He had operated in this state for decades. He understood power, he understood balance, and he understood when to be ruthless.
But he wasn't a butcher.
He looked at an intelligence brief on his desk.
It was a secret report from the state police, detailing the current situation in Pittsburgh and other cities within the Industrial Revival Alliance.
Workers had organized picket lines, and self-defense groups had been established in the communities.
If the State Government truly sent in troops for a forced takeover, it wouldn't be a simple dispersal. It would be a bloody conflict.
Pennsylvania would fall into chaos.
Factories would shut down, schools would close, and it might even trigger a statewide general strike.
He didn't want to see any of it happen.
His original plan was to smoothly serve out his final term as Governor, sign his name on a record of economic recovery, and then go to Washington to join the cabinet.
