St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-26
The OOmmunistic Element ofthe Laboring
People of Chicago Holds an Eight
Hour Demonstration.
Ten Thousand People Gather at the Lake
Front to Listen to the Speeches
of the Leaders.
One OF the Speakers Urges That Strik-
ers I'm the Future Walk In
Instead OF Out.
Gould Processes Pleasure at the Out
look in the Southwest--New
York Car Drivers.
A Great Meeting of Communists.

CHICAGO, April 25.-Throughout the
larger portion of the city to-day the re-
minders that this was Easter Sunday were
permitted to attract much less attention
than the evidences that it was day of
display for the International w Workingmen's
association. Streaming crimson banners
and hurrying groups of swarthy-faced for
eigners were far more conspicuous in the
eastern half of the city than any tokens of
the resurrection or of church going. The
day had been chosen for an eight-hour
demonstration under the auspices of
the Central Labor union, representing the
communistic element among the laboring
people of the city. There was great num-
Der Of men in line, probably 5000 to 4. 900,
several bands of music. red banners by the
score and very few United States flags.
The organizations began gathering OH
Randolph street, in the old hay market, be-
fore 10 a. m, and the marching soon be-
gan. The line of march was apparently
chosen to cross and recrOss as many street
car lines as possible. At many places cars
stood in lines over half a mile
in length. The objective point was
the lake front, where mass
meeting of all the participants was to be
held, The long route Of the procession
was thrOnged by thousands of people, but
notably lacking any semblance of enthusi-
asm. Those in the ranks, however,
cheered and shouted for "eight hours" and
DOWN WITH THE CAPITALISTS"
There were hardly dozen banners in
English the entire length of the procession.
Two or three contained instructions to boy
colt certain individuals or their manufac-
ture. One was as follows: Private cap
ital represents stolen labor " Another had
the words: Eight hours a day." The
banner bore in German the words:
Drink water like cattle; so says Master
| Workman POwderly. On the way down
Madison street the driver of wagon at
tempted to drive through the procession.
His wagon was quickly overturned and left
upside down in the gutter. When the pro-
ceSsiOn reached the lake front, the various
organizations augmented by the throngs of
curious people, in all perhaps 10000,
| gathered around two stands and listened to
! speeches by A. r. Parsons, Michael
Schwab and Mr.. Harasch from one stand.
| Parsons spoke in English, Sehwab in Ger
man and Harasch in Bohemian. On the
other platform Sam. Fielding. Aug. Spies
and John A Henry harangued the throng.
| Spies spoke in German and the others in
English. The speeches were all of the
BLOOD AND THUNDER
order and declared in favor of the abolition of
private capital and unifcation of all wealth.
Parsons declared that if starvation was
forced upon the masses, they would raise
the banner of liberty and equality and
sweep away all their oppressOrs. Henry
said that heretofore all strikers had been
wrong. The men struck to walk out. They
must change front aud strike to walk in
and throw the owners and managers out
1t was better to throw out the owner of a
factory than TO throw out 200 or 500
workmen. While the speaking was in
progress, ali the United States flags about
the stand on which Parsons stood were
furIed and tucked out of sight. while the
red flag was fiaunted on all sides. Some
one yelled out where's the stars and
stripes?" as Parsons spoke of raising the
banner of liberty" and pointed to a red
| flag of the Central Labor union. No an
swer was vOuchSafed, but in a couple OF
minuets the stars and stripes were unfurled
from the platform. When the speaking
had been concluded at each platform three
cheers were given for the eight-hour move
ment and the crowd quickly melted away.