in the Tombstone Fire and decided to start anew here. Kate notices that all but two members of the Merchant's Association are present. The two who haven't arrived yet are Steve Lord of the Alhambra Saloon and Jake Cook of the Lucky Lady, both of them having cast "Yes" votes during Monday afternoon's meeting.  Kate watched the new members, recalling how closely the vote for all races had passed the Association and hoping the new members would not swing it the other way. It wasn't quite seven o'clock yet, and it wouldn't surprise Kate to see Jake sliding in a minute or two late. Steve Lord's absence was worrying. She stayed in her seat for now, giving them a few more minutes before worrying overmuch.   Judge Isby and Kevin Tomlinson arrive at few minutes before 7:00. Minerva and Jake come through the door right behind him. Not long after that Mrs. King walks in with her husband and son. All five Vigilance Committee members are present as are all of the Merchant's Association members with the exception of Mr. Lord. Judge Isby begins the meeting by stating "Rather than entertain a new motion I think that the best way to proceed would be to start with another vote on the previous motion to see if upon further reflection during the time since then any opinions have change. If we are still at an impasse between the two groups I will then entertain amended motions." He pauses and then states, "And since all voting members here today including the new voters were also present at Monday afternoon's meeting I would ask that those who have already spoken on the issue please refrain from speaking again unless you have something truly new and different to say on the subject. Does anybody with to speak?" Elihu Upton asks to be recognized. He begins with a short speech about how all races should be treated with the respect. His speech then evolves into a verbal commercial for his new financial institution with an appeal to all races to deposit their money at his business instead of at the two banks where the owners are on record for having voted for only humans. Banker Paul Stevens stands next. He says that his vote on Monday was short-sighted and apologizes for it. He commends his Head Teller Derrick Avery for standing up for the rights of all people and says that the entire town is welcome to continue banking with him.Kate looked back over her shoulder, looking to see if any members of her family or other onlookers might be there who she could send to look for Mr. Lord.  Kate's brothers are not there but her parents are seated near the rear of the room.   Thankfully Kate was seated near the rear of the room herself today. She whispered apologies to those she passed as she got up to speak to her father. "Papa, Mr. Lord who owns the Alhambra isn't here yet," she whispered. Would you step over and see if he's there? It's just a couple doors down."   "He voted yes, didn't he?" her father asked.  Kate nodded. "We need him here, and I think someone should check and make sure he's alright. Would you?" Friedrich nodded and Katherine returned to her seat to wait.  As the meeting continued Friedrich Seagram quietly left the town hall and went to the Alhambra saloon where he knocked loudly on the door. He then notices a note tacked to it.Laurie Gilson asks to speak next, which comes as a surprise as she is normally silent at public meetings. She talks about how much she values her assistant Jules Huerta and how without him her business would not be possible. She says that is true of many businesses in town, who depend upon non-human labor, and that an employer should think about what they are truly saying to their employees if they cast a 'No' vote to representation. Tector Driscoll rises next. He begins to talk against allowing other races to vote but is soon cut off by Judge Isby for just repeating what he had said on Monday and is told to sit back down. Rufus Davis stands and announces that he and Anita Ramirez will be getting married on Sunday afternoon in a wedding officiated by both Priestess Minerva Florencia and Father Thomas Valdez. He invites the entire town to attend and says that this union, like the town, shows that all races should live in harmony together and the vote they are about to cast should reflect that. A livid Icabod Shackelton asks to be recognized. He states, "Racial unions are an abomination to the gods and that humans and humans alone should have rights."  Rufus Davis asks to be recognized again. He stands and says, "I would like to amend what I stated before. The entire town is welcome to attend my wedding with the exception of Mr. Shackelton." That draws some laughs from the audience.Haywood Smith is then recognized. He states, "My cousin Eric and I both own restaurants in this town. We serve primarily a human clientele although we have never turned away a person of another race who wishes to dine with us. Eric only permits humans to stay overnight in his hotel. This isn't because we dislike the other races, but those individuals are of a different culture than us. They follow different gods and have different approaches towards life. Shouldn't we as business owners have a right to decide who we wish our customers to be? If this vote is extended to the other races what is to keep them from electing candidates who dictate to us businesses who we can and cannot serve? That worries me." Pedro Figures asks to be recognized. He states, "My name is Pedro, most of you know me. My Cantina has stood where it is now for fourteen years, twelve years longer than this town has stood. I welcome all races to dine and stay with me. I too share one of Mr. Smith's worries, but from the opposite perspective. I worry that if a group of candidates are elected who share the viewpoints of Mr. Shackelton and Mr. Watkins then the non-human population of this town will be treated unfairly and our current rights and liberties will be restricted." Seagram returns and makes his way over to Kate. He says "Lord isn't there. He tacked a note to the door saying that the saloon will be closed until at least Friday because his father in Benton has died."   "Thank you for checking Papa," she whispered back. "What a shame." She squeezed his hand quickly, then let him return to his seat.The other new Association member, Mr. Madson, is recognized. He stands and says, "Hello, I'm new to town. My name is Daniel Madson, some of you know my brother Bronco who works out at the Thayer Ranch. I got burned out of Tombstone last week so decided to start up here. I've been living in this county for many years and have served twice as a Deputy for County Sheriff Johnny Behan. One thing I've learned as a Deputy is that them Indians can't be trusted. You all just saw that, you caught a bunch of redskins who planned to murder our Governor. We humans stopped them and we humans should make the laws around here."Jake asks to be recognized. "Everyone is entitled to their strong opinions, and within the laws anyone here can choose who they do business with and who they do not. I hear your worries. I just ask those of you who are not supporting extending the vote to all to look around. Look at your friends in the room, folks that have stood by you in times of trouble, folks that have helped get Promise City this far. Much of what you value in those folks is the reason they ARE voting to include all. Before you vote again see if there is some additional tolerance in your heart. Let us not go down a path that leads to more violence, that leads to more friends pitted against friends."Minerva stands and asked to be recognized. "Was it a redskin that murdered our beloved President Lincoln?  Or a human who was unable to see beyond his own prejudices and recognize the value of his fellow man? Were redskins who took the law into their own hands and stormed the town jail just last week? No, it was certainly not and we should not limit our trust or distrust to those of one race. We should judge each man and woman according to their individual valor. Evil.. and goodness comes in all guises; color, creed, and gender." She looks around the room in earnest catching the eyes of each individual.   "Do not undo the good that great men such as President Lincoln and Niles Hoover gave their lives for by voting against all that they stood for. "Al Brower asks to be recognized. He stands and says, "Hello, most of you know me. I'll be casting a 'Yes' vote today for the Comique and my business partner Pierre Jacqet will be casting a 'Yes' vote for the Gun Shop. We also own part of Boyd's cigar store and based upon conversations with him during the last day my friend Alton Boyd is planning to vote against the proposal. And you know what?  I'm okay with that. Alton  is my friend and my business partner and regardless of the outcome of this vote, once a decision is made I plan to put this issue behind us and move on. This town incorporation and election is meant to unite not divide this town. The majority of the town will have its voice heard and those in the minority need to accept that as part of the Democratic process. Thank you."    Judge Isby decides to end debate at that point. He states "The Proposal is on the table. All those in favor signify by raising your right hand."  Again, Kate thrust her hand into the air to support all races voting and began counting the other hands in the air.Hands go up from Morgana Arcadiam, Rudy Baines, Helen Barker, Austin Blake, Vera Blake, Hannibal Brown, Al Brower, Travis Calhoun, Neil Cassidy, Jake Cook, Zeb Cook, Rufus Davis, Pedro Figures, Roger Fly, Laurie Gilson, Pierre Jaquet, Katherine Kale, Kevin Kelly, Judge Lacey, Russell Lee, Zachary Morand, Paul Stevens, Cole Rixton, Harry Rote, Elihu Upton, Kris Wagner, Don Wainwright, and Charlie Wong. These votes is almost identical as before, with most people in the audience noticing that Zeb Cook has now changed from his previous "No" to "Yes" vote, however that is canceled out by feed store owner Randall Mason who voted ‘Yes’ before but does not this time.  Isby makes the count and announces 28 votes in favor. With 57 voting members present that leaves the proposal one vote shy of a majority.Kate closed her eyes and sighed. They desperately needed Mr. Lord's vote and it seemed just a bit too convenient that he suddenly had to leave. She excused herself quietly again and made her way over to Mr. Chumbley.  "You used to stay at the Alhambra," she whispered. "There's a note attached to the door saying his father passed on and the saloon will be closed until Friday. Is there any reason to think that's not so, or am I being paranoid?"   Chumbley replies, "No, it's legit. His dad died up in Benton, he got the telegram yesterday afternoon." Alison Caine heads briskly downstairs and smiles at Harry. "Morning," she says, leaning on the Lucky Lady bar. "Is there a doctor in town?"   Harry says, "Yes, Doctor Jim Eaton. Not much of a bedside manner, probably since he's ex-military. He'd be over at the Town Hall right now, they're having a meeting about the upcoming town election."Al nods. "Thanks, Harry," she says. She walks out of the Lucky Lady, jams her hands in her pockets, and walks to the Town Hall.   She slips in the back. "All those in favor signify by raising your right hand," a man she doesn't recognize is saying. Not knowing what she'd be raising her hand to, she keeps it in her pocket and quietly takes a seat in the back row.Judge Isby says, "All those opposed?"   Hands go up from Carl Berman, Alton Boyd, Frank Condon, Tector Driscoll, Duncan Frye, Michael George, Tim Gorch, Dick Hammer, Mongolin Hays, Kate Higgins, Lincoln Hood, Ezra Hooten, Don Hudson, Bif Johnson, Kay Kaufman, Peter Lovelace, Daniel Madson, Randall Mason, Dave Melany, Clay Milford, Greg Reston, Bob Skull, Ike Sherman, Sam Slade, Eric Smith, Haywood Smith, Bill Watkins and Henry Weller. Isby takes the count.   Kate notes that while Boyd and Johnson had abstained the previous time they both cast ‘No’ votes now, as do the two new members Hays and Madson. He asks, "Abstentions?" The only hand to go up is Burton Lumley's.  Judge Isby announces "The motion is tied by a vote of 28 to 28. A majority is needed to pass. Mr. Lumley, you as the President of the Merchant's Association have always made it your practice to abstain from all voting except in the event of a tie. We are now in that situation. Would you care to cast a vote either in favor or opposed?"   Lumley says, "Yes sir, I will. To me the most important thing is that the Incorporation occur. So I will cast my deciding vote towards whatever the result is of the Vigilance Committee's vote happens to be." "Very well," Isby states. At the request of Bill Watkins the Judge calls a fifteen-minute recess. The five members of the Vigilance Committee leave the room, accompanied by Rebecca King and her son Ashley.   Kate rubbed her forehead. So in the end it was still in the hands of the Vigilance Committee. Suddenly she felt as if she'd wasted the last few days. Yes, she'd spoken passionately for herself, but she had always intended to go talk to Mr. Condon but had not done it. Even last night she hadn't asked Conrad what he'd found out as his table, even after Dorita said he was going to try to find out where opinions lay. She'd intended to do that too but let her own contentment last night distract her.   "I should have done more," she said quietly, still standing next to Chumbley. "Mr. Lord didn't leave anyone to act as proxy for him?"   Chumbley replies, "Well, he really couldn't. He doesn't have any employees at the Alhambra, it's a one-man operation."  Kate nodded and looked toward Burton Lumley. "I understand his abstentions, and even his reasoning for his decision today but I don't like it. Of course, I don't like anything sitting in the Vigilance Committee's hands." She excused herself after a moment and went over to congratulate Rufus Davis on his upcoming marriage. As she moved around the room she kept her eye on Burton Lumley, watching to see if anyone was trying to influence him. There would not be another vote for the Merchant's Association, he was the only way left to affect thingsOnly five minutes of the recess have elapsed when an angry and red-faced Derrick Avery enters the room and storms over to where his fiancé Liza Brown is seated. A number of people head over towards them including Liza's father Hannibal Brown, Paul Stevens and Burton Lumley. Chumbley is about to go over there when he notices that both Morgana Arcadiam and Angela Young are headed that way too. Liza asks "What happened". Derrick exclaims, "They kicked me off of the Committee, replacing me with Ashley King. Now they're over there strong-arming Zeb Cook to change his vote." "Are they really? I'll see about that!" is the comment from Zeb's wife Helen Cook who then rapidly leaves the Town Hall building. Lumley calls out across the room "Attorney Fisk, could you come over here a minute, and bring your case." Hamilton Fisk stops talking his conversation with Bob Scull and Nick Thayer and heads over to them. "What is it Lumley?", he asks. Lumley says, "Would you have with you the bylaws from the old Civic Association?" Fisk says, "Of course, I bring all relevant documents to these meetings, why?" Lumley answers, "Vigilance Committee issues, I believe that there is an opportunity here for you to be a thorn in their side." Fisk replies, "Gladly" as he opens his briefcase and looks for the document, "What am I looking for?"  Lumley says, "The procedure for the removal of members." Fisk snorts, "I know that passage all too well!" Lumley looks at the confused Avery and says, "Hamilton was a member of the Civic Association back then and Bill Watkins tried to have him removed." Fisk says, "Yep, but only Eaton supported him. That's actually what led to the group eventually splitting." Avery looks to Lumley and says, "I still don't understand? What does that defunct Association have to do with this" Avery's boss Paul Stevens says, "I think I get it. Both the Merchant's Association and the Vigilance Committee were formed with the old Promise City Civic Association ended. Each group then drew up new bylaws about how meetings were to be held and run but for most other Parliamentary and organizational issues they just retained the old Civic Association bylaws." Lumley says, "Including the removal of members." Fisk finds what he is looking for and says, "Here it is!". He reads: Removal of a member of the Association for cause requires that charges be stated during a formal business meeting after which the individual will have one week to obtain legal council and then refute the charges. The exception to this is would be a felony conviction with a sentence of three-months or more levied by the Circuit Judge in which case the individual may be immediately dismissed." Stevens laughs and says to Avery, "I don't recall hearing Isby sentencing you to prison for anything son, so that means you're on that Committee for at least another week." Avery says, "Shouldn't we go tell them then?" Lumley laughs and says, "Hades no, let them scheme for another ten minutes. When they return we'll let Fisk here take the wind out of their sails." Then thin lawyer with the handlebar mustache smiles and says "It will be my pleasure."Kate made her way over to the group and waited for a quiet moment to say, "Excuse me, Mr. Avery. If only yourself and Mr. Cook intended to vote yes why eject you and try to change Mr. Cook's vote? They still had three, enough to deny the vote to non-humans."  He replies, "Because of how the Merchant's Association vote came out, a tie with Lumley still going either way. That puts all the pressure on the Vigilance Committee and a three-to-two vote gives the wrong signal with the feeling that Frank Condon will be hurt the most. They don't want it to appear that only one or two people made this decision for everybody. If the Vigilance Committee vote is unanimously then it will show that the Merchant's Association had to vote that way instead for Incorporation to occur.""Very astute of them," Kate said and met Burton Lumley's gaze. "It makes them look stronger than the Merchant's Association, shifts bad feelings to it's president, and get them what they want. They come out in a stronger position, and we in a weaker. Thankfully they forgot one little detail. It doesn't change the fact that Mrs. King and the Doctor are playing for more than the incorporation."    Lumley replies, "You can say a lot about that bunch, but nobody ever said they were stupid." Roger Fly has made his way over the group and says to Avery "So they tried to kick you out?" He nods yes.  Fly says, "From what I hear they wanted you out so that they can run a solid ticket to put their whole Committee into office. They feel that if they have the Mayor, Marshall and at least a three Council members then they can run this town their way. Your way of thinking is too foreign for them to accept. They'll probably allow Cook to stay even if he votes yes because they'd see that as a vote for economic reasons rather than philosophical ones. You on the other hand were clear in where you stood." Stevens says, "They had spoken to me yesterday about firing you, figuring that if you were out of work you'd move away and create the vacancy that way." Lumley says, "Ah, but Upton opening a bank made you see the light?" Stevens replies to Lumley, "Well, I'll admit that did change how I voted today, I had planned on abstaining like you." He turns back to Avery and says, "And I would never fire a good working for having their own opinions Derrick". "I know that Sir," is Avery's reply. The Vigilance Committee returns and takes their seats back at the front of the room, with Ashley King sitting where Avery had before.   As the Vigilance Committee returned Kate took her seat and for the first time actually looked forward to what Hamilton Fisk had to say.Al Caine stayed in her seat through the start of the recess and watches in some surprise at the fuss when Mr. Avery, as, is that Mrs. Kale? - calls him, bursts in. Half of her is on alert in case the argument gets violent. She glances around the room and sees, not far away, the Spanish priestess Minerva. Al makes her way over.   "Morning, ma'am," she says quietly.  Minerva replies, "Buenas Dias Al." What brings you to this meeting?""Actually, I'm looking for Dr Eaton," Al says. "You think you could point him out to me?"   Minerva looks at her closely. "Are you ill? I have some healing skills and will gladly assist you if you are. Doc Eaton is over there." she says pointing to a man with a scowl on his face.   Al takes a little breath and fiddles nervously with her ring. "It's, uh, no, I'm not sick," she says. "I just, sorta wanted to check something out with him."   Sitting beside Minerva, Al glances up at Doc Eaton. "I ain't sure I like him much," she whispers to Minerva.  Minerva notices the ring but does not comment upon it. She places her hand on Al's arm and whispers back. "Nor do I but he is the only Doctor in town. Are you sure that I cannot help you, Allison.? I can assure you that anything you say to me be will be held in confidence."  Alison looks at Minerva uncertainly for a second. "Could we talk after the meeting?" she asks.   Minerva pats her arm. "Si, Let us do that."</blockquote>

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