They had worked themselves into a frame of mind where they were prepared to sacrifice everything and see civil war in the country rather than back down and acquiesce in the appointment of a representative of labor.

It looked as if a deadlock were inevitable.
Then, suddenly, after about two hours' argument, it dawned on me that they were not objecting to the thing, but to the name.

I found that they did not mind my appointing any man, whether he was a labor man or not, so long as he was not appointed _as_ a labor man, or _as_ a representative of labor; they did not object to my exercising any latitude I chose in the appointments so long as they were made under the headings they had given.

I shall never forget the mixture of relief and amusement I felt when I thoroughly grasped the fact that while they would heroically submit to anarchy rather than have Tweedledum, yet if I would call it Tweedledee they would accept it with rapture; it gave me an illuminating glimpse into one corner of the mighty brains of these "captains of industry." In order to carry the great and vital point and secure agreement by both parties, all that was necessary for me to do was to commit a technical and nominal absurdity with a solemn face.

This I gladly did.