The Labor enquirer., 1884-12-06
WAVING BLACK FIal 6S.
Three Thousand ldls Chicago Nan
Marching Through the Mud
and Rain.


Marching Through the Mud
and Rain.
Notwithstanding the cold and unpro-
pitious weather Of yesterday fully 5000
men assembled on Market street to listen
to the proclamations of the leaders Of
the International Workingmen's Associ-
alton. A chilly sleet was falling, and
those who could took refuge under the
awnings of the stores to the north of
Marshall Fields establishment, cluster
ing behind the speakers on the platform.
There were probably 1000 men on the cold
and muddy roadway in front of the ros-
trum Of the speaker, who stood there
from to O'Clock when the procession
formed in line.
G. s. Griffin, who has spoken on one or
two occasions atthe Socialistic meetings
on the lake front, advocated as usual the
abolition of the rights of private prop
erty and the wage system. He said the
men who.build houses ought not to be
homeless sramps, and those whose labor
filled the granaries with the products of
the earth ought not to be compelled to
see their families starving, and to share
in this pitiable starvation themselves.
There was something wrong in any sys-
tenn of social economy which led to such
disastrous results as these, which called
for redress and remedy. He read a series
of resolutions to the effect that those who
had nothing to eat or to joyfully cele-
brate the national holiday with ought to
celebrate Thanksgiving for the knowl-
edge they have of the causes of their
poverty and the means they have at
hand to overthrow the existing order of
things if they would only unite on some
practical line of action. Samuel Fielden
referred to the suferings of the Hooking
Valley miners, the shutting down of the
South Chicago rolling mills and other
giant establishments throughout the
United States, as fraught with imminent
danger to the nations existence. This
was owing to the suppression of labor by
the capitalists, They say thus far shalt
thou labor and no further. We will stop
the wheels of industry. We will get
fancy prices for what labor has now pro-
duced for us, whereas if we permitted
labor to be free and untrameled com
modities would be cheaper, and poor
people would have as much reason to
thank God as we have. This we cannot
tolerate. So argue the capitalists, said
the speaker.
The governor of the state of Illinois
has issued. he exclaimed, a lying and
hypocritical e1hortation to the people to
give thanks to Almighty God. This hyp-
ocritlcal governor knew when he penned
those lying pages that there were starv-
ing miners in the Hooking Valley and
an army of 10000 unemployed people in
the city of Chicago. What does he mean
by This? What is the good of such bare
faced lying as this ? How long will the
people have patience to bear such fla
grant and lying insults as these and
allow the governor of Illinois to ask
them to unite with him in thanking God
for what he calls their prosperity? ?
August Spies, of the Arbeiter Zeltung,
said scheme was on foot in the city of
Chicago to appoint 400 additional police
men to chase the starving and l.nem-
ployed tramps produced by the oppres-
sion of the capitalists to death or to the
jail, The THANKSGIVING of 1884 would
be memorable epoch in American his
tory, as on that day was witnessed for
the first time.th unfolding of the black
flag on United States soil.
| Herr Schwabb addressed the meeting
in German, after which A. R. Parsons
announced that the line of march would
form, and a parade would be made
through what he called the. aristocratic
quarters of the city. Some 1000 men
formed in line, marching from Market
street to Monroe, thence south to Michi-
gan avenue, and past the principal resi-
Dental avenues ON the South Side of the
city, returning to Fifth avenue, where
the procession disbanded. Among the
devices borne on the flags were the fol-
lowing legends: Thanks to our lords
who have the kindness to feast ON our
earnings" "Shall we thank our lords for
our misery, restitution and poverty ?"
The turkeys and champagne on the
tables of our grateful capitalists are very
cheap. We paid for them," " Why we
thank: Because our eapitalistic and
Christian brothers are happily enjoying
our turkeys, our wine. and our houses"
These and numerous similar devices
were carried by the standard-bearers of
the throng as they marched in process
sion, Justify shouting the air of the Mar
seillaise" through the principal streets
of the city. -. 90. ?.
The military band which headed the
procession rested on State and Monroe
streets, while the rear of the line of
march extended to Fifth avenue, the