How did things end up like this? The nobles, who had already found a scapegoat, couldn't understand what went wrong.
The plan had been perfect. After all, West Virginia, a small mountainous state, had a population smaller than a district in New York. It was the kind of place that hardly drew any attention in the United States. Even if something happened there, it wouldn't cause any major ripples across the country.
Five million dollars—how could such a small amount attract anyone's attention? Why not focus on the construction in Las Vegas or the Naval Arms Conference in London? There are so many big events going on around the world—why would anyone care about West Virginia?
It just goes to show how naive these rural nobles are. They had never seen such a large-scale protest before. They'd witnessed mass strikes of thousands or even tens of thousands, but those were always mediated by the coal mine owners who would offer "friendly negotiations."
But how do you "negotiate" with these social organizations?
A feminist organization? We didn't offend them. Why are they suddenly attacking the West Virginia government for neglecting vulnerable women and children? This isn't a protest, is it? These are able-bodied people—do they expect the American government to support them?
Within days, thousands of protesters had gathered in Charleston, completely surrounding the state government building. It wasn't just one or two protests—it was a 24-hour round-the-clock demonstration. As soon as one person left, another took their place. It seemed like they had organized it all in advance. And the signs and banners? There were so many of them that they couldn't even count. The protesters were ready to throw rotten eggs or vegetable scraps at the government officials who dared to come out.
So, how should we handle this?
If these were just ordinary workers or farmers, they wouldn't have the media influence to make their voices heard nationwide. The nobles wouldn't be afraid. They could just send in county police or even the National Guard to disperse the crowd.
If that didn't work, the coal mine owners had their own private armies—planes, tanks, cannons, armored vehicles. With private gun ownership rights in the U.S., they could legally use weapons as powerful as grenades. The more people there were, the more they could bombard them with.
But these social organizations weren't the same. Some had significant power and even direct ties to members of Congress. For instance, one feminist organization had over 800,000 members nationwide. Their influence was so strong that some state representatives relied on their support for elections. If you sent in the National Guard, by the time they arrived, the headlines in newspapers across the country would condemn the West Virginia government for brutally suppressing women and children.
Maybe we should talk it over. After all, everything is negotiable, right? West Virginia had political intermediaries, and recently, there had been significant federal funding coming into the state. With money, the state could thrive.
There's a joke everyone's heard: a banker's son asked his father how bankers make money if all the money in the bank belongs to the people. The banker told his son to take some meat out of the fridge and put it back after a while. He then pointed to his son's greasy hands and said, "This is how bankers make money."
The money is meant for farmers, but even if it's lent privately in the short term, a bit of interest is charged. Why do you think the state delayed disbursing funds until just before Christmas? It was to keep the money in hand a little longer.
Now they're just creating a so-called fund to hurt people. It's all a scheme to siphon off funds under the guise of helping the public.
If they could smooth things over by making a small donation to these organizations, everyone would be happy. They could find a few big donors and give them $5,000 each. Easy, right?
The leaders of these organizations happily accepted the checks for $5,000. When they met, they smiled and shook hands, but didn't make any promises. Once they left the private banquet, they resumed their protests.
With their shamelessness, it's no wonder they have political value.
They wouldn't be bought off with a few thousand dollars. The agricultural fund was $5 million. They weren't fooled by a few thousand dollars. What were they supposed to do with it? They wanted a real payout.
The intermediaries were in their element, running back and forth negotiating, all smiles. The nobles became more anxious, but the social leaders became even less worried. After all, spring was coming, the weather was getting warmer, and there was nothing better than sitting outside in the sun, chatting and enjoying life.
If the state government didn't offer a reasonable price, the protests would only intensify. The numbers would keep growing. These people had enough power to even unite with the Democratic Party and launch a no-confidence motion against the Republican state government. If the public sentiment was stirred up and the motion passed, forget the $5 million—these leaders might lose their positions too.
Time to compromise...
How exactly the compromise happened, Naer wouldn't know. He didn't have any contacts in the state government. But the agricultural relief fund set up a regulatory committee, and the leaders of these social organizations became members of that committee.
Then came the distribution of loans. While they may not have genuinely cared about the welfare of the people, the leaders of these organizations certainly made it look like they did. They handed out $500,000 to $600,000 in low-interest or no-interest agricultural loans, with almost no collateral or restrictions.
In addition, the state government promised to build a reservoir and irrigation canals in the northern mountainous regions to ensure access to water during dry seasons.
All in all, at least over a million dollars made it into the hands of the farmers. Naer thought this was a good outcome. At least some of the money reached its intended destination. While it might not be a third of the $5 million, considering their lack of influence, getting this result was a pleasant surprise.
The Democrats continued to fan the flames, and soon the proposal for building dams on the High River or Kanawa River was approved, and bidding began.
The cost of the project might be inflated, but with so much attention on it, it would be hard to cut corners. Even if they tried, the leaders of these social organizations, who were very concerned about their public image, would ensure no shortcuts were taken.
Ha ha ha ha...