Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-02-23
Mr.. AUGUST SPIES
A CHICAGO SOCIALIST LEADER,
Visits This City and Addresses the
People Upon the Question OF
Social Reform.

iaDOrlng people ~ the city upon utclf pres
ent condition. and prospects for the future
Ia the afternoon he addressed large audi
enee at Arbeiter Hall, speaking IN German,
and IN the esening be spoke IN English al
the Metropolitan Hall % about two hundred
men and few ladies'. Mr.. Spies Is appar-
emily about thirty -hve years old, and in gen
eral appearance has little of the German
about him. He is about i've feet six inches
tall, rather sparely built, with blue eyes and
dark brown hair, which is .yorn short and in
clined TO curl He wears moustache, has
high, prominent forehead and general ap
pearanee of earnestness.
He was introduced last night by Hors l..
few remarks upon the hard times and gen
eral discomfort among iaboring people.
Mr.. Spies commenced by saying: This
day is the anniversary of the birth of
Washington. | need not TO say who Wash
mgton was. AT the time our government
was established, jefferson. Adams, Franklin
and others had learned certain theories from
French philosophers, upon which they formed
the basis of government which was in
tended to be- Just To all. To-day we find the
condition m large majority of the people
in a worse situation than were the common
people or slaves in the days of feudalism.
| think the workingmen of to-day
would prefer to return to the feudal
system than 10 remain in their present con-
dition. In feudal times working people
were robbed of one-tenth or one-eighth of
their earnings: to-day, in this country and in
Europe, they are robbed of ive-eighths of all
they produce Why do they submit? Be-
cause they are ignorant The press and the
pulpit are teaching the people that their suf-
fering is due TO over-production; that be-
cause they work too hard and produce too
much they must suffer. Nonsense What
remedy is proposed? The only remedy that
/ can be proposed is to do what the Germans
are doing. To relieve the working people of
/ Germany, King William has sent his uni
/ formed barbarians to the Congo country, In
/ Africa, to force the ignorant negroes to trade
with Germany. OF course a few merchants
and missionaries were sent along, and be-
cause the Africans will not buy overcoats of
them, which they do not need they are shot
down and their villages burned. Yet this is
the only way that the over production theor-
lists can think of to relieve the working peo-
pie. 1t is not because they produce too
much that people suffer: bat because their
productions are not utilized. Why are the
people ignorant? Because information is
suppressed John Swinton, when he
was managing the New York Sun,
told me that he got $4,000 i'll one year for
suppressing the truth, and there are about
two thousand such fellows in this country.
| Then there are as many or more priests who
/ are doing the same thing. They tell you
that because you are here, you must be con-
tented and receive your reward somewhere
in the hereafter. The press informs you
| about the tariff, but that does not interest
/ the workingman; ii concerns the robbers
/ only. But you will say what is to be the
/ outcome. My friends, when reason fails to
/ rule mankind necessity takes command.
Reason cannot rule with ignorance. Necess-
/ ity is a cruel ruler, but after necessity has
/ overthrOwn the present social structure, which
cannot exist much longer reason will again
7 govern. Necessity not reason causes all
social reforms. You may talk about legisla-
/ ton. The State cannot help us. An eight
hour law cannot be enforced. 1t would be
/ evaded with the present condition of society.
When the people want to work eight
hours or five hours then they won't work but
! five hours. and no law will be needed.
/ Necessity will yet (and soon) compel
/ the wage-workers to take back a part
xoI-1
from them. Necessity will yet oblige you to
inaugurate a reform when you will work but
eight hours, and your bosses will work with
you. You will yet learn that no man has an
! exclusive right to control property. All of
our great factories, railroads, ships and
cities are but the products of the work of
countless generations. You will yet learn
that there is much rotten, not only in Den
mark but in this country. l was to talk to-
night about an eight-hour law. Such a law
can not help us; and if il could il would not
be constitutional without an amendment to
/ the Constitution.
There are men who are so audacious as TO
say there are no classes in this country. Let
us see. An opera company comes here.
The tickets are g. Go down there and see
how many laboring men are there. You will
see bankers and capitalists there, but no
Iaboring men. This is but one illustration.
When you become conscious that you own
the world, have the power to govern the
world and exercise that power. then you can
see the opera"
Mr. Spies was listened to with close atten-
ton. and many of those present applauded
be interested only from curiosity. Mr..
Spies returns to Chicago this morning.