The Labor enquirer., 1886-05-08
FRENZY.

over the land there have been outbreaks
against what is known as claw and or
der" and labor, stru1 Cling in the throes
of starvation, has uttered cry and gasp
which shook society to its foundations
But Chicago, cosmopolitan, beehive
Chicago, has contributed week of terror
to the history of a nations uDheavals
which make US for a time forget all else,
Milwaukee, TOO, has boiled over from
the heat of the same flames, and the
wise man pause5 to ponder and ask,
whittier are we drifting?
1t Is not my purpose to defend the ac-
tions of the wild mobs Of Chicago and
Milwaukee, neither do intend to un-
quaIifedly condemn. The reports of
these affairs which have reached this
city were prepared, transmitted and
. published by the tools Of Gould and his
colleagues, and man of sense will with
hold his verdict until they are either
verified or alt red by the testimony Of
unprpiudiced witnesses. If what has
been printed during the week were truA,
then should unhesitatingly condemn
the action of the Anarchists, as | have
on former occasions, but knowing the
sources of capitalistic news as do !;
knowing how the agents Of that monop-
olistic maChine-the Associated Press
have lied before, and that they are paid
to lie against the people, l reserve judg-
ment.
But it will not be out of place to call
attention to few facts at this time and
to ask the honest people of the country
to cousid er few points seriously.
First, let us remember that there can
be 10 effect without a cause. What then
is the cause of all this frenzy on the part
of the poor IN the United States? Surely
no one will be foolish enough to say
that hundred thousand men, distrbu-
riots, entailing loss of life upon them
selves as well as upon the officers Of the
law, Just for the fun of the thing. Then,
what is the matter? The truth is that
our economic system is unscientifc, is
incapable of graphing with the bread
and butter questions of TODAY. Call
this demagogism you like, the ablest
minds of the times admit it as a truth,
and the facts prove it.
For fifteen years the people have been
asking their congress to enact measures
to meet the growing evil of poverty and
the unjust distribution of the products
oflabor; for ten wears the sCientis s aud
thinkers have been warning us of what
would be the result of our break neck,
shylocking policy, and no heed has been
given. Our system is 'otten to the core,
and the uprislngs in Chicago and other
places are but the natural excrescenses.
There are to-day In this LAND between
100000 and 100000 people out of
work, which means in nearly all cases
out of the necessities of life able bodied
men are tramDing, begging and stealing
mothers are wearing their lives out for
pittanCe, in vain endeavor to keep
the wolf from the door; young girls are
being driven into prostitution, and
Americas sons are being made thieves
and ou Laws; and this in land blessed
as is no other land under the sun with
natural resources; this in a country
which has complained Of over .produc,
ton for three years past.
During the last three NOR ths-the
most trying our country has ever known
congress, he REPRESENTATIVES Of the
people" has been IN almost constant
session, and not a finger has been raised
to alleviate the suferngs of the people ;
not an act has been performed to avert
the calamity which a ten-year-old child
could see would naturally follow policy
which protected few shyiocks in the
power to rob, starve and murder the
people.
Can you wonder at crime?
Can you marvel at unrest?
Can you feel sur rised that hungry
and starving people are frenzied, and
are ready to die in the cutters by the
bullet?
The government has refused them
protection. Is it any wonder they &C
cept the leadership of Anarchists, even
though they know their step is fraught
with death and pregnant with final
failure?
Little knows he Of the animal man
who woald say Chicago and Milwaukee
were unnatural.
do not defend Parsons, Spies and
Fielding; l have always opposed them,
as the files Of this paper and their own
bitter expressions against me will prove
but do not hold them responsible for
the horrors of the past week,
American citizens, it is your govern,
ment, as represented in trifing, venal
congress, that is responsible for every
drop Of blood shed in Chicago, Milwau.
kee, East st. Louis and other places
where there have Neen conflicts between
the laborer and the law. 1t is your
congress that must bear the sin of 9e
per cent of the prostitution aad crime
which have blotted your fair country'E
name during the past twenty years, and